Taping Drywall Joints

After you have finished with hanging drywall, the next step is taping the joints. This process is a part of drywall finishing. This is done to cover up the joint lines that are formed where two adjacent drywall panels meet each other. Thus, it will ensure a smooth, nice finish for the drywall. There are two different types of drywall tapes that can be used for this purpose. One is the self-adhesive fiberglass tapes and the other one is the plain paper back tape. The advantage of the fiberglass tape is that it can be directly pasted over the drywall without application of the drywall compound, and so one can finish the taping job much faster. However, it does not stick well if the drywall surface is not dust free or is wet. On the other hand, paper tape gives an excellent adhesion. Hence, most professionals prefer to use the paper tape.

How to Use Drywall Tape on Joints?

For proper taping of the drywall, you will gather some equipment for the task. They are: drywall paper tape, drywall knives of various width, joint compound and medium grit sandpaper. Once you are ready with all these items, follow the taping drywall step by step instructions given below:

Step#1: First of all, you have to prepare the ready mix joint compound as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Take a drywall knife of 5-inch width and use it to spread the joint compound over the drywall seam in a thin uniform layer. Spread it on both sides in such a way that it can cover the width of the joint tape.

Step#2: Measure the length of the joint and cut the drywall tape according to that. You can take the measurement before application of the mud. Place the tape on the applied compound and press it gently by moving a drywall knife over it. Thus the excess of compound will come out from below the tape. It will also prevent any air bubbles under the tape as these bubbles can loosen the tape in future.

Step#3: Let the compound present under the tape dry up overnight. Then apply a fresh thin coat of compound on the surface of the newly applied joint tape in order to cover it up. Allow this coat to dry up for the next 24 hours and apply the second coat which should be spread up to 6 inches on both the sides.

Step#4: When the second coat becomes dry and you find that the tape is still slightly visible then have put another coat of compound over it and spread it out 10 inches on both sides. After the final coat of compound is dry, check out for any lumps of joint compound on the joints. If you find any knock them off with the help of drywall knife. The sand the rough surface of the compound with a medium sand grit paper to obtain a smooth surface.

Step#5: You have to follow the same technique for taping drywall joints on the flat surface and then proceed to tape the inside and outside corners. The process of taping the inner corners are more or less the same. Apply the compound on both the sides of the inner corner evenly. Cut the tape as per the length and fold it half lengthwise and press it over the mud. The one thing that has to be taken care of while placing the tape on the drywall is that it should be centered properly at the corner. For this reason, the fold has been made. The outside corners are first covered with metal corners or corner bead instead of tape. Then both inner corners as well as outer corners are covered with three layers of compound where each coat is applied when the previous one is dry. It is followed by sanding of the corners.

After taping drywall joints, you have to cover up all the screw and nail heads with mud. Then you should keep the drywall untouched for a week so that the drywall compound dries up thoroughly. Lastly, a coat of primer has to be applied which works as an excellent sealant and prevent the paint from getting absorbed into the drywall.