Finishing drywall involves taping and mudding seams between adjacent sheets with joint compounds .
The process can be a little time consuming but do it right .
And you reduce the amount of sanding needed and end up with a smooth finished wall .
It'll generally take three coats to finish drywall , applying joint compound with progressively larger drywall knives , spread joint compound on a hawk or any flat tray .
So it's easy to access using your knife .
The first coat you'll apply is called the bedding .
Start by filling screw dimples and nail heads with joint compound using a six inch drywall knife hammer in any protruding screws and smooth the gaps with compound .
Next , apply the compound along the horizontal seams between the drywall sheets using the six inch knife .
Be sure to smooth the compound as you progress tape the horizontal seams .
While the compound is still moist , press the tape over the compound every foot or so to keep it smooth and hold it in place with the tape in place .
Apply a layer of compound over the tape with an eight inch drywall knife at a slight angle , move the knife over the tape to embed it and remove any excess compound .
Once your horizontal seams are complete , apply a thin layer of compound to the inside corners on the wall .
Using a six inch drywall knife , start from the top and work your way down the wall , smoothing the compound as you progress .
When the compound has been applied , fold , drywall tape in half and run it down the height of the wall , pressing it into the damp compound again , press the tape in every 12 inches until you reach the floor .
Use a corner towel to smooth the tape against the wall .
Start from the top and work your way down the wall .
Smoothing the compound as you progress , taping inside corners can be quite tricky .
A corner trowel does a better job of smoothing the tape against the corner and removing excess compound , dip the trawl in water .
So it glides smoothly over the tape and doesn't pull it away from the wall .
The technique for taping and mo vertical butt joints is the same as the horizontal , avoid overlapping the tape .
So you get a smoother finish , attach corner bead to the outside corners of your dry wall , use a spray adhesive to ensure the bead sticks to the wall and wear gloves for this .
As the process can be a little messy , press the corner beat against the wall every 12 inches starting from the top .
Apply joint compound over the corner bead .
You can be fairly liberal with the use of the compound here , you'll need to use plenty work from the top to bottom and smooth the compound as you progress .
When the first coat is fully applied to all the seams , corners and screw dimples leave it to dry thoroughly .
Use a slightly larger eight inch drywall knife to apply a second coat of compound over the seams and outside corners feather the edges of the dried compound so that the second layer is two inches wider than the first , apply a second coat over the screw holes .
And again use a corner trowel for the inside corners .
Let the second coat dry thoroughly overnight before you apply the third coat the following day , tidy up any rough parts of the drywall surface with a sander and the edge of a drywall knife .
For the third coat , the compound should be thinned with water so it dries quicker .
The compound should be about the consistency of mayonnaise .
Again , use a slightly larger 10 or 12 inch drywall knife to apply the third layer of compound feather , all edges two inches beyond the dried second coat , let the final coat dry then use a damp sponge to smooth out any rough parts .
The sponge also works well to clean the surface and collect dust from the sanding .
Your dry wall is now ready to be primed for painting more , saving more doing .
That's the power of the Home Depot .
Here's a reminder of the tools and material you'll need to complete this project .