Monday 25th February 2019

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Homevalue's DIY Guide: Taping and Jointing Drywall Step-By-Step

Drywalling and plastering are the most common form of interior wall material. Plastering has been used since ancient times. Skilled craftsmen would labour over a small area of a wall for weeks on end. The earliest plaster used was usually made of lime, sand, animal hair and water and not a neat compound mix.

Drywalling now covers the majority of the interior walls in modern homes today. Interestingly drywalling gained popularity over plastering in the United States during World War 2. Up until then there was a reluctance by builders to drywalling as it was perceived as cheap. To offset the labour shortage and war costs builders gave drywalling a go as it was a quick and inexpensive building material alternative. With drywall instead of plastering, houses and factories could be constructed in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the labour previously required. Interestingly cheap and efficient products were perceived as patriotic because they allowed citizens to spend more time and money supporting the war effort.

Although you may not need to hunt for your compound mix you may need to follow my instructions…

You may be looking to finish off the plasterboard surface of your walls or contemplating starting in the first place. Taping and jointing drywalls is a method of finishing off the plasterboard surface of your interior walls. There are a number of steps involved, material as well as a number of specialist tools.

For all you novices or former cavemen out there please find a description of the tools below and steps involved which you will need for a successful taping and jointing attempt. 

Tools and Material Required for Taping and Jointing Drywalls 

Step 1: Gather Your Equipment 

Drywall sheets: Drywall sheets also referred to as plastering are used specifically for interior walls in the home. 

Compound mix: The compound mix also known as “mud” provides the foundation for taping and jointing dry walls. You will need a mixing container, a mixer, a hand boarder or hawk and clean water.

Jointing knives: A jointing knife is a drywall tool with a blade for spreading the compound mix/mud onto the areas that require it. For those of you who have buttery fingers jointing knives come with a handy handle to protect your fingers from the mud. 

Trowel: a trowel is used to spread the compound mix on the straight joints.

Internal angle tool: the internal angel tool is used to finish off the taping and jointing of the internal corners of the wall. As the angle tool has two sides, it will save you time as you can spread the compound mix on both sides. 

Paper Tape: paper tape is used to join two sheets of drywall reinforcing the joints and letting the mud do its work. The tape improves resistance against joints loosening and helps to prevent pressure from cracking the joints. 

Step 2: Measure The Drywalls 

When taping and jointing drywalls you will be working with straight joints and internal angle joints. Straight joints are formed from plasterboard sheets joining on the wall and internal angle joints are the four corners of a wall. When measuring dry walls you should start off with the internal corners. 

Start with the internal corners 

• To measure the wall length cut the paper tape to the length of the wall. We had a wild guess and you may need four strips of paper tape.
• Paper tape has a natural crease in the centre so it should fold into the corners very easily. 
• This can then be replicated to fit the rest of the internal corners of the dry wall that are required.

Move onto the straight joints

• You should then measure the straight joints on the rest of the wall, presumably they will be the same width as the internal corners already measured.

Step 3: Mix The Compound

As already mentioned the compound mix provides the foundation for taping and jointing drywalls. 

• For mixing the compound there really is no funny business like there was in ancient times. All you need is a mixer, a mixing container, a hand boarder and clean water.
• It is extremely important to remember, for a successful compound mix, that a quarter amount of water will give you a half a bucket of compound. And always remember to mix the powder to the water.
• To see how to mix your compound see this very quick video.

Step 4: Apply The Compound 

To cover and smooth over seams in the joints you should apply the compound to the drywalls. 

• For the straight joints and the internal corners apply the compound to the joints using a jointing knife. Secure the compound in place using paper tape and use a jointing knife to smooth over the surface of the straight joints and internal angle tool to smooth over the internal corners. 

Step 5: Cover the joints with Paper Tape 

After applying the compound to the joints, the joints need to be covered with paper tape to secure them. You should already have measured enough strips of the tape. 

• For the straight joints two layers of paper tape is required as there will be two joints and with each compound application use a jointing knife between each layer. 
• It is important to keep the paper tape straight and to prevent it from sliding. 
• To prevent the paper tape from sliding put your fingers on the back of the jointing knife when adding the second layer of compound to create that little bit of pressure because of the flex on the jointing knife. 

Step 6: Apply the Filling Coat 

Once the material has set and dried a little, the next step is to apply the filling coat of compound. The filling coat of compound is required to further secure the joints. 2 coats are required for the internal corners and 3 coats are required for the straight joints. You will need a trowel for the straight joints and a jointing knife for the internal corners. 

• For the straight joints - apply the filling coat on the straight joint using the trowel and place the compound mix roughly in the centre of the trowel and drag the trowel up at a 45 degrees angle, creating a raised edge.
• Finish approximately 50 mm's either side of the joint. 
• For the internal corner use a jointing knife and repeat the same method as the straight joint filling coat.

Step 7: Sand the surfaces - don't forget to put your dust mask on 

Sanding is one of the final steps in the drywalling process. Before you apply the final coat of compound to the straight joints it is important to get rid of imperfections. 

• Use a pole sander or hand sander on the edge of the joints, and then straight down the centre of the joint. This will help remove sand for later. 
• Then apply the third coat with the trowel and the compound using the width of the trowel. 

Step 8: Seal the Surface 

The purpose of sealing the surface and applying the sealing coat to the walls is to avoid a colour differentiation result.

• If you don't seal the surface you run the risk of being able to see the stripes on the wall. 

Taping and jointing drywalls is a quick and inexpensive form of plastering and here at Homevalue we hope you found our jointing and taping drywalls guide useful. All going well it should hopefully not take as long as it did for cavemen in ancient times. 

To view a video see below: