DIY Finishing Drywall
- 1). Apply mesh tape over all the drywall seams. Push it down tight with a putty knife and cut the mesh tape to the length of each seam with scissors.
- 2). Fill a mud pan with joint compound. The mud pan allows for temporary storage of joint compound while you are finishing your wall. Typically you hold the mud pan in your less dominant hand and a taping knife in your dominant hand.
- 3). Apply the first coat of joint compound over all the seams in your drywall with a six-inch taping knife. Coat over all screw holes in the drywall. Use light, but firm pressure when dragging the taping knife through the joint compound to cover all seams but also minimize later sanding.
- 4). Allow the first coat to dry. Use a six-inch taping knife to scrape off any ridges or bumps in the first coat. Apply the second coat. For this coat, use an eight-inch taping knife. Feather the joint compound a few inches past the first coat and once again, use light, but firm pressure to apply the joint compound. The coat should be thick enough to cover imperfections on the coat below, but thin enough that it's barely adding any thickness to all the seams.
- 5). Allow the second coat to dry and once again scrape off any ridges with an eight-inch taping knife. Apply the third and last coat with a 10-inch taping knife. This coat should feather past the previous coat by a few inches. After applied, your wall should look almost perfectly smooth if the coat is applied correctly. Trial and error will yield the best results for someone new to taping and finishing drywall.
- 6). Sand the drywall with a sanding sponge once the third coat is dry. Use light, broad motions over the wall to remove ridges, bumps and to sand away imperfections. Run your fingers over the thoroughly sanded wall to feel for any imperfections that you may have missed. If sanded correctly, the wall should feel smooth and seamless.
- 7). Wipe the entire wall down with a tack cloth to prepare for primer and paint. Drywall dust left on the wall could cause imperfections to show through on the paint job.
Source...