Getting that NICE Drywall Finish
On a job recently, I got to witness as a painting contractor taught the drywall crew how to do a proper drywall finish.
The job is a theater, one of those with the fancy sloped entryways and acrea of glass across the front. Plus, a dark color with an eggshell finish was specified. (Eggshell is only slightly less shiny than a gloss finish).
The effect of all these details was that every slight ripple and change of sheen on the drywall was glaringly obvious to folks as they exited the theater.
The painter had the rockers dilute the mud, so as to make material for a skim coat. The rockers resisted this strongly; it was quite hard to get them to add enough water. (A 50/50 mic is about right).
Using a thick roller (!” nap), a layer of this diluted compound was spread over the drywall. Coverage was not perfect. Immediately after applying the material – and this, the painter said was critical, before the mud started to dry – the material was ‘knockrd down” or made smooth with a pass from a wide (14″, perhaps) knife. This not only levelled the coating, it had the effect of spreading it over the missed areas. If too much of the original surface showed, some more material was applied.
Since everything had been made smooth with the taping knife, sanding the next day was minor.
The painter was a real believer in tinted primer. The entire area was primed, then painted.
End result? An amazing improvement over the first try.
I’ve heard of using joint compound to make a drywall primer before. The difference is that earlier descriptions used a short-nap roller and omitted the immediate smoothing with a taping knife. I suppose it’s a matter of just how smooth you want the final finish to be. Either way, the differences in sheen between taped areas and the drywall faces, or those little ripples caused by bumpb under the drywall, disappeared.
Replies
reno,
What, no POP in a Dunkins donut cup, no magic trowel. Where's Dino when you need him.
KK
We do this on ceilings after removing popcorn but we use a Magic Trowel instead of a knife. Much faster and easier.
http://www.amazon.com/TEXMASTER-8819-MAGIC-TROWEL-KIT/dp/B0011T45WS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1440597056&sr=8-7&keywords=magic+trowel
Magic Trowel?
Drywall is not my trade. I used the term 'knife' in a general manner. Looking at pictures of the "magic trowel," that might very well be the knife that was used.