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Heard a neighbor badmouthing his own drywall tape job at the hardware store
I was at the Ace Hardware on Main Street picking up mud and tape, and this guy was telling the clerk how his whole living room ceiling looked terrible. He said he tried using mesh tape for all the seams. That is your problem right there. Mesh tape is fine for patches but it is not meant for long ceiling runs. Paper tape is the way to go for that. Has anyone else found that paper tape gives a flatter finish on ceilings? That paper tape is tricky to learn but it works better for flat joints.
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faithpatel4d ago
Actually @samreed you're right about mesh letting compound shrink on long runs. But the thing with paper tape is you gotta make sure the mud isn't too thick when you bed it in, or it'll bubble up on you later. That's usually why people give up on it.
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samreed4d ago
Was it me or did anyone else used to swear by mesh tape for everything? I used to think paper tape was just old school and not as strong. But then I tried doing a long hallway ceiling with mesh and it looked like a wrinkled bed sheet. So I had to tear it all down and do it again with paper. Paper tape is a pain to learn but once you get the hang of it the finish is way flatter. I think mesh tape just lets the joint compound shrink too much on long seams.
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dylanrodriguez4d ago
Yeah that part about the hallway ceiling looking like a wrinkled bed sheet really got me. I used to be all about mesh tape for everything too, I thought it was just stronger and easier. But after fighting with it on a long ceiling run in my own house I finally switched to paper and man what a difference. It takes a little more care to bed it in right but the finish stays flat and smooth. Now I only grab mesh tape for small drywall patches where the extra flexibility helps.
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