There are a couple of key advantages to using a mix-at-home compound. Firstly, it hardens much faster than pre-mixed compound, and secondly, it doesn’t shrink once it dries, unlike pre-mixed. The amount that you will need obviously varies depending on the size of your job, so talk to the store assistant about how much they recommend you buy for the space you are working with. In this situation, it’s better to have too much than too little.
You use a drywall knife to apply the compound to the drywall. You also use it to smooth out and remove excess compound after the initial application you put down.
Mesh tape is much easier to use than paper tape. Paper tape has some advantages, such as being a little bit stronger, but for a novice plasterer, mesh tape is a much more straightforward option to deal with. Mesh tape goes down over any joins between pieces of drywall. It provides the base over which you start applying the ‘floating’ compound.
You use a sanding sponge to smooth out the compound mix once it has eventually hardened. Buy the best quality sanding sponge you can afford, as sometimes the cheaper ones can deteriorate fairly quickly after some heavy use.
Only mix as much as you think you will use that day, as the compound hardens overnight. If you aren’t sure about how much to mix, start conservatively as you can always make more. Using a mixing attachment on a drill takes a lot of the work out of mixing the compound, but it’s also more expensive if you don’t already own the attachment. You can find the attachments at a home goods store. The most important thing when mixing the compound is to make sure that there are no sizeable lumps in the mix. Trying to apply these onto a wall is a nightmare.
The mesh tape provides the base that you will apply the compound over. If you were to apply compound without any tape on, the compound would crack once it was dry. Mesh tape also allows you to work on it immediately after you apply it. Paper tape requires at least 24 hours to dry.
If you realize you haven’t applied enough, or you’ve applied too much, you can always scrape some off or add some more on. A section of 12 in (30 cm) of drywall is just a simple, base measurement. Feel free to work on larger or smaller sections at a time. Only use the compound over joints in the drywall, rather than applying it to the entire wall.
The first motion is about creating a nice smooth bottom coat, so don’t worry if it looks like you’ve applied too much.
The bottom edge of your knife has a different angle which makes it better for the second portion of smoothing out the compound. The portion that you have worked on is now fairly smooth, and isn’t raised too far off from the drywall. If it isn’t smooth, just repeat the smoothing motion and keep removing the compound you drag off each time.
Letting the compound dry is hugely important as it needs to set. Once it is set, you are able to work on it to get a finished product.
You can choose to do this at the very end of taping and floating a large room, or you can just do it after each smaller portion you work on is dry. It’s really important that the compound is completely dry when you start sanding. Once you’ve finished sanding, your job is complete and you can move onto the next portion of the building process, which is priming the drywall for paint or wallpaper![18] X Expert Source James MansfieldConstruction & Design Specialist Expert Interview. 13 May 2021.
