How to Tape Drywall Seams

Alrighty then! (Ace Ventura…)! Your drywall should all be hung at this stage of the game. All of your ceilings, soffits and walls are all hung, screwed, and glued baby! GREAT JOB if you’ve gotten this far with the drywall project…congratulations your well on your way to completing a world-class drywall finishing project!

It’s now time to “mix Mud” and grab a roll of tape…it’s taping time my friend! Now’s when we get into the more “technical” side of the drywall project and leave the physical stages of the drywall project as distant memories. Hoorah!

Taping is really very simple to do, there’s just a few tricks to master and you can fly through this stage of the drywall project. A couple of things that make this task a breeze:

• Drywall compound must be mixed to the proper consistency (thin it out!)
• Always “wet your tape” (More on that inside the video) after you press it into the joint
• Pre-crease your tape for inside corner taping for “crisp” inside corners
• Only use a 5″ or 6″ “mud” knife (drywall finish knife) to tape the joints
• Do not try and put to much mud over the tape during the taping phase! (We’re just “taping” not “finishing” drywall yet!)
• Make sure you “squeeze-out” the excess joint compound from behind your tape by “pressing” the tape firmly into each tapered joint to avoid lumps under your tape.

Generally you will tape your entire project and then wait 24 hours before you start the “finishing” stages of the drywall project. You do not want to begin finish coating over-top of your tape while it’s still “wet”! It’s best to let the tape coat set-up and harden several hours to avoid getting “bubbles” behind your tape.

You also run the risk of “dragging” debris in your inside corners if you try applying joint compound to your inside corners before the tape-coat drys. It’s best just to let the tape-coat sit until the following day. A little technique when taping goes a long…long way towards creating a perfectly finished drywall seam in the end. Good luck with your taping, and as always have fun with it!