How to Tape and Float Sheetrock

A Guide to Finishing Drywall on Walls and Ceilings

Jul 28, 2007 Kelly Smith

This article provides step by step instructions for taping and floating ( or finishing) sheetrock or drywall on walls and ceilings complete with a tool and material list.

How To Tape and Float Sheetrock

Finishing sheetrock or drywall is not a new trade but it is not as old as its counterparts: carpentry and plumbing. As a matter of fact, sheetrock made its debut way back in 1916, but it really did not catch on until World War II. Before that, interior walls and ceilings were lathe (wooden strips) and plaster. This process petered out when the war loomed, Uncle Sam needed a faster way to build structures – barracks, office buildings, etc.

Sheetrock was the obvious candidate. This article will show you, the daring DIY'er how to tape and float sheetrock. The terms drywall and sheetrock are used interchangeably in this article, as they are in the trade.

Of course, this is not just for new construction. The homeowner needs this knowledge for the day to day drywall patches that come about from accidents or repairs. Very small repairs such as repairing drywall seams are covered here.

Drywall Tools and Material

Here's a list of tools and material you'll need to tape and float sheetrock or drywall:

• 6” taping knife

• 10” floating knife

• drywall hammer

• screwdriver

• mud pan

• utility knife

• stapler

• electric drill

• ribbon mixer

• sanding pad and pole

• sanding screens

• plastic corner bead

• drywall tape (mesh type, not paper)

• drywall compound (mud)

Go over all the surfaces and make sure that there are no nails or screws above the surface of the drywall. If you find any, hammer the nails or screw in the screws (whichever were used in your home). If there are any other protrusions get rid of them.

All outside corners need corner bead. If at all possible use just one stick per corner. This should be no problem in the average home. If the drywall is ragged, use the utility knife to trim it to a nice, square corner. Then just stick it on the corner and staple it, making sure it is straight.

Mixing the Drywall Compound (Mud)

Buy your mud in the large plastic buckets. The consistency of the mud is a bit too thick to begin with. Open the bucket and pour in a couple of cups of water and thin it out with your drill and ribbon mixer.

Taping the Drywall

Stick tape to all the seams and all inside corners. Do this all at once or as you go. Fill your mud pan about 1/4 of the way full, and using your 6” knife, apply mud to all the seams, inside corners, and nail/screw indentations. All you are doing with the taping step is initial work. Do not leave any ridges of mud because you'll just have to scrape them off prior floating.

Floating the Drywall

Now that the mud has dried, it's time to float the drywall. Use the big knife. The objective here is to cover everything you did before but make the surface as smooth as possible. You won't meet that objective on the first floating. Don't give in to the temptation to just go over it once because “the texture will cover it.” On this pass you go over the tape filling in the void. As before, don't leave any ridges. After the mud dries, float it at least one more time. On this pass you'll be feathering the joints on the sides of the joint (and going over the nails).

Sanding the Sheetrock

Once you're satisfied that your surface is flush and smooth, use the sanding screens to finish it off. Once you're happy with this you can texture. A lot of people fret about this step, but it's really not necessary to have a compressor and a hopper. Several methods are explained in easy drywall texturing techniques.

The copyright of the article How to Tape and Float Sheetrock in Home Renovation/Repair is owned by Kelly Smith. Permission to republish How to Tape and Float Sheetrock in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Drywall Knife and Pan

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31 Comments

Comments

May 3, 2008 1:26 PM

Guest :

how do you stick the tape it does not have anything on it? do you use mud?

May 10, 2008 6:19 AM

Kelly Smith :

You have two choices. If you use paper tape, spread mud on the joint, then embed the tape in the mud, then use your knife to set the tape and remove excess mud.

If you use mesh tape, it has adhesive on the back. Just stick it to the joint, then spread mud over it.

Aug 25, 2008 11:37 AM

Guest :

Is it necessary to sand between the coats of mud?

Aug 26, 2008 8:12 AM

Kelly Smith :

Yes and no. The better drywall finisher you become, the less you'll have to sand between coats. But, that being said, there are times when you are floating and filling larger gaps when it's just not worth trying to get it perfect.

It's just easier to either spot sand before floating again, or, just use your floating knife (before you apply any mud at all) like a scraper and just shave/chip off dried mud ridges.

When you float, you don't want anything to make the edge of your knife skip. This is the same concept as keeping anything particulate from getting in your mud pan. That'll just make little trenches in the wet mud (resulting in a final mud skim coat). Great question!

Sep 14, 2008 1:16 AM

Guest :

Is there suppose to be any paper to paper bond with the sheet rock after applying the mud and paper or is there suppose to some mud behind the paper. hence do I squeeze all the mud out or lightly run knife so mud is backing paper

Sep 14, 2008 10:21 AM

Kelly Smith :

There will be mud behind the paper; you'll squeeze most of it out on a "long side" joint due to the indentation. On the 4' side joints there's no indentation, but there will still be mud behind the tape.

I really, really recommend using the mesh drywall tape though. It's easier to work with since it has adhesive on one side, I feel it makes a stronger joint (real holes VS tiny perforations on paper), and it eliminates bubble problems under the tape.

Thanks for the question!

Sep 24, 2008 2:07 PM

Guest :

I have a gap between the window and the new sheet rock do I fill that with the mud ? Also do I use the metal corners for the windows that are sheet rocked? I heard that you do not have to sand that you can use a sponge is that right . And have you used the wet& stick tape is that easy to use would I put that right over the gaps too?

Sep 25, 2008 12:21 PM

Kelly Smith :

With a gap at the window you can install corner bead and float it out. For a narrow gap you might get away with just using tape, but I wouldn't recommend it because it's not as "solid" as corner bead.

You can use a sponge instead of sanding if you're close to a good finish. Essentially, a wet sponge just re-moistens the mud. The major advantage is that you don't create dust.

I haven't worked with tape that you have to wet. The best is the fiberglass mesh tape. It has enough of an adhesive to stick to the drywall until you apply mud with your taping knife.

Sep 27, 2008 8:28 PM

Guest :

if I am trying to mate up a piece of built up old rock with a new sheet, should I build up the new rock with hot mud before I tape, then tape oveer the hotmud? or tape the uneven joint with joint then use hotmud to bring it level before floating?

Sep 28, 2008 9:05 AM

Kelly Smith :

Did you remove some drywall to get into this situation? If this is at an old joint, there should be some drywall tape on the old sheet. You can remove this, hang the new drywall, and then tape and float the new joint.

I'm not sure what hot mud is; just use regular drywall joint compound. I would avoid the fast-setting stuff though.

Oct 5, 2008 6:25 PM

Guest :

I replaced a 4x8 sheetrock. Does the old sheetrock need to smooth before I tape it with mesh tape. I am going to spray texture over it,will it matter.

Oct 6, 2008 9:04 AM

Kelly Smith :

Yes, sand down the old drywall within 10 inches (25.4 centimeters), then apply the tape and mud with a taping knife, not a wide floating knife. Once it's dry, float it out with your wide floating knife. Sand it and re-float wider. Once it dries, you should be ready to sand, texture and paint.

The reason for sanding the old drywall is that if you don't, the original surface will make your knife bounce around and you'll create a lot more work for yourself.

Thanks, good question!

Dec 13, 2008 11:29 AM

Guest :

I had to replace 2 full 4 x 8 sheets on my daughters ceiling,
if i am going to have a stomp finish, do i still have to tape my seams or joints on the ceiling?

Dec 13, 2008 11:55 AM

Guest :

could you please explain how to install greenboard above a tub surround
and for sealing it to prevent future mold or mildew problems. thank you

Mar 31, 2009 5:11 AM

Guest :

What the best way to clean up dried sheetrock mud from the concrete floor?

Apr 10, 2009 9:34 AM

Guest :

How should we finish a seam between cement board and sheetrock? There will be tile all the way to the seam on the cement board and the sheetrock will be painted when finished.

Apr 10, 2009 11:41 AM

Kelly Smith :

I would finish the cement board/drywall joint using cement board mesh tape (like drywall tape except it's alkali resistant) and thinset. Next, install the tile and grout. Finally, you can tape and float the drywall from the tile out.

Sep 8, 2009 11:46 AM

Guest :

I have a "fire rock" ceiling and wood walls in my garage. How do I float the corners? Can the mud be applied to the wood w/o damage?

Sep 8, 2009 12:05 PM

Kelly Smith :

I'm not really sure what fire rock is, but I'm assuming it's a type of drywall. Yes, after applying the tape you can float out over wood without harm. It will be easier to work with if the wood is smooth to minimize blade bump.

Or, you can flat-tape on the ceiling right up to the wood and only finish the ceiling. It's not an air-tight solution but if that's the look you prefer.

Oct 24, 2009 9:00 AM

Guest :

i have tape pulling away from corners of the celing and wall, no trace of wall movment (i.e slap problems), should i remove it completly and retape or just mud and float over it, this is happening in the bath room which is obviously a damp room at times.

RANDY MCNIEL

Oct 25, 2009 2:17 AM

Kelly Smith :

Hi Randy, I would remove the tape completely where it is coming loose and re-tape and float it in those areas. While you're there, be sure the drywall is nailed or screwed to the studs securely.

Nov 9, 2009 2:49 AM

Guest :

I have to tape some inside corners, some of the sheetrock walls are pre existing and already painted. Will there be any bonding issue with sticking tape on the painted wall side?

Nov 9, 2009 4:01 AM

Kelly Smith :

You shouldn't have any issues with the paint. Just to be sure, I always use my drywall sanding pole and screen to sand it down a bit to ensure adhesion. This is especially important with a slick paint, like eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss.

I use the mesh type tape for everything, but some finishers prefer paper tape on inside corners; no idea why.

Jan 18, 2010 9:53 AM

Guest :

I recently removed a common wall between 2 closets to make 1 large closet. I did a bad job of repairing where the 4" wall was. After painting, it is obvious where I inserted sheetrock, taped and mudded. I only applied mud once. Do I need to re-mud and sand until I get it smooth then repaint or remove the tape and start over?

Jan 18, 2010 10:51 AM

Guest :

I recently removed a common wall between 2 closets to make 1 large closet. I did a bad job of repairing where the 4" wall was. After painting, it is obvious where I inserted sheetrock, taped and mudded. I only applied mud once. Do I need to re-mud and sand until I get it smooth then repaint or remove the tape and start over?

Jan 18, 2010 11:41 PM

Kelly Smith :

You don't need to remove the tape, but you need to float it out until the transition isn't visible. This usually takes several coats of mud with light sanding after each one dries. You are probably looking at an area 16" - 20" wide.

Feb 5, 2010 12:42 PM

Guest :

I think th is is great info. I often punch holes in other peoples' walls. Now, I can return the next day and begin to repair what I did the day (night) before.
Thank you!

Feb 5, 2010 10:04 PM

Guest :

i think people use paper tape for corners because you can fold it and it makes a perfect corner....

Feb 6, 2010 7:45 AM

Kelly Smith :

Punching holes question: Heeeey, are you my old boss from when I worked at the Marriott? He was pretty good at kicking holes in walls too!

Feb 6, 2010 7:46 AM

Kelly Smith :

Punching holes question: Heeeey, are you my old boss from when I worked at the Marriott? He was pretty good at kicking holes in walls too!

Feb 6, 2010 7:51 AM

Kelly Smith :

Paper tape comment: I've heard this argument before but still don't agree with it. The adhesive on the mesh tape keeps it where you put it until the mud dries. I use my taping knife to get the tape situated in a perfect corner to begin with. With paper tape, it tends to follow irregularities when you bed it. Anyway, you're going to come back and float it out anyway...

31 Comments