posted
How would one go about taping/mudding ceiling corners? Do you end up using three layers of tape? Do you tape to the ceiling on the wall and then just tape to the tape on the two ceiling joints?
We were planning on using fiberglass mesh tape, but I've been looking around the internet to see about the corners and I've found that you can't use that for any corner. (Good thing I bought paper tape, too. And we're still going to use the mesh tape, especially on the ceiling joints that we just spent 3 days trying to get the ceiling jacked back up. I'm still afraid that there's going to be too much give, but hopefully, the fiberglass mesh tape will help.)
posted
Oh, and do you really need to wait 24 hours between coats? Or maybe just for the first coat and 12 hours between coat 2 & 3?
(The reason I ask is because with the paper tape, you have to mud, then tape then mud again, but with the last two coats, you are just feathering and I was thinking that because of the layers, the first coat would take longer, but with the next two, less layers, less thickness, less dry time.)
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes, we did. Actually, Harbor Freights had it on sale, but we went to the one in Topeka and the one in Olathe and neither of them had them in stock. We found one at the Tractor Supply Store, but they were $125. Eventually, my husband went back to Harbor Freights and asked for a rain check and they said they were coming in the next day. Long story short, he ended up getting the one we wanted in the first place plus a 3 year extended warranty for $99.
Not only did he get wood from a friend, we just had that ice storm which created some more and we saved most of the lath boards we just stripped out of the house to burn.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Kayla, I'm not sure I understand your question exactly but I'll give a short primer on taping and perhaps that will answer your questions. I almost exclusively use paper tape but many do-it-yourselfers prefer the mesh tape. When taping corners you'll want to put plenty of mud on each side of the corner (roughly 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch) crease your tape down the middle and place it all the way the wall perpendicular to your joint. Once you have the tape placed on top of the mud you need to drag your taping knife along the tape to squeeze as much of the mud out from underneath the tape as you can.You'll do the same operation on the other wall ceiling corner that is perpendicular to your previously taped angle. You'll then repeat the process on the corner made by the two walls. In other words you will end up with an overlap of tape on each wall surface of two pieces of tape that is about 1 inch. Make sure that your mud is thinned since the mistake many homeowners make is using the mud too dry. The mesh tape would benefit from a layer of mud at this time as well as the fill (2nd) and final (3rd) coats.
When you are 2nd coating you only do one side of each corner and all of the flats. The 3rd coats will consist of all the flats and the opposite corners. Dry times are of concern primarily because coating the seperate sides of corners will dig out mud that isn't completely dry. You can actually turn around and do a 2nd coat right after taping although this isn't ideal.
If this is clear as mud (if you'll pardon the pun) let me know what's unclear and I'll try to elaborate further.
posted
My husband says he understands this, but it's still a bit muddy for me. If I go and stand in a corner (like sending a child to the corner) and look up, there are 3 seams that meet. Are you saying I should tape the ceiling seams and then the wall seam? I'm thinking that we tape the ceiling seams (cutting the tape to end exactly at the wall seam) and then tape the wall seam over the two ceiling seams and that will create the only overlap?
And the other thing is the 2nd and 3rd coat. Our plan was to put the mud down, place the paper and then use the 4" drywall blade to put some mud on top of that and to smooth out the tape and squeeze out the excess mud underneath. We were going to put mud over the fiberglass tape, but not under it. We considered this our first coat. Then we were going to us an 8 and 12" blade for coats 2& 3. We also have an inside corner blade that we were planning on using for corners, is just the three corner corners that I was concerned about.
Does that make any sense?
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Wow, now I look like an idiot. Either I didn't read what you wrote very carefully, or you edited in that part about squeezing out the mud (and here I thought you'd laugh at my use of the word!) Either way, I understand that part now. Thanks!
posted
Just reading this thread is making me hear those horrible scratching sounds someone makes when they scrape the knife on the drywall without mud there. *shudder*
I'm very sensitive to stuff like that for some reason. I can't eat popsicles down the stick, because if my teeth scratch the wood I cringe. And I can't use regular pencils, because if the point has any wood on it, the noise goes straight to the back of my head.
It's very strange.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled how-to thread.
posted
You've got it! You are also right that the mesh goes on dry and then you apply the mud. If you are using a corner tool then the opposing side corner directions are moot. You can do the corners once on either the 2nd coat or the 3 coat and dry times won't matter nearly as much as if you were alternating. Good Luck!
Posts: 2022 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dags, do you have the same problem with tin foil and teeth. I hate the stuff because of that. I have no idea why anyone would put the thought of someone chomping down on tin foil into a child's head, but ever since she did (my mother!) I can't stand the stuff. I still use it for cooking and stuff, but it gives me the willies.
punwit, thanks! And thanks! I'm glad I finally understand something about this "three day" project. Woot!
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, your edit didn't make me look silly. I do that to myself all the time. I just figured I hadn't read it carefully enough the first time. Fuzzy brain and all. I will blame you for it though, since you edited your post. (I thought that blaming for me being a dork would be universally understood as a joke. Sorry.) (Is it me being a dork, or my being a dork? Oh, if only Jon Boy were around.)
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:Dags, do you have the same problem with tin foil and teeth.
No - I think foil is smooth enough that it's not a problem. Although I've never chewed it, I have scraped foil wrapper across my teeth to get all the chocolatey goodness from a melted candy bar.
Those little wooden spoons for single-serving icecream? Fergedaboudid!
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, and I'll be you would have been one of those people who hated it when I jumped up on the bars (uneven bars in gymnastics) to scrape the chalk off. I used to be able to clear half the gym doing that.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
If you need more assistance or run into any problems and would like some RL assistance you can always e-mail me and tell me how to contact you. I could even make a road trip if that would help.
Posts: 2022 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
You know, watching 1,000 home improvement shows didn't help at all.
Reality.
We tried it the way we were "supposed" to and after a . . . lively debate and some. . . questions about one's abilities, I finally just reached down into the mud bucket and got a big scoop of it on my hand and smeared it in the corner, stuck the tape over it, smeared some more and took the 4" blade and squeezed out the excess. Then I used a handiwipe and a bucket of water to smooth out the edges.
And considering some of the . . . interesting corners my husband cut, I think we did quite a good job on the mud and tape. Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think I'm going to prime it all tomorrow.
I still have to decide what I'm going to do about the ceilings. I'm tired of this crap, and my shoulder is starting to really bother me and I didn't want to get up there and sand today and I'm going to cover it anyway with popcorn paint. I don't know.
The walls look good though. I'll be posting pictures for you later this week. Unfortunately, we were too stupid to take pictures of the hideous wall paper.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
Now, aside from the bookcase/breakfast bar being gone, which you never see since I'm not bright enough to take before pictures, the room looks exactly the same except for the walls and ceiling. We added the overhead light, basically took the wall paper off and took hideous tiles off the ceiling, underwhich was the mess from the second and third pictures.
So, not a big change, but did I mention WE'RE DONE!!!
Well, except for trying to refinish hundred year old trim. Man, is that wood dry.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
Where did you get that wonderful old-style ceiling light? Something like that would be perfect for my dining room (if I ever get it remodeled) because it would fit the era and trim.
posted
Erm... I'm kind of a newbie, signed up less than a month ago, would you be as kind to explain to me what's this whole thread about? Thanks a lot.
Posts: 803 | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
(I got the light at Home Depot. I've looked all over and can't find a link, but it's a Hampton Bay Designer Edition Flush Mount Fixture. It's Volterra Bronze Finish with Silver Accents. The number on the box is 115 372 and the model number on the box is 08058.)
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
I was remodeling my dining room and I asked punwit for some advice in how to hang the drywall. Now, I'm showing everyone pictures of the finished dining room.)
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks DH. Actually, he's totally not photogenic, or I'm a really bad photographer of dogs. He's actually much better looking in person.
Oh, and the reason I have that picture up there is because my parents wanted to see a picture of him so I included it on the remodel pages, so I could send them just the one link. (They're old and get confused easily. Really, it's not that I'm too lazy to make a separate album. )
posted
Kayla, it looks really nice! I'm impressed and I'll be contacting you shortly for subcontracting some jobs in your area. Are you insured and bonded? Posts: 2022 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
(I thought that blaming for me being a dork would be universally understood as a joke. Sorry.) (Is it me being a dork, or my being a dork? Oh, if only Jon Boy were around.)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
