Drywall offers a clean and modern look for walls and ceilings in home construction. Applying mud to the seams and nails to create a smooth painting surface can seem a dirty and difficult task to the beginner, but finishing drywall is forgiving in that it can be corrected before or after it has dried.
Preparation
Being prepared and having all your supplies ready will make mudding drywall much easier. Lay down a plastic drop cloth to prevent the drywall mix from staining or damaging the flooring surface and making cleanup easier. Have all necessary hand tools in a belt or within reaching distance. Ensure the drywall mud is an optimum consistency, usually similar to cake frosting, to prevent running.
Clean Tools
Clean drywall tools will produce smoother surfaces and require less sanding. Periodically clean your nail and tape knives as well as corner trowels. This can be done by either wiping them with a cloth or spraying them off with water. Drywall mud pans must also be cleaned to prevent the edges drying out and being mixed into the mud. This can leave chunks in the drywall or lines from it being dragged with the knife
Seams
Seams are an acquired touch to master, and it is best to start with a small area. Apply mud to an area of approximately 5 linear feet, apply the tape and scrape the excess mud. Once you get the feel for setting the tape you will be able to work on larger areas. Working a small area will let you have time to correct any mistakes before the mud sets up.
Drying Mud
Drywall mud takes approximately 12 to 24 hours to completely dry and be ready for another coat or to be sanded. This can be sped up with the application of heat from a radiator heater or space heater. The circulating warm air will dry the mud in a much shorter time. For small spots, a hair dryer can be used to speed the drying considerably.
Rough Spots
Take a wide tape knife and run it along seems and over nail spots to knock off any excess mud spots. Large pieces of mud can roll off the edge of the knife and will take a long time to sand if not removed with a knife. Keep the knife as flat as possible to the wall to remove excess and prevent digging into the dried mud.
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