Using drywall taping tools can make your home
renovation or addition project go quickly and
easily. Depending on the size of the area you
will be drywalling you can choose to apply drywall
tape and compound manually or with any number
of automatic drywall taping tools. Either method
is a great way to finish your drywall projects
smoothly.
If
you are taping
your drywall manually, the
most important tool you will need is
a wide taping knife. It is ideal for applying
drywall mud evenly over your seams. Drywall
comes with depressed edges, so that the tape
and mud will not create an unsightly bulge
in your walls. This depressed edge is generally
about 1 to 2 inches wide on each piece of drywall,
so it is a good idea to have a taping
knife that is at least 5 inches wide at the
tip of the blade.
The
wider your drywall taping knife is the more
even your mud and tape application will be. Because
drywall compound has a short drying time, it
is important to have a smooth application the
first time. This ensures that you will not create
air pockets or "pills" of compound
from drying mud which will make sanding difficult
and will often require you to apply coat after
coat to ensure a smooth finish.
Learning how to tape drywall
Taping drywall is not really all that difficult.
Like any activity, learning how to tape drywall
is a matter of learning the steps and practicing
until you have a method that works for you. The
first step in drywall taping is to apply a thin
coating of drywall compound into the seam you
are going to tape.
Next, apply the tape to the compound, using
your drywall taping knife to help it stick to
the compound. Be careful not to push too hard
on the tape, as you may force the compound out
from underneath. Once your tape is on, apply
a thick but even layer of compound to cover it.
Allow this to dry, and then use a hand
sander or a power drywall
sander to finish the surface.
Taping drywall is not just for professionals
Many
do it yourselfers once used wood paneling in
their renovations. But today's do it yourselfers
are learning that taping drywall is an easy way
to finish their walls, especially with the right
drywall taping tools.
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