How to finish drywall: The tale of the tape

Taping drywall is all about finesse. I mean, you're really just trying to smooth things over, right?

When taping drywall, you'll typically encounter four different kinds of seams: where tapered ends meet, where butt ends meet, inside corners, and outside corners.

And with each different seam, you can bet there's a different approach.

Read on to learn how to master the mud.

When dealing with tapered ends, the fastest approach is to use the self-adhesive nylon mesh tape and then embed the tape using a setting-type compound.

Setting compound is different than joint compound. Setting compound isn't pre-mixed, but it will dry faster, won't shrink, and is stronger than joint compound. Pre-mixed joint compound uses paper tape, has a longer open working time, and shrinks slightly as it dries.

Using paper tape is my preferred method. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it, but I feel this is the best method (outside of using Wilco tools).

The first step is to seal the seam with an 1/8-inch deep layer of joint compound. Make certain that the area is covered, apply the paper tape, and then squeeze out the excess using a Hyde taping knife.

"Blisters" in paper tape is a result of a dry spot under the tape. Butt joints and inside corners are done in the same manner using joint compound and paper tape.

For outside corners, I use either metal or plastic corner bead. It depends on what my supplier has on hand. I like using plastic because I attach it using a spray-on adhesive and staples instead of drywall screws. I use screws for metal corner bead, but the plastic doesn't rust.

When installing the corner bead, keep it 1/4-inch above the floor. This way, if there's any settling, the weight of the structure won't be on the corner bead and create a crack in the joint. Typically the gap will be covered by baseboard molding anyway.

When I cover the corner bead, I use a setting compound, because it's stronger than regular joint compound. And let's face it, an outside corner is going to get bumped.

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