Title: Getting Smooth Drywall Joints Without Losing Your Mind
Honestly, I used to chase every little imperfection under bright lights. Now, if it passes the “standing-in-the-hallway-at-night” test, that’s good enough for me.
That “hallway-at-night” test is honestly underrated. I’ve spent way too many hours trying to get seams perfect under a work light, only to realize no one else will ever see it that way. At some point, you just have to call it done.
Here’s my bulletproof (well... close) approach for joints and corners:
- Taping knives: I start with a 6" for the first coat, then jump to a 10" or even 12" for the next rounds. Wider knife = less sanding later.
- Pre-fill: If there’s any gap bigger than a nickel between sheets, I pre-fill with setting compound before taping. Otherwise you get those annoying cracks down the line.
- Mesh tape vs paper: I’ll admit, I’m a mesh tape convert for flat seams. It’s faster and I get fewer bubbles. But for inside corners, paper tape still wins—mesh just doesn’t flex right.
- Sanding: Block sander for broad areas, but a damp sponge does wonders on corners and keeps the dust down. Learned that trick after clogging my shop vac one too many times.
- Prime before you panic: Primer shows up flaws you’d never see in raw mud. Sometimes what looked like a disaster sands out fine after priming.
On the metal beads—yeah, they’re a pain. I’ve run into ones so rusted they basically disintegrate when you touch them. Paper-faced beads aren’t original, but unless you’re restoring some museum piece, nobody’s going to notice (or care).
One last thing: don’t trust overhead lighting when checking your work—hold a flashlight parallel to the wall and sweep across. That’ll show every ridge and crater... but again, if it looks good in normal light, it’s probably fine.
Perfection is for magazine covers. For real houses? Good enough is usually more than enough.
Totally agree on not obsessing over every tiny flaw—nobody’s walking around your house with a spotlight. I’d add, if you’re working in older homes where the framing isn’t square, don’t be afraid to feather out joints way wider than you think you need. Sometimes I end up with a 16" blend just to hide a wavy stud. It feels excessive, but it pays off under normal light. Also, seconding the primer tip—nothing like that first coat to reveal what you missed... or to show you it’s actually fine.
I get what you’re saying about feathering out joints, but sometimes I wonder if we’re overcomplicating things for ourselves. I mean, I’ve seen jobs where people went super wide and it looked great, but I’ve also seen tight, careful taping on old walls that worked just fine once the paint went on. Maybe it’s more about the lighting and paint sheen than the actual width? Still, I’m with you on primer—it’s like a lie detector for drywall work.
- Lighting’s a huge factor, totally agree. I’ve chased “perfect” joints in my 1920s place, only to realize the sunlight at 5pm makes every seam pop no matter what.
- Wide feathering helps on new drywall, but old plaster walls? Sometimes less is more, especially if you want to keep a bit of that character.
- Paint sheen can be sneaky—flat hides a multitude of sins, eggshell or satin will rat you out.
- Primer’s the real MVP though… it’ll show you every little spot you missed, like a tattletale sibling.
That 5pm sunlight is brutal—makes me wish I could just drywall in the dark sometimes. I hear you on the old plaster walls, though. I’ve tried feathering wide, but sometimes it just highlights the wonkiness instead of hiding it. I actually like a little imperfection, keeps the place from looking like a new build. Curious—has anyone tried using a tinted primer to help spot trouble areas before painting? I’ve heard mixed things, but never pulled the trigger.
