Getting smooth drywall joints without losing your mind

writing_laurie · 2025-04-07T15:21:14Z

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.

Page 29 / 29 Prev

Lumber, Drywall & Building Materials

Last Post by shiker37

142 Posts

137 Users

0 Reactions

526 Views

RSS

Posts: 1

crafter59

(@crafter59)

New Member

Joined:

Sanding sponges are decent, but honestly, I've found a drywall vacuum sander setup way more effective. Yeah, it's pricier upfront, but the dust control is unbeatable and saves your lungs big-time. Ever given one of those a shot?

Posts: 3

shiker37

(@shiker37)

New Member

Joined:

"Yeah, it's pricier upfront, but the dust control is unbeatable and saves your lungs big-time."

Totally agree on the lung-saving part—after one too many dusty weekends, I finally caved and got a vacuum sander. Game changer for sure. But anyone else find those setups kinda bulky to maneuver around tight corners? Or is it just me being clumsy again...

Page 29 / 29 Prev

Forum Jump:

Previous Topic

100 Forums
668 Topics
6,085 Posts
1 Online
1,899 Members

Forum Icons: Forum contains no unread posts Forum contains unread posts

Topic Icons: Not Replied Replied Active Hot Sticky Unapproved Solved Private Closed

Getting smooth drywall joints without losing your mind

You might also like...