# Grab a beer this one is a long one......



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Use paper tape, I've never once prefill, or seen a pro finisher prefill.


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## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

Why are you pre filling your seams? Never done that.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Installing drywall and taping is a professional job. I would highly recommend you hire a pro for this, but if you cant:

1. You should buy your drywall in a length that basically eliminates butt joints. It comes in 8-9-10-12 foot lengths and probably others.

2. Considering your apparent lack of experience, were I you, I would use self stick MR fiberglass tape. You simply tape the seam dry, and mud right over it with a 6, fully bedding and removing the excess with a 10 All Goldblatt tools. Never strike with a dry knife.

3. Buy a good paddle mixer, and put a cup of warm water in a new five and mix the mud till its creamy. Use gold bond regular mud, and gold bond rock.

4. When you screw, put two screws about 3/4 inch apart at each screw location. this gives you much better holding power.

Key Point: DO NOT OVERWORK THE MUD. Bed it, strike it and move on

Buy or rent a jack for the "Lid" as you call it. Install ceiling first, then top piece, then bottom. You may want to re-screw those 1 x 4's too, before hanging drywall on them.

Keep that small piece of plastic that comes with every can of mud. When you are done for the day, clean off the inside of the bucket with a wet sponge, so nothing dries, pur in some warm water and smooth out the top of the mud, and drape the plastic over the mud to keep it wet. Clean your tools and put on the lid.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

You must have been around some old pros, to know the tops are lids. :thumbsup:


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## forcedreno2012 (Nov 9, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. 

On the pre fill - was something that I had read in a few places, I guess if the joints are tight enough then it is not needed. 

Jagans, Would love to have a professional do this but its a choice between this and replacing the AC and that wins hands down right now lol. 

Will look into the different sizes to eliminate butt joints if possible. I like the idea of the butt board and it looks like that can be replicated pretty easily with scrap wood if neccessary. 

Good point on making sure the firring strips are tight. Didn't think of that but will check and add a bunch of screws.

Glad to hear that the Goldblatt is good it looks like I have a bunch of their stuff already and we will definitely be renting a lift. 


Thanks. 

Robyn


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

On the lift...and as you are working alone... consider buying one off craigs list... and selling it later on craigslist....

worked for me couple years ago.... ended up costing $0.

Good luck.... and nice write-up Jags.

Best

Peter


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Butt Boards are God's gift to the Drywaller! But some Building Inspectors still work for the devil, so make sure they will accept them. Also, if you make them, yourself, be sure NOT to use lift strips any thicker than 1/16. That's ALL you need, but we get tempted to go bigger.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Willy... Thank ya

What's the distance (ID) between the lift shims for say 1/2 rock... what do you recommend 6" or 8" or ?


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Willy... Thank ya
> 
> What's the distance (ID) between the lift shims for say 1/2 rock... what do you recommend 6" or 8" or ?


9" wide strips with the 3/4" lift strips along the outside edges, and although some people say only 47" long, I prefer to make them 51 or 52 inches long so that they tuck behind the boards on the side too. (But you do waste some plywood cutting them that way.)


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## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

Another vote for buttboards. We are all capable of making butts look good, but this makes it so much faster and easier. They aren't all that expensive if you buy them premade, but I can see the urge to DIY them.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Hey Willie or Mikegp.... I've never used butt boards.... but the way I tape...(I think I hold the world's slow record)... I'm dying to try them.

I suppose ideally you would like to land in the middle of a stud/joist bay... but, from your experience, how close , or far away, can you be from a stud or joist and still have sufficient bend in the drywall.... maybe it's just 4 1/2" (half of Willies recommended 9" butt board.

TIA

Best

Peter


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

You really don't have to fully hit the center of the bay, but you should aim for that. Since studs are already laid out on 16's, that should be no real problem.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

BTW, you can expect that you probably will have a few extra butt joints using this system (depending on wall length and layout) but it's not that big a deal.


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## forcedreno2012 (Nov 9, 2012)

The one good thing about a hurricane remodel down here is the inspectors are cool. They themselves are going/have gone through this so they have been there and done that. They are not looking to pick the place apart. They don't make you bring everything up to the current code with a few exceptions. The only thing they have asked us to add (and I agree as we were doing it anyway) was smoke detectors and a few GFCI's. I cannot rave enough about out local guys down here - whether it be answering questions or taking the time to help out with advice. Heck the day after we flooded the head guy happened to be the one doing inspections in our area and spent about 2 hours with us just giving us advice and tricks to ripping everything out.

That being said...back to the drywall. I am not sure if I can get the actual booty boards down here so if that strikes out I will look at making them. I jerry rigged one up north for the roof patch and it seemed to work. 

The last time we put up rock we stood it up and this will be the first time running it horizontally. Should be interesting. I did go out and buy a metric tape measure today...still hate the fractions. Give me metric every time.

Actually getting excited...might have some walls soon.

Robyn


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## forcedreno2012 (Nov 9, 2012)

Willie T said:


> 9" wide strips with the 3/4" lift strips along the outside edges, and although some people say only 47" long, I prefer to make them 51 or 52 inches long so that they tuck behind the boards on the side too. (But you do waste some plywood cutting them that way.)


 
Thanks Willie this helps. I think I might have been short on the one I made for the patch but not by much. I was planning on using OSB as that seems to be the latest. Any issues with this or do you use something different?


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

forcedreno2012 said:


> That being said...back to the drywall. I am not sure if I can get the actual *booty boards* down here so if that strikes out I will look at making them. I jerry rigged one up north for the roof patch and it seemed to work.
> 
> .
> 
> ...


Hey forcedreno/Robyn..... I like your name better than butt board... should make mudding more enjoyable.

Good going

Best

Peter


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## forcedreno2012 (Nov 9, 2012)

MTN....should have seen the old mans face the first time I told him we needed to make butt boards. He cried shenanigans and I had to show him them on the net because he thought I was pulling his leg.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

I just use cheap 1/2" CDX, but you have to be careful to put the strips on the concave side, and not the convex... if there is any cupping.


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## Brett K (Jun 6, 2013)

Regarding Fibafuse...not to be confused with Fibatape. I am using it and I like it. It goes on similar to paper tape but lays flatter and no worries about bubble later. I also prefilled the butt joints with hot mud after notching the edges at a 45. After spying on the pro forums prefilling is a standard practice for any gaps 1/4" or bigger. I figured it was easy to do and I would hate to skip it and have regrets later.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Pre fill is only if for some reason you have large gaps to fill.
I also vote for butt boards and the fibafuse
And to do the lids if you don't want to buy a lift look into renting. where I am it runs $25 a day. Don't know how big your project is but if you have everything ready you can a lot of lid in a day. It is well worth the the investment.
Yes you can use all purpose compound on all coats. The reason most use lightweight for final is it's easier to sand.
Oh and on the fibafuse there is a bit of a learning curve using it in the corners and not cutting it. After you use it a little you can figure it out.
Don't know about where you are but in some areas 5/8" is code for ceilings, you may want to check.


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