Drywall finishing

[dfogleman]

If you were in a warmer place I would say fly me in for a few days and I would do it for no charge!

Mix your compound up and while doing this add a few drops of liquid dish detergent, it breaks the surface tension of the water and really helps to keep the bubbles to a minimum.

Lay it on thin, smooth and as many times as needed...your goal is to not have to sand it smooth but rather to have to sand it out to knock down any edges and feather it out.

Another trick is to sponge it instead of sanding it. I usually use this as my last finish prior to painting, cleans off the dust and fills and smooths.

Paint on a guide coat...if you are looking for a perfect finish use this technique from the car painting business. We used to spray on a guide coat once we thought it was sanded enough. This coat covered the surface enough to give us a glimpse of what the true finished product was and allowed us to focus our efforts on the areas that showed imperfections. Once sanded and or compound is knifed on after the guide coat you should have a dang fine finish worth at least $1.03.98!

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by dfogleman

Lay it on thin, smooth and as many times as needed...your goal is to not have to sand it smooth but rather to have to sand it out to knock down any edges and feather it out.

This has worked very well for me...plus holding a work light at an angle to the wall helps show imperfections.

[sfigert]

Hi neighbor--sub it out as i do, or have fun. You can make more on one good inspection as it is going to cost you to have a pro do it.