# basic taping/missing question



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Butt them do not over lap.
Two layers will be harder to feather out.


----------



## joshs (Jan 11, 2013)

How perfect do I need to be when I butt them?


----------



## SquishyBall (Mar 19, 2013)

You're talking about the two layers of paper tape overlapping? Yeah that doesn't matter at all. Like where a horizontal seam meets a vertical corner... I would do the horizontal first because that's a tapered edge. Run the paper clear to the corner. Then do your corner. Don't even have to wait for it to dry, just mud and run your corner tape right over the horizontal tape.


----------



## joshs (Jan 11, 2013)

I was thinking in the middle of the room too. With staggered sheets there will be one long horizontal seem and then a vertical seem every 4 feet. 

I was wondering if overlapping would mean having to build up the spot more and lead to feathering further out. If I don't overlap and just butt the ends of the tape together is a small space ok or do I really need to be perfect with the 2 ends?


----------



## SquishyBall (Mar 19, 2013)

There, I would do the taper first. Then run the vertical up to it and overlap. I don't measure and cut my tape, I just mud the joint, unroll till it seems "about right" and tear it off. They'll overlap in a tapered zone so it'll come out flat when done. I suppose where that vertical joint meets the ceiling, you'll have two pcs of paper overlapping but it won't be any more obvious than the rest of your butt joint. In ceiling corners (wall-wall-ceiling) you can get some overlap too. Totally non-impacting that extra paper width in there.


----------



## joshs (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I'll come up with many questions as I start the project


----------



## coupe (Nov 25, 2011)

whenever I went into a house to begin finishing, I'd start in one room, bed all butt joints first run tape all way into inside corners and to within 1/2" of horizontal joint top and bottom. once butts are done in entire house, I'd go back to first room and run horizontal joints tape to 1/2" of corners. then go again to first room and start running my inside corners ceilings first. that way everything is overlapped, only raw tape ends are at bottom at floor.

any other way than with a concave knife or trowel, that raw end of tape can be brought to each coat. even if only slight ridge it's an unneeded ridge and leaves the end susceptible to coming loose or getting caught on something at some time, maybe during sanding?

as always,"just my thoughts" others may disagree?


----------



## DukeLewis87 (Mar 27, 2013)

Drywall Finisher/Hanger for a living.

**Make sure your furnace vents are closed off. You will destroy your pipes during this process if not**

Simple steps except for hand finishing...

1) Check all screws in angle make sure none are protruding.
2) Mount your bead on corners/door wraps 
3) Prefill all butt joints/bastard joints(where a flat would meet a butt joint)
4) Tape all your butt joints. Crossing over the flat seam is fine as long as it doesn't extend past the outside of the flat tape edge. So about 1" over or before flat joint is fine. 
5) Tape your flats
6) Tape your angles. Make sure if you plan to machine coat the angles, not to hand tap the angles in. Angle coat for 2nd time won't go very smoothly.
7) Let all that dry for atleast 18-24hrs
8) Coat your bead 8" out
9) Coat your flats 10" Wide
10) Coat your butts 10" wide on left and right side of butt
11) Let that dry 18-24hrs
12) Coat your angles
13) Coat your bead 10" out
14) Coat your flats 12" wide
15) Coat your butts 12" wide once down center
16) Let that dry 12-18hrs
17) Touch angels up
18) 3rd Coat bead 10" wide (Skim coat)
19) 3rd Coat Butts (Skim Coat)
20) Let that dry 6-12hrs
21) Final Sand!!!


*USE A 500w Halogen Light to shine down the walls on Touch Up + Sand* You will save yourself tons of hours of touchup. W/o u will never see half the flaws until you primer+pant+sun hits the right angel.


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

The only thing Duke is being DIY almost everything is hand troweled not to many have mud boxes. I usually do my long horiz. seams first and I tear or cut my tape so it is about 1/2" short of meeting the other wall. This is because when you are setting your tape(pulling the mud from under it) if you run the tape all the way to the corner it makes it hard for the tape to get out from under, so you end up with a blob right in the corner. As far as butt joints I use butt boards and completely eliminate them. Makes things a lot easier for someone new. and yes it doesn't hurt if your tape is overlapped some it's going to be in the corners too. This is all based on using paper tape not mesh.


----------



## joshs (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks again for the replies. 

Still have a question about butt boards. Do they provide enough support for drywall since they are not fastened to studs? I'm not going to lean on the wall and have it collapse right?


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

joshs said:


> Thanks again for the replies.
> 
> Still have a question about butt boards. Do they provide enough support for drywall since they are not fastened to studs? I'm not going to lean on the wall and have it collapse right?


No more than if you leaned on the drywall. I have used them for customers , for my daughter, for my grand daughter, and in my own home and have never gotten a call back for one.


----------

