If you want a smooth final drywall hardcoat for paint or wallpaper, you'll have to appreciate how the professionals work to achieve the desired result. You need to be able to create the right consistency of your joint compound and have a feel for use your drywall knives at a particular moment. As you proceed, keep in mind that finishing drywall take hand-eye coordination and plenty of practice. However, you can improve your chances of getting great results by following the tips outlined.
Preparation
An important tip for getting that perfect hardcoat is to make sure the drywall is tightly butted against the wall studs or the ceiling joists. Countersink the fasteners below the surface of the drywall. Do not tear the paper. Place screws about 16 inches apart on the walls and approximately 12 inches on center on the ceiling. Make sure that the tapered seams fit tight. Fasten all metal and curved-corner beads.
Add some water to your pre-mixed mud to thin it out. Mix it slowly until it is the texture of cake icing. Avoid getting air in the mixture; it causes bubbles in the seams of the wallboard. Remove any lumps. You can use self-adhesive mesh for tapered seams. Paper tape works best for corners. Many professionals prefer to use paper tape for both. Use a 5-inch wide flexible steel blade for taping. Taper the sharp corners of your taping knife with a file; this prevents the knife from ripping into the paper as you work the corner seams.
Finishing
Cover about 5 linear feet of area at a time with about 1/4 inch of mud. Start with the flat seams first. Run the tape about 1/2 inch from the corners. Press your tape in place and remove any excess mud up to 6 inches from the end of the extra mud. Apply more mud for the next 5 linear feet of application. Tape the inside corners last, this way you can lap the corner tape over the flat seam. Start your second coat right away after you have finished the taping.
Do not apply mud on both sides of the corner at the same time. Wait a day until the surface is dry before you work with the other side. Corner taping should be completed with a1/16-inch layer of mud. When applying the second coat of mud, keep in mind that the buildup of mud starts from the center of the seams out toward the edges of the board, or "feathered." Feathering is one of the keys to getting the perfect drywall hardcoat.
After you apply the mud, look for any ridge lines, or lift marks, left by you knife. Sand them before applying the next coat. Apply a third coat of mud to the seams, corners and nails and do a final sanding.
Skim the entire surface of the walls and ceiling with a skim coat of mud. Make sure that you have excellent lighting. Try to apply the coating as even as you can. Start working in an upper corner of the wall or ceiling. Work across and then down the board. When sanding, use very light pressure so that you do scratch and gouge the skim coat. Fill low spots and other imperfections and sand. After the proper clean-up, apply a quality sealer/primer to complete your drywall hardcoat finishing project.
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