# Alternative to Mudding and Taping



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

If that works for you I don't see why not.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I used to go to a church were someone had drywalled the ceiling but apparently lacked the skill to tape the joints. If I remember correctly it had 1x4s covering every joint. IMO it didn't look as nice as a properly finished ceiling but it looked ok.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

There is no doubt that spackle & tape is an art & takes time to learn it. At the same time, don't let it spook you. The biggest mistake that beginners make is that they use too much joint compound. Screw two pieces of drywall to a piece of plywood & do a little test. Watch a few youtube videos. See how it goes.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

If you like it... I don't know why not........ EXCEPT...

not being an AH, but I wonder if an inspector could find fault in that , at least along the wall adjoining your home, the drywall has not been firetaped. yes, you have a batton on the joint, but I wonder if strickley code could have a problem.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

Not sure I'd bother doing anything with the seams in a detached garage.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

That's true ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And many garages are just firetaped.... one bedding coat and wiped to meet code against house walls.

And, unless you are insulating, I don't like a finish at at all. My favorite is to mount peg board in the stud bays, and leave the studs exposed for hanging all sorts of things on.....

not the neatest, but maximize storage space and convenience.... it is only a garage.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Hi James,
Not sure of your climate, does it get really cold?
How about the use of the garage, any snow melt or water?
Not finishing the tape step will leave a lot of air leakage paths, only a concern in those very cold climates.

And I agree, local code officials have the final say, be sure to keep them happy.

Bud


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## kjames05 (Nov 8, 2017)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> If you like it... I don't know why not........ EXCEPT...
> 
> not being an AH, but I wonder if an inspector could find fault in that , at least along the wall adjoining your home, the drywall has not been firetaped. yes, you have a batton on the joint, but I wonder if strickley code could have a problem.


The garage is a standalone structure. I've thought about issues with code but I've called the city regarding a few other issues and they seem quite lax about it. One of the engineers told me they don't even do in person inspections of detached garages. 



MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> That's true ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> And many garages are just firetaped.... one bedding coat and wiped to meet code against house walls.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestion about the peg board. I will be installing that in some areas, but covering all ceiling and walls wild be a bit excessive. 



Bud9051 said:


> Hi James,
> Not sure of your climate, does it get really cold?
> How about the use of the garage, any snow melt or water?
> Not finishing the tape step will leave a lot of air leakage paths, only a concern in those very cold climates.
> ...


It does get very cold in the winter and I will heat the garage, so water will be present. With that being said, I will prime and paint the entire inside. Would that suffice to stop air leakage? If not, is there some type of sealing tape I can use? Maybe silicone caulk? FYI, the ceiling has R40, walls have R12 and I covered it all with 6mil poly and tuck tape to seal.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

I'd say a garage is a great place to practice taping and mudding.

If you can build a garage, you can learn to do mud. Maybe not like the pros, but good enough. Do the most visible wall last, you'll learn as you go.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> I will prime and paint the entire inside. Would that suffice to stop air leakage?


 You need to tape the joints to accomplish that along with sealing any electrical boxes. It really isn't that hard and mistakes are easy to correct. IMO it's better to apply an extra coat of mud than to apply it too thick and have to sand off the excess.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Having recently gone through the house hunting process for a friend one of my first stops after inspecting a home for sale was to the building department to see what permits were pulled and what inspections had been done. Very powerful approach for knocking the asking price WAY down when work has been done that does not meet building codes or has not been inspected. We made offers that were $50,000 below asking and in one case the house was pulled off the market because the city had no record of the total remodel. 

If you do any work under the assumption that the local officials don't care you need that in writing so that 10 years down the road you are not held responsible for any failures to follow codes and get inspections. This is the beginning of EVERYTHING being entered into computers which will provide instant review of all work done. And remember, improvements may be related to increased property taxes so cities have a motivation to go back and collect for unknown work.

NJ did that 40 years ago when aerial photos showed homes with swimming pools and ac units for which there had been no permits issued. They collected a fortune in back taxes and penalties. Today all town have aerial records of all properties and will be happy to add instant review of inside improvements to theirs tax revenues.

On topic, if that heated garage will be subject to rain water and snow from vehicles, that moisture will go somewhere and those walls and ceilings (and all other penetrations) need to be well sealed.

Bud


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

If I had your tape job to do I'd tape it aluminum foil tape. It probably paints well.


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## 1995droptopz (Sep 14, 2010)

So like you I struggled with the whole tape/mud thing for years. Then a couple years ago I was drywalling a basement bathroom, and I decided to give it a try again, since it was a smaller space, and I did not have a tight timeline. I did a bit of research online, and found a forum post which suggested the following procedure (paraphrase):

1. Install drywall as evenly and level as possible. Use shims if necessary to true up boards.

2. Fill any large gaps/holes with joint compound and let dry completely. This gets the surface flat and helps prevent bubbles in tape

3. Next step is installing tape. Use a 6" knife to spread a thin layer of joint compound. I use Hot Mud since it is stronger. Cut a piece of paper tape to size, wrap it around your hand, and dunk it in a wet bucket or water for just a brief moment. Squeegee excess water off with your fingers, then press tape into the joint compound. Now starting on one end, run the joint knife over the tape for its entire length with medium pressure at about a 45 degree angle. This will squeeze out some of the joint compound, but not too much. Leave it at this point and let it dry.

4. Now go over tape joints once they dry with a thin layer of joint compound with a 6" knife Don't use too much or you will have to sand it off.

5. Go over it again once it dries with progressively larger knifes until the joint is flat and imperfections are gone. If you didnt use too much compound, then you should be able to just do a light sanding.


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