Taping drywall joints used to take me forever until I switched methods

I'd always spread the mud, then tape, then mud again. Now I put a thin layer of mud down first, bed the tape in it, and smooth it all at once. Cut my time per sheet by about 15 minutes. Anyone have a better trick for avoiding bubbles under the tape?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_bailey341mo ago

Bubbles are the worst. The thin first coat is key, but you have to press the tape down HARD with your knife. Go over it a few times, really squeezing out the extra mud. If you see a bubble, lift that spot with the knife tip, add a tiny dab of mud, and press it back down. Dry mud is your enemy, so work fast before that first coat skins over.

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paul_lane801mo ago

Yeah, the "dry mud is your enemy" part is so true. I read a thing once that said if your mud starts to skin over, don't try to smooth it. You gotta scrape that whole section off with your knife and put on fresh mud. Trying to fix it just tears it up and makes more bubbles. Learned that the hard way on a ceiling patch.

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