Does all drywall have tapered edge?

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If you look carefully at the long edge of drywall, you will notice that on each side there is a taper. It is nearly always preferable to choose the tapered joint over the butt joint in flat (i.e. not a corner) seam installation. A drywall taper is formed when the tapered edges of two sheets of drywall are adjoined.



Similarly, you may ask, how do you taper drywall edges?

Tips For Tapering Drywall

  1. Apply only as much drywall compound as is needed. The more compound you apply, the more you will need to sand off later on.
  2. Use dust-control drywall compound for a cleaner work site.
  3. Transfer the drywall compound to a mud pan. This long, narrow pan is designed to be used with drywall knives.

Similarly, do you offset drywall seams? It's not necessary to stagger seams on ceiling drywall. However, because these joints are relatively difficult to finish—and tend to be noticeable in the finished product—it's a good idea to stagger the drywall panels to make the joints less visible.

Just so, why does plasterboard have tapered edge?

Plasterboard is good for cutting down noise transmission particularly airborne sounds such as speech and music. Most common plasterboards come with the option of either tapered edge or square edge. Tapered edge boards are ideal for either jointing or skimming, while square edge is generally used for textured finishes.

Do drywall seams have to be on a stud?

Keep in mind that all pieces of drywall should begin and end on a stud. You should never have a piece of drywall overhanging a stud, or two pieces of drywall meeting in the open spaces between studs. If your stud walls were properly constructed on 16" centers, you should have very few problems with this.

39 Related Question Answers Found

How do you join two pieces of drywall?

Apply a layer of drywall compound on top of the mesh tape to cover the tape and completely connect all of the pieces together in a seamless surface. Use the drywall knife or trowel to cover the mesh tape and smooth the mud down. Also cover all visible screw heads with a thin coat of compound.

Do all drywall joints need taped?

All drywall seams need to have tape embedded in joint compound. The tape strengthens the joint, and the joint compound, or mud, is the adhesive that holds the tape in place. Paper tape is the tape used most often by professionals.

Does Lowes cut drywall to size?

Yes, they will cut it for you and help you load it into your vehicle. You do need to realize that Home Depot will not take responsibility for accurate cutting or any breakage in the sheetrock, so you may need to buy an extra sheet to allow for damage in transit or whatever else might happen.

Which is better paper or mesh drywall tape?

Traditionally paper tape is used when finishing drywall joints. Most drywall tradesmen will say that paper tape is stronger than mesh drywall tape. Paper tape is better at preventing cracking along drywall seams. Paper tape folds easily and therefore is easily applied to corners to allow for crisp inside 90° corners.

Do you tape vertical drywall joints?


DON'T overlap drywall tape.
Applying a single layer of paper tape will help minimize any chance of ending up with a bulge in the finished wall. Then, immediately after applying mud to the entire length of a single vertical joint, position a strip of paper tape (about two inches shorter than the joint) over the wet mud.

Can I mud drywall without tape?

New drywall construction requires the use of tape for the best results. However, if you're mudding a hairline crack in an existing drywall ceiling or wall, you may apply wet joint compound to the crack with a 6-inch taping knife, and smooth it flush with the drywall without using tape.

How do you hide drywall seams?

To hide defective drywall joints, you usually have to recoat them while removing and replacing tape that has bubbled or separated.
  1. Cut out bubbles in drywall tape with a utility knife.
  2. Spread a coat of drywall primer over any joint you are going to repair.
  3. Lay new drywall tape over any areas from which you removed tape.

How do you blend old and new drywall?

How to Blend Old Drywall to New Drywall
  1. Set the new piece of drywall in the gap between the two pieces of old drywall.
  2. Attach the new piece of drywall to the studs with drywall screws and a screwdriver or a drill with a screwdriver bit.
  3. Apply drywall mud with a putty knife to the screw holes and along the length of the seam between the new and old drywall.

Should drywall touch the floor?

Drywall should definitely not touch concrete as moisture will wick (ie flow up the surface as in a candle/lamp wick) into the drywall and encourage mold growth. 3/8" should be sufficient - your prop up plan is not only appropriate, but a common technique used by drywallers.

Should drywall joints be tight?


Drywall Joints Are Too Tight
Not only that, but you have to allow for expansion and contraction of the underlying framing members. Natural seasonal expansion of the wood framing can crack drywall joints that are too tight.

Why does drywall have a tapered edge?

A drywall taper is formed when the tapered edges of two sheets of drywall are adjoined. This triangle drywall taper will allow for drywall tape and joint compound to be filled in, without leaving any kind of bulge. Whenever possible, you should make tapered joints because the seam is nearly invisible.

How do you fix an uneven corner of drywall?

The same procedure works on edges around outside corners that are too uneven to finish.
  1. Fill a gap wider than about 1 inch, either on a flat or corner seam, with a strip of drywall.
  2. Fill a gap less than 1 inch wide with patching compound.

How do you float uneven drywall?

Done correctly and the wall will look even across the room.
  1. Fill a drywall pan with joint compound.
  2. Place the end of the drywall tape at one end of the joint with the crease side pointing toward the wall.
  3. Run an 8-inch drywall knife across the top of the tape at an angle from the top down to the bottom.

Can I use 9.5 mm plasterboard on walls?

Using plasterboard as a wall finish can be much cheaper than wet plastering. Plasterboard comes in several thicknesses including 9.5mm or 3/8 inch and 12mm or 1/2 inch. To avoid seeing any joins in the plasterboard wall, a tapered board is used when the wall is to be painted.

Is plasterboard the same as drywall?


Drywall (also known as wallboard, gypsum board, or sheetrock) is a sheet that's used for making walls and ceilings. Plasterboard, although similar to drywall, is specifically designed to be a base for plaster.

Can you tape and joint square edge plasterboard?

A butt joint is created when two square edges of plasterboard meet. As a result, the jointing tape and compound used to conceal the joint will sit above, rather than level with, the surface of the plasterboard.

Do I have to plaster over plasterboard?

Plasterboard is far simpler to plaster over than bare brickwork and as it only needs a skim coat — it is generally the cheapest option too. In addition, fixing plasterboard to bare walls by screwing it to timber battens means a layer of insulation can be added in too if required.