Making the joints in freshly hung drywall disappear behind a smooth, flawless taping job will try your patience. Many problems such as slow drying compound, crushed drywall edges and protruding screw heads interrupt the smooth, efficient flow of your work. Other little problems like scuff marks, dips and ridges won't show up until the dust clears and you prime the walls with drywall primer.
Check For Underdriven Screws And Nails
Slide a 6 inch drywall knife across all the fasteners. A tell tale click will alert you to any that are left protruding above the face of the drywall. The problem often occurs along corners. Drive screws in with a Phillips screwdriver.
Tap Nails Slightly Below The Drywall Face
The curved face of the hammerhead should set the nailhead in a shallow dimple, but the nailhead shouldn't break through the paper or crush the stiff drywall core. A special drywall hammer is ideal for this, but a regular hammer will do if you're careful.
Trim Away Loose, Torn Paper With A Sharp Utility Knife
Cut the paper away from tears and soft spots where the gypsum core is crushed. This allows drywall compound to reach and solidify these weak areas. A loose or torn paper surface will come back to haunt you when it causes bubbles later or pokes through the final finish.
Spray A Stain Blocking Primer
Prime rough and torn areas to consolidate loose paper fibers and seal in chemicals that can bleed through and stain the finish coat of the paint. Ventilate the room well and wear a vapor absorbing painters mask when using solvent based primers.
Nail Metal Corner Bread
Leave a 1/8 inch gap along each flange as a pocket for drywall compound. You should be able to run your taping knife along the bead and the drywall surface without hitting a nailhead or scraping against the flanges. Use a single length of bead for each corner. Otherwise, you'll get a bump or crease where two pieces join.
Fill Deep Gaps At Drywall
Setting compound unlike regular compound hardens rapidly and doesn't shrink. You can begin your taping as soon as it hardens. You buy it powdered and mix it with water. It's available with a 20, 45, or 90 minute hardening time from most stores that sell drywall materials. Be sure to buy the sand able variety. Avoid the 20 minute stuff, it will harden in your pan.
Shave Off Bulges In Setting Compound
Shave off lumps and sags in setting compound with your taping knife when the compound firms up a bit, to about the consistency of bar soap. Deeply filled areas sometimes flow and bulge before they harden. Once it hardens, setting compound is difficult to sand down.
Fill Gaps Around Electrical Boxes
Fill any gaps larger than 1/8 inch. Shut off the electrical power at your main panel first, before pulling out electrical switches or receptacles to fill around their plaster ears. Make sure the power is off by touching the neutral and hot wires with a voltage tester.
Best of luck finishing your drywall!!
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