The Family Handyman on MSN

11 Drywall Taping Tips for Smoother Walls

Start by breaking or cutting out broken or crushed areas of the drywall, then peel away any paper shreds left around the edges. Mix up a small batch of setting-type compound; if you mix too much, it ...
When you discovered that a standard sheet of five-eighths-inch dry wall weighs 73.6 pounds, you wisely decided not to try to muscle the 32-square-foot sheets to the ceiling of your new room addition.
Q. Money is tight and I have to tackle a drywall project. I’ve never done it before, but from what I see on the cable home-improvement shows, it looks simple. I’ve also watched quite a few videos on ...
Dear James: I have divided a large room to create an office, so I now have to tape the drywall joints. What are some taping tips so the joint locations won’t stand out? — Scarlett L. Dear Scarlett: ...
Q. Is taping drywall that hard to do? I watched it done on a television show, and it seems like it's not too tough. What taping drywall tools should I be looking for? What are some secrets of ...
The Family Handyman on MSN

How to Sand Drywall With Minimal Dust

Hide a protruding screw (or nail) by first setting the fastener properly below the drywall’s surface and then applying two coats of easy-sand mud. Knock off a ridge of dried joint compound on a seam ...
Q. My bullheaded husband has been trying to finish some drywall. The taped seams constantly blister when he applies the second coat of compound. Some of the tape de-laminates a day or two later. He ...
If you’ve ever watched a pro finish drywall, you probably thought to yourself, “I can do that.” And probably the first time you tried it — and the tape didn’t stick, and the joint compound had lumps ...
While there is no such thing as a perfect building material, drywall comes pretty close. For one thing, it's dirt cheap, costing about $7 for a 1/2-in.-thick 4 x 8 panel. It's also DIY friendly--about ...
In a perfect world, all tapered seams on the long edges of the drywall will meet with no gaps. This is very important on ceilings. When you have flat seams that meet that aren’t tapered, you want ...