Had a neighbor show me the drywall mud trick that actually saved me a full sanding pass

I was stuck with a lumpy seam that wouldn't smooth out no matter how much I sanded, and then old Bob next door said to wet the paper tape with a sponge before embedding it. Turns out that keeps the bubbles from forming underneath and I only had to sand once instead of three times. Has anyone else had a pro tip like this save you an afternoon of frustrating work?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbychen6d ago

Wait, wetting the tape before embedding actually stops bubbles? I've been wrestling with dry tape for years and never knew that.

adams.harper6d ago

@abbychen yeah wetting the tape is a real game changer. I spent a whole weekend once sanding a seam because I thought I had to keep it bone dry. Idk why but I always figured moisture would just make it worse. Guess my cheap painter brain was wrong again.