How to Use Stick on Drywall Tape
- 1). Pull out 2 feet or so of mesh tape from the roll. Press it onto the wall directly over the seam between the two pieces of drywall, at one end. Pull the roll out to release more tape, running your palm along the tape to press it firmly to the wall as you do. Run it all the way to the end of the seam. Score the end with a razor knife to cut it off.
- 2). Scoop up joint compound on your 6-inch drywall knife. Starting at one end of the tape, lay a thin, smooth line of compound, covering it completely and going an inch or two beyond either edge of the tape, so the seam is 4 or 5 inches wide. Make it about 1/4 inch thick. Let the compound dry completely (about six hours).
- 3). Sand the compound with your drywall sander, getting the surface completely smooth and flat. Brush off the dust.
- 4). Apply a second coat of compound over the seam, using your 12-inch drywall knife. Make the second coat about 8 inches wide, going beyond the edges of the previous coat, but make it thinner, about 1/8th inch thick. Let it dry. Lightly sand it.
- 5). Apply a third coat of compound over the seam, making it about 10 inches wide and very thin, just skimming over the surface. Let it dry. Sand it very lightly. Prime and paint the wall.