Just finished drywalling my basement, and man, getting those seams smooth was a real adventure. Thought I'd share what worked for me, but I'm open to better ideas cause I'm sure there's gotta be an easier way.
First, I taped the joints with paper tape and a thin layer of mud, pressed it in firmly, and scraped off excess. Let it dry overnight. Next day, sanded lightly (just enough to knock down ridges), then applied a second coat wider than the first, feathering it out. Waited again overnight—yeah, patience is key here, learned that the hard way. After sanding again, I did a third super-thin coat to fill any imperfections. Sanded one last time with a sanding sponge instead of paper—less dust flying everywhere.
It turned out decent enough, but honestly, sanding dust still got EVERYWHERE. If anyone's got a trick to cut down on the mess or speed things up without sacrificing finish quality, I'm all ears.
"honestly, sanding dust still got EVERYWHERE."
Haha, drywall dust is basically glitter for DIYers—once it's out, good luck getting rid of it. Ever tried one of those sanding attachments that hook up to a shop vac? Saved my sanity more than once...
Drywall dust really is relentless... I've had decent luck draping doorways with plastic sheeting, but even then it sneaks through somehow. Curious about those vac attachments—do they noticeably cut down cleanup time, or mostly just reduce airborne dust?
I've found the vac attachments do help quite a bit with airborne dust, but honestly, cleanup time still feels about the same. The dust settles less on surfaces, sure, but you'll still find yourself wiping things down afterward. Still, anything that reduces the dust cloud you're breathing in is worth it in my book... drywall dust is just one of those unavoidable headaches. Hang in there, sounds like you're doing all the right things.
I've tackled drywall joints in several of my investment properties, and honestly, dust is just part of the territory. The vac attachments mentioned earlier definitely help—less airborne dust means less coughing later. One thing I've done that's helped a bit is using a slightly damp sponge for final sanding passes. It smooths minor imperfections without kicking up clouds of dust. Still messy, but at least it cuts down on cleanup time afterward.
