How to Mud Drywall
Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How to Mud Drywall and hope the blog can help you.
Achieve flawlessly flat surfaces on your construction project with this materials primer and step-by-step guide.
“Mudding,” the process of applying multiple thin coats of drywall compound to the joints and screw indentations in newly hung drywall, sounds messy, and it is. When done correctly, the result is a wall so flat that you cannot spot the seams.
While professional drywall tapers make mudding look easy, do-it-yourselfers find that it takes practice, skill, and—of course—the right gear (in this case, the mud itself and the tape that prevents cracks from appearing in the seams). This guide to how to mud drywall outlines the materials required for the job, and walks DIYers through the process step by step.
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Types of Drywall Mud
There are two main types of drywall mud: premixed and powdered. There are variations on each type, too, which can make it tough to choose the right product for your job. Here’s the lowdown on the types of drywall mud you might find at the home improvement store:
Premixed
Premixed joint compound is just that: The mud has already been mixed with water to a smooth consistency and is ready to be applied. Within this category, you’ll find all-purpose mud, topping mud, and lightweight all-purpose mud.
- All-purpose mud goes on smoothly and usually begins to harden in a couple of hours, depending on the temperature and humidity in the room. It’s suitable for all mudding applications, and is the best drywall mud for beginners.
- Topping mud is used as a final top coating. It dries to a bright white and is easy to sand, making it a good choice for walls that will be painted a light color. Topping mud has fewer adhesion properties than all-purpose mud, so it’s not suitable for first and second coats.
- Lightweight all-purpose mud also dries to a lighter hue, which makes it suitable for walls that will be painted a light color. Some pros use all-purpose mud for the first mudding application and then switch to lightweight all-purpose mud for the second and third applications.
Powdered
Powdered drywall mud, also called “setting mud” or “hot mud,” contains chemicals that hasten hardening time when water is added to the powder. This type of mud tends to shrink less than all-purpose premixed mud, but it hardens very quickly. Quick-setting mud works well for pre-filling large gaps in walls, or smoothing over crushed drywall corners before starting the actual mudding process.
- Timed drywall mud: Setting mud is labeled by the maximum amount of time you have to work with it before it hardens. You can choose from 5-minute mud, 20-minute mud, or longer-hardening times, depending on your needs. If you use setting mud, mix only as much as you need, and wash your tools frequently as you work.
- Easy-to-sand setting mud: The chemicals in some types of hot mud harden into rock-like ridges on your walls, and you can spend hours trying to sand them smooth. Avoid this by choosing an easy-to-sand variety.
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Types of Drywall Tape
During the mudding process, tape acts as a bond to keep the finished wall from developing cracks along the drywall seams. The different types of tape are paper, mesh, and preformed—and all three have their pros and cons.
- Paper tape is used almost exclusively by the pros because it’s very thin, which helps create imperceptibly smooth drywall joints. Paper tape comes with a crease down the center that allows you to bend it along the crease to form sharp wall corners. It takes practice, however, to correctly bed paper tape in the first coating of wet mud without creating bubbles underneath.
- Mesh tape is made from fiberglass threads in an open-weave pattern and comes with adhesive on the backside. While it’s fairly simple to position mesh tape over a dry joint and then apply your first coat of mud on top, mesh tape is thicker than paper tape and can result in more noticeable joints when the wall is painted.
- Preformed tape, also known as preformed “corners,” may be made from paper, plastic, thin metal, or a combination of materials. It’s used on outside wall corners to achieve a smooth, uniform look. Some preformed corners require nailing while others attach with adhesive. If you’re not confident that you can successfully tape outside corners with plain paper tape, try preformed tape.
How to Tape and Mud Drywall
Primed with an understanding of mudding materials, it’s time to familiarize yourself with the process as outlined here. Because paper tape offers the most professional results, we’ll detail how to mud sheetrock using paper tape. If you’re using mesh tape, you’ll find some tips below that will help you use it correctly.
Tools & Materials
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