#Putty knife for corners pro#
#Putty knife for corners free#

#Putty knife for corners pro#

Scrape them off using a taping knife, such as Hyde Tools’ 8-Inch Pro Hardwood Stainless Steel Extruded Backing Taping Knife. These, in addition to any unintentional flecks of compound, should be removed before applying the next coat. While it’s important to smooth the compound with each coating, it’s common to end up with a few slight ridges caused by excess mud that escaped the corners of the knife and dried. DON’T apply the next coat of mud over bits of dry compound. Apply a dab of fresh mud over the bubble, smooth it out, and let it dry. Use a sharp utility knife, such as Hyde Tools’ Auto-Lock 18mm Utility Knife that features snap-off blades, to cut around the edge of the bubble, and then remove the loose piece of tape. DO cut away bubbles that form in the paper tape.Īfter the initial coat of compound dries, check for bubbles in the paper tape. These indicate that there wasn’t enough mud on the wall beneath the tape or that you may not have pressed the tape firmly enough with your joint knife. Wipe the knife over the fastener a second time in a different direction to remove any excess mud. Only the dimple over the fastener should have any mud-the wall around it should be completely clear. Smooth out the compound with your 6-inch joint knife. It takes just a dab of compound to cover the head of a fastener. DON’T skip nail or screw holes while applying each coat of compound. Remove furniture from the room, and cover the floor with a canvas drop cloth. Wear a hat, protective eyewear (drywall compound stings!), and old clothing that you can toss when you’re done. DO take steps to reduce the mess caused by wet compound.Īs you tape, you’ll find that splatters of drywall compound go just about everywhere: in your hair, on your clothing, and on everything else in the room. If they do overlap, they will probably leave bumps. When you tape horizontal joints, cut the tape so it fits between the vertical joints without overlap. Pull the joint knife smoothly-working from the middle of the tape to each end-to bed the tape securely in the mud. Then, immediately after applying mud to the entire length of a single vertical joint, position a strip of paper tape (about two inches shorter than the joint) over the wet mud. DON’T overlap drywall tape.Īpplying a single layer of paper tape will help minimize any chance of ending up with a bulge in the finished wall. Begin by applying a thin layer of compound to a single vertical joint using a quality knife, such as Hyde Tools’ 6-Inch Flexible Black & Silver Stainless Steel Joint Knife. Its flexible blade will distribute mud uniformly over the joints. Allow joints to dry completely (24 hours) before applying the first taping coat. When prefilling joints, carefully press the compound directly into the joint, then wipe the excess off with the blade of the putty knife-you don’t want any mud buildup on the face of the drywall. To prefill gaps, use an all-purpose compound and a small flexible putty knife like Hyde Tools’ Black & Silver 2-Inch Flexible Putty Knife. If you prefill the gaps, however, and let them dry before you apply the tape coat, the compound in the gaps will not negatively affect the tape. Just fill ’em up before you get to work taping! Because the compound used to fill them has a tendency to shrink, it may cause the paper tape (and the entire initial coat) to warp if you fill the gaps at the same time as you apply your initial tape coating. Gaps 1/8 inch or wider between drywall panels can give a drywall installation an amateur appearance, but gaps aren’t the end of the world. Hot mud can set up before you have a chance to smooth it out, leaving you with a lot of extra sanding. Unless you’re an experienced taper, steer clear of “fast-setting,” or “hot,” mud that dries very quickly.

For the final coat, though, switch to a “topping” compound, which creates a fine surface and sands easily. All-purpose compound goes on smooth and adheres well to joints and drywall tape. Use an “all-purpose” or “setting” compound for the initial coat and for each additional coat- except the final coat. One of the most common mistakes new tapers make is selecting the wrong mud. DON’T buy the wrong mud for your project.

#Putty knife for corners free#

Photo: DO put your power drill to work.ĭrywall mud must be smooth and free from lumps before you begin taping. Mixing powdered compound and water by hand is time-consuming, and you might not work out all the lumps of powder if you don’t stir long enough. Instead, use a mixing bit, such as Hyde Tools’ Stir Whip, attached to a heavy-duty ½-inch power drill to blend the compound until it reaches peanut butter consistency. Even premixed mud (always a good idea) can benefit from a burst of machine mixing, as it may have settled in the container.