The secret to mudding sheetrock!!

[Greg Urwiller]

HIRE IT DONE!!! Thought I'd save some money by doing my own sheetrock on my new workshop addition. Yeah right! Decided today that it just isn't worth it. It's getting done, but God, I hate doing this! Nuff said!! Greg

[Mike Henderson]

I don't mind hanging drywall (when I can physically handle it) but I also hate mudding it. I think a lot of people feel the same way.

Mike

[Don Alexander]

plus if you only do it once in awhile its usually cheaper to have it done than to spend the time doing it yourself, you likely will get a better job, and best of you avoid the frustration/aggravation

3 strikes and you are out (in this case thats good)

[Bryan Rocker]

I have found that the secret to sheetrocking walls is to hang it yourself then hire somebody else to finish it. It really isn't that expensive. I had a local sheetrocker install and finish the exterior walls, 32 12' boards for just a little over $1k......

[Mark Bolton]

What's sad is if you had someone to show you an hour of tips and tricks it would only suck a tiny bit less. Then if you stuck with it long enough (couple years) you could actually get to a point where it was tolerable. A couple years later you would be to where you can get it on so smooth it's actually fun and you begin to create games with yourself seeing how smooth you can actually get your ten millionth bucket of topping compound. Wait, I'm getting depressed now.....

Mark

PS it literally takes years (many say a year minimum to even start getting good) to master good trowel technique. The trowel technique is everything. Like anything over time it becomes second nature. I actually somewhat enjoy it but I am at the latter part of the above scenario. Now I look for lots of angles, off angles, tricky corners, to take the monotany (sp) out of it.

[Rick Moyer]

The mistakes I always had was not getting a wide enough trowel, but, I'll agree that repetition is the best way to a good job. Sometimes it's better to seek professional help.

[Gary Chester]

For myself... I just hang the drywall and call it done...

No mud, no fuss.

[Mike De Luca]

For myself... I just hang the drywall and call it done...

No mud, no fuss.

I hang my own rock and mud it myself... I don't like it either, but the secret is in not using more mud than is necessary to get the coat you are working on done.

Too many people put too much mud to the wall figuring they will sand it off... WRONG... or they try to finish too much in one coat... It takes a week to finish a room... about an hour or two a day...

There should be little, if any, sanding when finished...

[Anthony Whitesell]

As I was told by a former carpenter/rocker, the secret is just a few steps and use a 12" wide trowel.

1) Use the self-adhesive tape and apply mud 12" wide, just enough to hide the tape.
2) If it has ripples or waves, sand smooth. If the tape appears apply mud 12" again and repeat step 2 (you didn't apply enough in step 1). If no ripples, apply mud 18" wide.
3) If it has ripples or waves, sand smooth. If the tape appears you've sanded too much or didn't apply any mud. Apply mud 12" again and repeat step 2. If no ripples, apply mud 24" wide.
4) If it has ripples or waves, sand smooth. If the tape appears you've sanded too much or didn't apply any mud. Apply mud 12" again and repeat step 2. If no ripples, Vacuum area, wipe with a damp rag (the more sanding you did means more wiping) and apply PRIMER.

If you are doing a single wall this is a long process. If you're doing a room or more, then you don't realize how long it takes or how fast it goes. Do it right and the paint is on by the weeks end.

[Eric DeSilva]

Interesting. I was always taught not to sand in between. I use a 6" for the first coat. Go back when its dry and just scrape any high points off with the drywall knife, then use a 12". Same drill. I don't touch it with sandpaper until after a final coat with a really wide knife.

That said, I still think mudding sux.

[Adam Strong]

My method is very similar... Between coats I only sand if there is a visible high spot. I start with a 12 inch trowel and a thin mix and then do 2 additional coats at 18 and 24 inches with a medium mix, then a light sanding, wipe down and prime. Once you have done a few houses, you get a feel for it and VERY little sanding is needed. From the eyes of a professional... Hiring it done is always a great idea!

[Mark Bolton]

Eric's routine is about what we see all dedicated finishers (and what we run) do on jobs. 6" trowel for bedding, 12" trowel for stretching out your joints. I personally use an 8" trowel for bedding but we are more often than not up in level 4 or 5 drywall where almost te entire wall is skimmed when done.

We don't sand between coats either but that relies on you getting each coat on very smooth with little or no ridges, lifts, peaks, or chatter. If you have a lot of any of these they will just telegraph through every subsequent coat. In the past year or two we have taken to a very light fast sand between some coats with 80 grit but only because we use these "radius 360" pole sanders now that make sanding ripping fast. They are the only way to go.

To the post about little to no sanding, I agree with the little but you just about have to sand to feather with compound as well as to normalize the texture. Now veneer plaster over blue board (the cats behind) is a no sand one day deal but it's becoming less and less common and costs more.

One of the best pieces of advice is in the same post about not putting too much on. Keep your coats as thin as needed for that coat and as smooth as possible. Easier said than done for the average guy who only finishes a few sheets a year.

Mark

[Dick Thomas]

. . .the secret is in not using more mud than is necessary to get the coat you are working on done
. . .

AMEN!!!!
My brother & I finished a bonus room over our 3-car garage as a sitting/sewing room for my mother-in-law. First (& LAST) attempt. Hanging was a BEAR due to multiple dormers, peaks, etc. Then we mudded it . . . As near as we can figure, we put on 20 gallons of mud - and sanded off 18.

When we finished the basement, we hired pros!!!

[Phil Thien]

Am I the only guy that doesn't mind finishing? I'd rather finish than lug sheets of drywall around.

Thin your 2nd and subsequent coats of mud a little bit. The pail says it is ready to use. It isn't.

[David G Baker]

Adding a little Dawn dish soap will make it flow better.