4 Tips for Taping Drywall the Most Efficient Way Possible

It doesn’t matter what type of drywalling job you’re currently doing—most of the basic steps apply always apply, including taping. Check out these four tips for taping drywall in the most efficient way possible.

Eliminate Butt Joints

Butt joints are where two non-tapered ends of drywall meet. Eliminating as many butt joints as possible makes for an easier taping process in which everything gets laid on smoother. First, you need to apply the joint compound to fill in any gaps, grooves, and butt joints.

Make sure you are using drywall sheets that are long enough to cover the entire wall or ceiling. Measure the wall-to-ceiling ratio and find a sheet suitable for installation. You want to ensure a tight fit so that you don’t have to worry about gaps when it comes time for taping.

Prepare Your Mud

Getting the mud ready is an art form in and of itself. You don’t want it too wet, as it won’t set quickly, but you also don’t want it too dry because then it will harden faster. Use a powerful corded half-inch drill to mix the mud into a thick consistency.

Use a sponge to better gauge how much water to add to the compound. Set up two buckets, one holding water and the other holding the joint compound. Soak a sponge in the water and squeeze water into the mud periodically instead of dumping it in.

Load Up Your Tools

At Timothy’s Toolbox, we have a line of Tapetech drywall tools designed to help make the taping process smoother—literally.

Your automatic taping tool works two jobs at once. All you need to do is embed the tape, lay on the mud, and smooth it out. Use a banjo to pre-mud the tape so that you can embed it quickly afterward.

Sand Periodically

It’s best to use three coats of mud during the job. After each coat, sand away the excess to make the compound lay smoother. Sand one more time after laying the final coat of mud. Make sure you don’t leave any dry tape. If the compound doesn’t ooze out from the tape, it won’t stick.

It’s best to use rectangular pole sanders because they can get into the corners and reach high ceilings, so you don’t have to strain yourself. Sand by hand with a sanding sponge. This extra round of sanding ensures precision.

We hope these four tips for taping drywall in the most efficient way possible make your next job fly by. For more information, visit Timothy’s Toolbox.