Anyone have drywall mudding and taping experience?
Never done it before had some work done at my house making a door and window bigger they put back up the painted drywall. I basically just need to mud and tape. I’ve been watching videos to learn about it.
Just going to buy basic tools to get the job done but one thing I’m finding confusing is the types of muds.
Sounds like I need a faster setting type mud for pre fill for gaps but do I really need a tape setting mud and a finishing mud?
My thoughts are that it is ####ty work to do and I would gladly pay a professional even for small projects. It is easy to screw up and have noticable seams or potentially even have the tape lift. I generally try to be very hands on and do-it-yourself but drywall work is the one thing that I stay away from now.
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The fast setting mud sets up super hard and it’s difficult to sand. Depending on how big your gaps are and how much you need you could use a small amount for your first pass and then the pre mixed stuff for your other two coats.
If you use the premix just make sure to stir it up (or work it on your paddles) before applying.
Take your time and enjoy sanding. You will be doing lots of it for your first go around.
My thoughts are that it is ####ty work to do and I would gladly pay a professional even for small projects. It is easy to screw up and have noticable seams or potentially even have the tape lift. I generally try to be very hands on and do-it-yourself but drywall work is the one thing that I stay away from now.
It seems like labourers are still in high demand and difficult to find for small jobs.
My mom had some plumbing work done at her house that left 4-5 drywall patches that needed to be put back in place, taped, mudded, sanded and painted... It was impossible to get anyone to even come and look at / quote the job, even with the preface of "I understand if it's $2,000" (even my wife's friend's husband snubbed the job).
In the end, the result of my first ever attempt at taping and mudding was passable... But #### ever doing that again.
Yeah it’s a pretty small job so would probably be hard to find someone.
I was planning to put the setting hard to sand mud just as refill in gaps and leave almost none of it on the flat drywall and then different type for the rest that is sand able. I don’t want to butcher it though..
A perhaps weird tip for mudding and taping is not to worry about ridges in your mud job. I always used to try to make the mudding perfect. All it has to be is even and feathered out. Sanding takes care of ridges and nubs. A quick wet sand can fill in some valleys too.
If you're using paper tape instead of fiberglass mesh, over sanding to the tape is game over man.
Disclaimer: Not even in the same stratosphere as a pro, I've just dropped enough drywall F bombs to make a sailor blush.
back in my construction days i got to know a few of the guys in the drywall/mudding crew and probably the best advise i got from them was don't try to get the job done in "one mud application". expect 3 or maybe 4-5x of mudding/sanding. you get a lot better results with more "thin coats" rather than globing on a ton of mud with 1 coat.
kind of like painting - you get better results with multiple thin coats of paint a not one super thick coat
oh... and drywall/mudding sucks. not something i ever look forward to doing! ha!
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Yeah from the videos I have been watching looks like it’s going to be multiple day process. But wondering if I really need different mud for each step.
Setting harder to sand mud I will use to fill gaps cause they just threw up the old drywall and it’s not perfect like fresh stuff. But wondering if there is a single mud I can use for taping and finishing versus a tape mud and finish mud.
The hard-to-sand mud is overkill in my opinion. Fibreglass mesh tape will bridge the gaps and premixed mud will fill in the mesh.
As said above, many light layers feathered out will actually result in less sanding. Buy the dust free mud.
back in my construction days i got to know a few of the guys in the drywall/mudding crew and probably the best advise i got from them was don't try to get the job done in "one mud application". expect 3 or maybe 4-5x of mudding/sanding. you get a lot better results with more "thin coats" rather than globing on a ton of mud with 1 coat.
kind of like painting - you get better results with multiple thin coats of paint a not one super thick coat
oh... and drywall/mudding sucks. not something i ever look forward to doing! ha!
Definitely takes time. I did a small project and it would have looked good if I didn't need to be finished by a certain day. It was a pain in the butt to do but I'd do it again and I'd tell everyone in the house that they have to work on my timeline and be patient.
I'm totally patching and repainting the wall this spring/summer. I'm the meantime I tell people I was trying to make an artistic statement.
A perhaps weird tip for mudding and taping is not to worry about ridges in your mud job. I always used to try to make the mudding perfect. All it has to be is even and feathered out. Sanding takes care of ridges and nubs. A quick wet sand can fill in some valleys too.
If you're using paper tape instead of fiberglass mesh, over sanding to the tape is game over man.
Disclaimer: Not even in the same stratosphere as a pro, I've just dropped enough drywall F bombs to make a sailor blush.
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Do not leave ridges. The more you have to sand the more it sticks to everything. That #### sticks because of static charge ! Great idea in new construction, bad idea with home renos.
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I used the premixed mud from home Depot to repair a bunch of holes. Worked great. Took a day to dry, but was easy to sand down, then you could just paint over it.
We didn't need to tape anything for this job. Not sure how that would affect things.
I've done some new- install joints and some repairs using only pre-mix low-dust stuff. Never used a setting type compound, and all my joints are still crack-free.
Just make sure your tape is saturated with compound and that you don't have any air bubbles behind it, and it should be fine, IMO.
Do not leave ridges. The more you have to sand the more it sticks to everything. That #### sticks because of static charge ! Great idea in new construction, bad idea with home renos.
Exactly, I think the leave ridges post must have been joking. Get as wide a seam as you can. Put extra water in the drywall goo. Be patient. You won’t get it right the first few passes so let it harden and come back later.
Put extra water in the drywall goo. Be patient. You won’t get it right the first few passes so let it harden and come back later.
This! I find the premix buckets are always too thick, even after working it a bit. I always thin it and go for more passes. Thinner coats dry faster as well.
I’m not a fan of the fibre tape either, especially in corners. Have to build up more mud to cover it, and the trowel catches on it in the corners if your angle is off, causing tiny ridges. Paper is much easier to work with.
Thin, multi passes and patience make for less sanding, which is the real pain.
This! I find the premix buckets are always too thick, even after working it a bit. I always thin it and go for more passes. Thinner coats dry faster as well.
I’m not a fan of the fibre tape either, especially in corners. Have to build up more mud to cover it, and the trowel catches on it in the corners if your angle is off, causing tiny ridges. Paper is much easier to work with.
Thin, multi passes and patience make for less sanding, which is the real pain.
Outside corners are the easiest. Plain seams with non flatted drywall are the worst. Need a wideass seam for those. Need at least a 12” trowel. Stainless. I for sure will die of drywall dust lung cancer.
I've done some new- install joints and some repairs using only pre-mix low-dust stuff. Never used a setting type compound, and all my joints are still crack-free.
Just make sure your tape is saturated with compound and that you don't have any air bubbles behind it, and it should be fine, IMO.
Okay maybe I’ll try something like that and keep it simple. So much information out there hard to know what’s right.
But preferably if I can keep it more simple that would be best.
Anyone have drywall mudding and taping experience?
