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How To
Finish Drywall
Step-by-Step Instructions on Finishing Drywall
By Mark J. Donovan
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Though many drywall finishers
swear they are the only ones capable of doing an excellent drywall finish
job, I beg to differ. Yes it may take the do it yourself homeowner a little
longer to complete a drywall finishing project, and yes there maybe some
initial growing pains, however with a little upfront knowledge most
homeowners can finish drywall.
Key to finishing drywall, aka
taping and mudding drywall, is having the right tools and material.
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It is important to have both
narrow and wide drywall blades, a mud pan, drywall tape, joint compound,
mask, goggles, and a pole sander with drywall sandpaper. You may also want a
corner drywall blade, however they take some time getting use to, and you
normally can do corners just as well with a narrow drywall blade.
Besides having the right tools and
material it is also important for the drywall to be installed properly. Check to
make sure that all drywall nails or screws are secured properly into the wall
studs and are not protruding beyond the surface of the drywall. As a matter of
fact, they should be nailed or screwed into the drywall such that they create a
slight dimple in the drywall paper surface.
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Also make sure that all the outside
corners have corner bead installed properly and that, again, the drywall nails
or screws are sunk well into the corner bead.
For any large holes in the drywall
use a setting drywall compound to fill the holes. Setting drywall compound dries
much more quickly than standard joint compound.
Next, use your small taping knife to
apply drywall tape to the drywall seams and corners.
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Make sure you first fill the seams
and corners with joint compound. Also apply a skim coat of joint compound to
either side of the seam or corner, approximately 2-3 inches wide, so that you
can smooth the drywall tape into it with your taping knife. Make sure you
center the drywall tape over the seam or corners.
Cover the drywall tape with a skim
coat layer of joint compound. In addition, cover each nail or screw hole with a
small dab of joint compound using your small taping knife. And with that, your
first step in finishing drywall is complete. Allow the joint compound to dry
thoroughly before moving on.
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After applying the first coat of
drywall joint compound, apply a second coat over the first layer of joint
compound using the wider drywall taping knife. Again, let the joint compound
thoroughly dry.
Next apply a final coat of drywall to
the seams and nail holes flaring out the seam even wider with your wide taping
knife.
Once the final coat of joint compound
has thoroughly dried use your drywall pole sander and sandpaper to lightly sand
over the joint compound seams and nail patches. Make sure to sand mostly around
the edges of the drywall seams and patches, leaving a slight high spot directly
over the seams and nail/screw areas. Make sure you wear a mask and goggles when
sanding, as dust flies everywhere.
After finishing the drywall, you can
then prime and paint the walls. Again, learning how to finish drywall upfront,
and having the right tools, are the two key ingredients in ensuring a
professional finish drywall project.
How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook
- If you have a large hole in your drywall and need to repair it,
you can
either call in a drywall contractor and pay an arm and a leg, or you can fix
it yourself. The "How
to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook" will show you how to
repair your damaged wall so that it looks as good as new.
See HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Drywall Calculator
For more help on new home construction, see
HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
Home Construction Contractor Bid Sheets.
Home
Construction Contractor Bid Sheets
will
help ensure that you find and hire the right home building contractor
for your next home improvement, remodeling, or building project. In addition,
they will help to ensure that your home improvement project is completed on time and on budget.
Additional Drywall Resources from Amazon.com
Drywall Tools From Amazon.com
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