How To Do Drywall Taping With Perfect Tools
Drywall taping is a tedious job, but if it not done properly any defects will show up when the wall is painted. Taping has to be in certain way for the finished wall to look perfect. The first task is to make sure that metal corners have been installed on all the outside corners and that the screws or nails are sunk below the surface of the drywall.
What Drywall Taping Tools Are Needed?
You must make sure that you have all the tools you need before you start you drywall taping project. You need to have a plastering knife for the walls and a tapered plastering knife for the corners. You need to have a roll of plastering tape and the compound/mud needed to apply the tape to the wall. The compound will be used from a tray called a hawk, which you hold in your hand.
Use as plastering knife to place some compound on the hawk. First you apply a layer of the plastering compound over the seam where two sheets of drywall meet by using the larger plastering knife. Then you carefully apply the tape over this compound. Then you take the plastering knife and while pressing in, slide down over the tape so that it sticks into the compound on the wall.
The excess compound will come through the holes in the tape or out around the sides. This is scraped off and can be reused. As you remove the excess compound, slide it off the plastering knife onto the edge of the hawk. When you are drywall taping all of the seams, you can put the compound back into the container.
A special drywall taping tool is the tapered plastering knife that you use for the corners. This tool is angled so that the correct amount of plaster is used in the corners and they are square, rather than rounded when you are finished. The two sides of the regular plastering tool are the same, but with this drywall taping tool for the corners, one of the sides is designed to fit into the corner as you press on the tape.
Drywall Taping Tips
Finally some drywall taping tips for you to take into consideration:
- Don’t use too little plastering compound. It is better to scrape off the excess than have the tape come off.
- Make sure you remove all excess compound. This reduces the amount of sanding you will have to do.
- When doing overhead taping get yourself a safe stand or special drywall stilts .
- If you can use a special drywall lift to easily access all areas around.
Drywall taping requires patience, but the pride you will feel when you see the finished product will be worth the trouble you went through to do the drywall taping.