Finish DrywallTo finish drywall properly, this will be a project that will take some time to do. It's not a job that will be done in a day. You will need to allow for set up, clean up, drying time, etc. Once you get the hang of how to use the various tools, it's quite simple. Some help is always nice too, as it can be quite a big project depending on the area to be finished. Tools Required to Finish DrywallVarious Sizes of Drywall Knives( 4,8,& 12 Inch)Trowel Sandpaper Pole Sander Joint Tape Mixing Container Mud Pan Joint Compound Sanding Blocks Utility Knife Tin Snips Taping The JointsOnce the drywall is in place, you are ready to finish drywall. Joint compound holds your drywall together and gives the look of one smooth wall. You can use pre-mixed or a powdered form. Pre-mixed is more expensive, but less hassle.
To start, you will want to use your small drywall knife to apply the first coat to each seam. Use quite a bit of mud and force it into the joints. Cut drywall tape the length of the seam and place over mud. Starting in the middle, run your knife across down one end of the seam, then down the other to smooth it out. Apply pressure while doing this, but not too much or you'll end up with folds. Go over joints a few times, to avoid any bubbles or lumps. Let the drywall mud set until dry.
Once the mud is dry, you will need to sand the joints. Scrape off any excess mud, then sand with a sanding sponge or pole sander. Just enough to remove bumps and lumps. You don't want to oversand. For the next coat of mud, you will need a bigger drywall knife, about 7-8 inches. Repeat the mudding process making sure the new lines are about 8 inches wide. Working from the middle out, smooth and feather mud to the edges. Let dry completely, then sand again.
Your 3rd and final coat for finish drywall will require a drywall knife about 10-12 inches wide. You will be using less mud for this, as it is the final stage. Feather the joint compound out as completed in the first 2 stages. Make sure it's very smooth at this stage or will you be sanding forever to get the lumps out. Taping Inside CornersStart by spreading drywall compound about 2 inches wide down both sides of the corner. Prefold a piece of drywall tape so it's easier to apply.Press the tape into the corner. Using your 4 inch drywall knife. (there are corner knives you can use, but they might take more practice to master) Run it firmly down each side of the corner. This will smooth the tape. Let the mud dry.
Once dry, scrape down the corner to remove excess drywall mud. Repeat the mudding process twice, spreading the mud wider each time and feathering it out, until it's about 6 inches wide. When it's dry, scrape off any lumps and bumps and sand with 220 grit paper. Corner Beading DrywallCut a piece of corner bead the exact length of the corner. Make sure it fits properly. A joint in a corner bead is difficult to finish and really doesn't look very nice. Cut an angle at the ends, inward for a nicer finish drywall fit.
Use corner bead with paper attached so you can apply it with mud. You apply the mud to the outside corner of the wall and adhere the bead to it. This will allow easy adjustment before you trowel it off and the mud dries. If you have the old style bead, you'll have to nail the bead in place before you begin to mud it. Once the mud is dry, you need to apply your four inch coat. Run the small finish drywall knife along the edge of the corner until mud is spread evenly. Let dry then repeat with the 8 inch, then feather with the 12 inch drywall knife.
When you have finshed all the seams and corners, fill all the drywall screw and nail holes. You will not require any tape for these. Use a 4 inch knife to scrape off the excess mud, then sand. Make sure you don't sand too hard, or the hole will reappear. In that case, you will have to re-apply mud, let dry, then sand again. You should now have a great drywall finish. Some Very Usefull HintsBe careful not to use finish drywall compound that is too thick. When I did my first basement, I had only watched tapers from afar. This, to my regret, was a mistake. I didn't know they had different thicknesses and just bought the stuff in the blue box. I remember struggling with it and wondering how they do it. Eventually giving up and calling a taper to do the job. Before he started, he tore all the tape off that I had installed. It was a shot to my ego.
Remember, there are many types of mud. Consistency is important for each successive stage. (ie. Finishing mud is thinner than joint compound) If the mud is hard to work with, try watering it down a tad. The thinner it is, the easier it is to work with. A friend of mine was a great help. He is a professional taper and I hired him to do a house for me. I watched him water down some mud in a box until it was like pudding. He proceeded to tie a belt to the box and stuff paper tape in. Enough to do about a quarter of the job. He mixed the tape and mud around until the tape was totally covered. It looked to be a sloppy wet mess in a box. Next, I watched him strap the belt around his shoulders and proceed to place the wet over saturated tape on the joints. He just walked along continually pulling tape out and placing it. When the box was empty, he grabbed a trowel and ran it over the wet tape, smoothing it perfectly over all the joints. I never would have thought of this. I was used to pulling enough mud from the box that would do maybe 2 strips at a time.
Good luck and happy taping.
Drywall Installation
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