There are two methods to every drywall job: stringing up the boards and finishing the drywall. Now that you have with success accomplished the first process, you must finish the wall before you can advance to painting. Finishing drywall is a much less labor-intensive process than hanging it, but it requires careful movements and exacting standards in order to achieve professional results. The following guide will show you how to finish your drywall like an expert, even if you have never finished a wall before.

Tools and Supplies Needed

This guide guide assumes you have the following tools and supplies necessary to complete the job:

• Drywall compound (also known as mud)
• Electric drill and mixing paddle
• Small portable container for compound (also known as a mud box)
• 4 inch compound knife
• 8 inch compound knife
• 10 inch compound knife
• The same screwdriver used to set the drywall up
• Paper tape
• Pole sander and sanding block

Prep Surfaces

Prepping the surface of your drywall is essential for a quality finish. Examine the surface and look for uneven screw heads (ones that are popping out even slightly from the drywall surface). If you find any, turn them until the heads are slightly recessed into the drywall. Don’ t worry about the indent, we will be filling it later.

The second thing you must look for is loose paper hanging from the edges and corners of the drywall. Tear these loose pieces away from the wall and discard them. This process prevents small pieces of them from making their way into the compound and ruining your finish.

Stir Compounds

Now that your surface is prepped and ready for finishing, it is time to mix together the compound (mud) you will use on the wall. Open your bucket of compound and check the surface for accumulated water. If no water has gathered on top of the compound, you can skip this step and move right along, as your compound is fresh and needs no mixing.

On the other hand, if you do find water collected on top of the compound you will need to mix it up in order for it to apply properly to the drywall. Grab the mixing paddle and attach it to your electric drill. Use the paddle to stir the compound slowly until the water is completely mixed in.

Cover Screws and Fill Joints

You will now be applying the first layer of compound to your dry wall. Grab a your mud box and fill it about halfway with compound. Now use the 4 inch knife to spread the compound into the spaces (joints) between boards.

Once the joints are completely filled, hold your knife at at 25-30 degree angle and smooth out the compound, removing excess waste and putting it back into the mud bucket. Try to do this in as uniform and singular a motion as possible, starting at one end of the room and working toward the other in a single pass. Jumping around too much can result in a sloppy, uneven job.

Next, load your 4 inch knife with more compound and smooth it over the indents where the screws sit. Be sure to smooth these out with the knife when you are done, ensuring that the compound is flush with the surface of the drywall and does not indent or protrude. Any imperfections will show up when you go over the wall with paint.

Lay Paper Tape

Before the fresh compound dries, you must lay paper tape along the joints where boards meet. Grab the roll of tape and begin applying it along the joints. The best way to do this is to unroll several inches at a time, wet the tape in water, and press it gently into the compound. Wetting the tape as you apply it promotes a firm bond against the compound. Once you reach the end, grab your knife, hold it steady against the tape, and tear along the knife edge to ensure a clean, even break.

Smooth Tape Out

To firmly secure the tap into the compound you will need to use your knife to smooth it out. Do not start at one end of the tape and smooth to the other, as this can cause the tape to peel off the wall. Instead, start halfway along the joint and firmly press the knife into the tape, smoothing it out in a single, unbroken motion to one end of the joint.

Now go back to your starting point and perform the same motion in the other direction. As you work, your blade will no doubt collect excess compound. Scrape this off into the mud box for later use.

Cover Inside Corners

If your dry wall forms any inside corners, grab your compound and 4 inch knife and begin filling those in just like you did the joints between boards in step 3. Ideally, you should aim to cover not only the vertical corner joint itself, but also two inches of wall on either side of the joint. Be sure to smooth out the compound so that it is as flush against the wall as possible.

Next, grab your paper tape and lay it in a single strip along the inside corners, using your knife to make the even rip at the end as you did with the joints in step 4. Once the tape is down, smooth it out and press it in with your knife, making sure you start from the center point of the joint and working in one direction at a time to prevent peeling.

Cover Outside Corners

Before applying compound to the outside corners, ensure that the metal corner bead is straight and free of any significant bumps. Once you have smoothed the bead out, apply a coating of compound to one side of the bead using your 4 inch knife and smooth out as discussed above. Next, apply a coating to the other side and smooth out, then let the compound dry overnight.

Sand The Surfaces

When you return to your project after letting dry overnight, inspect it to make sure that it is completely dry. If the compound it is evenly white, it is dry (darker spots indicate that it is still wet). After ensuring that the wall is dry, grab your sanding block and pole sander and sand the joints, corners and screws where you applied the mud to smooth them out. The block will work best for inside corners and tight spots while the pole sander is best for long joints.

Be sure to only sand enough to smooth the compound out. Do not sand so hard that you strike down into the paper tape.

Apply a Second and Third Coat

Once you have ensured that the surfaces are smooth from sanding, grab your 8 inch blade and bucket of compound. Apply more compound to the joints corners and screws just as you did the first time around, but this time you will not be adding tape. Let the new coat dry over night. The next day, ensure the compound is dry and sand it down again.

For your third coat, add compound to the 10 inch blade and apply it over all of your second coats. Applying the compound at varying widths (4 inches, 8 inches, and finally 10 inches) ensures a very gradual gradient that can be painted over without a noticeable bump or slope in the wall.

After the third coat has dried fully, sand it down one last time and go over the entire drywall with a wet rag or damp sponge to prepare it for painting.