# How many coats after running tape



## jake

after you run your tape on the joints, how many coats do you put on, and what sizes of boxes should be used. and id also like to know how to close my old thread.


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## Muddauber

After tape, I run 3 coats for smooth finish.

8" 10" 12"


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## Bevelation

Just 2 coats. 10" and 12" just on flats. To tell you the truth, it doesn't take much more time to skip the 12" and hand bomb the polish coat (2 man team).

The only time I find 3 coats are needed is if the bead needs a lot of fill. I just 5" a coat of joint by hand.


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## brdn_drywall

bevelation i go 10 and 12 on ceiling flats (good enough for texture) 10 inch on wall flats then spray a 20 inch coat (graco mark iv) with a tight wipe.
when you skip the 12" box coat for a handbomb polish coat how wide do you go.
(since adopting this system touchups on flats are very rare).


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## Bevelation

^We've been doing all wood frame multi-family units lately. Whether it's double layer of 5/8ths on the 4th floor or screwed off onto soundbar, the lids are never perfect. 
We just handbomb trowel width, either 12 or 14. Really easy to do over a 10.
When we have to, we double wide another coat an hour or so after the polish has a chance to set up.
It'd be nice to score a Graco sprayer, but I'm not sure with this economy if I'll have to start pushing a lawnmower for a living in the next few months.


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## brdn_drywall

yeah when the economy gets better, and profits increase ya shoud get one, nothings better for skimming and level 5ing with mud,since my company is growing and were getting busier with large apartment blocks this winter i will be ordering a second.


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

New to site...I guess my question is directed towards brdn drywall...can you explain your process for skimming joints...we usually use the 7" 10" and 12" then "toss-off" (fill in between coats). Are you wiping after you spray if so with what? If not what size tip? We just purchased the Mark V to spray level 5. We finished to level 4 then sprayed to level 5 using Builders Solution (SW product) or Tuff Hide Primer/Surfacer (USG). Never sprayed mud on joints...new to this arena...is it that much of a time saver? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Bill


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## brdn_drywall

try this at least once before dismissing my suggestion. skip your 7" box coat and go straight to your 10"(set on #3) load up all flats,load bead and butts, for next coat give a quik rough sand edges and overlap only then spray everything (butts, bead, flats)with a 6" edge overlap (on bead spray a bit heavier on first 4 inchs) mud should be about as thin as bazooka mud(a seven-11 double gulp cup if stiff mud 1.5) mud has to be really clean or yull be reversing your tip and unclogging every couple of mins. this system is only effective with a mixer (always mixing and maintaining mud levels for mark iv) a couple of wipers because once you get going yull fly through the rooms quikly. also you have to devellop the right wiping tecnique taking off edge and smoothing mud not taking it all off the sprayer injects all pock (fisheyes) as well. you may also need a wider tip but try the on it came with if yur not gettin enough coverage go to yur paint store and order one. I usually just box my ceilings with a 12 instead of spraying though saves time and deficencies are covered by texture anyway.for a level 5 sand wall(s) and spray it all out go slow but steady and overlap yur spray fan about 75% (don't worry about initial spray lines they'll self level out,it'll dry like a fine orange peal but quiklly sands up smooth.
p.s. spray a bit heavier for level 4 until you get the hang of it.


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

Thanks Bro...be in touch...P.S.S. my babe/partner has a question


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

Not dissing you...was not impressed with the surfacers claim to covering minor surface imperfections. Wondering why we just spent 4700.00 a machine that can not fill in minor surace inperfactions when used with the appropriate surfacer


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## brdn_drywall

I'm not exactlly sure of your question or if your even if your "dissing" me at all. I've never ran paint/surfacer through my mark iv, i have a regular airless for that, my machine is strictlly for mud, i'm a drywaller/taper not a painter would much rather work with mud than high build primer/surfacers to achieve level 5. As far as your claim that surfacers should fill minor surface imperfections, they would mean sanding scratches,photographing etc. its not a magic machine that you could do sloppy work and it'll magiclly fix it just because it has a high price tag.


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## amestaper

3 coats with a 7" (or 8") , 10", and a 12" for a flat finish. Occasionally use a 14" blade by hand for the more tricky joints where sheeting isnt hung flush. Thats the norm in Scotland, only ever skip the 3rd coat if theres a heavy ceiling texture or pattern to be done.

I've never had the pleasure of spraying joint compound, only ever rolled it or sponged which left a A1 finish.

*look up Graco mark IV on Google and add to wish list for next year* :thumbsup:

Merry Xmas.


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## Bevelation

brdn_drywall said:


> yeah when the economy gets better, and profits increase ya shoud get one, nothings better for skimming and level 5ing with mud,since my company is growing and were getting busier with large apartment blocks this winter i will be ordering a second.


 I'm curious, actually.... why do you really need to do level 5 finish on apartment builds?


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## brdn_drywall

don't go the distance on apartment buildings only certain walls in custom homes (feature walls,dark painted walls receiving direct sunlight) just explained it in that post with the level 4, never go past 4 in revenue properties.


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## Bevelation

^Oh, okay. Sorry, I missed that.


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

brdn_drywall said:


> I'm not exactlly sure of your question or if your even if your "dissing" me at all. I've never ran paint/surfacer through my mark iv, i have a regular airless for that, my machine is strictlly for mud, i'm a drywaller/taper not a painter would much rather work with mud than high build primer/surfacers to achieve level 5. As far as your claim that surfacers should fill minor surface imperfections, they would mean sanding scratches,photographing etc. its not a magic machine that you could do sloppy work and it'll magiclly fix it just because it has a high price tag.


 Took the job to a level 4 (7, 10 and 12 box sanded with P/C and hand detailed) which is required prior to spraying Primer/Surfacer which I now understand you aren't familar with. Was not impressed as I stated earlier with at least the SW Builders Solution product which claims to cover 'minor' imperfections. I am a drywaller, I always prime my own work so that if there is any touch up I can do it. I also have a smaller Graco which I use to spray paint when I have the opportunity I would rather paint my own work only because of the area I live in all painters are T & M and will make more work out of someone elses so that they can go live on a job during the winter. Last job I did where painters followed they had moved in lounge chairs and microwaves! Was curious about spraying the mud, but as you describe it you are spraying it and tooling it down. My reasoning for using the primer /surfacer and purchasing the Bad Boy is to kill two birds with one stone which I believe if you take the job to a level 4 and use a product which is a little more like mud such as USG Tuff Hide then like paint (SW Builders Solution) you ought to be able to achieve this. Sorry for the length should have warned everyone to grab a cocktail prior to reading.


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## joepro0000

I don't know about you guys, but we bed it with a 10", and pull a tight 10" following by another tight 12". (or I use my 8" to create a 12", less stress on the wrist). P/C or Flex-Edge sand it, then fine tune it with sanding blocks.


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## brdn_drywall

i too know about shody priming the painters in my area spray such a cheap coat the quikly pull it off with a backroll and have considered doing what you do (prime myself then check for defeciencies) but the general hired on a good company and the others got better (by example showed others that you should not see flashing and photographing) so my life got easier.
I know what yur talking about with the high build primers (killing two birds with one stone) and if the product would co-operate great, but i have found that it is easier for me to work with mud, and no i don't touch it after spraying for level5 (just dilute it thin enough and it levels out fine) but then ya you would have to prime, or let the painters do it because you should have no deficencies.


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## FOR THOSE ABOUT

In am not going to switch topics, just curious because I met someone who claims to have legit exper. running the mark V (is it a V or IV). you do go back and forth. You are using it for differnt reasons apparently, I am not skipping coats and spraying a bunch of mud on the wall hoping the knockdown guy can take care of it. I am taking a job to a level 4 by tool which is two more coats with the boxes then you do. by the way my finsihed product looks like glass. That is why I also prefer to spray my finish coats...and when I take the job to the end which is what people want once they see the show, the Aura I am using now provides exceptional cover no rub-off and touch-up with a brush/roller is undetectable and you do not have to re-do a whole wall


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## Bevelation

Level 4 is only 2 coats on top of wiped tape. Does it really make that much difference to put a third skim coat on?


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## joepro0000

Bevelation - It does make a difference, check again the level 4 I thought was 3 coats. I'm good enough to finish walls with 2 coats, but 3 coats eliminates touch-up. Sometimes we even put a 4th coat, real slick, so basically when sanding we just give it a quick pass, less than 1 sec, and make sure the edges are sanded off.


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## Bevelation

joepro0000 said:


> Bevelation - It does make a difference, check again the level 4 I thought was 3 coats. I'm good enough to finish walls with 2 coats, but 3 coats eliminates touch-up. Sometimes we even put a 4th coat, real slick, so basically when sanding we just give it a quick pass, less than 1 sec, and make sure the edges are sanded off.


I hear you on the slick coat to minimize sanding, but to say a third coat eliminates touch up to me seems strange. Sounds like you do a lot of commercial buildings. If it's not level 5, they plain don't care if there's a little ridge or orange peel above 10 feet on big wall, offices don't need much touch up, and quite often the painter can manage 5 touch ups per thousand feet. A good sanding job after 2 coats in my experience is good. On the residential jobs,I don't see how a 3rd coat is going to save you from trade damage.

Here: http://www.harddrywall.com/PAGES/layers.html

Realistically, every taper should be "good enough" to finish walls with 2 coats.


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## joepro0000

Your right, I correct myself, I did not mean eliminate touch-up, rather reduce touch-up. Because there always is some, but theres ways to eliminate it. Around my way, most painters won't dare touch a pan and knife. Its true, a real taper should finish it 2 coats, thats why they call it tape, bed, and skim. Matters do come in hand on how good the drywall was hung too. Out here on my jobs, people net-pick the walls to death. We can't allow any rigids, marks, dents, etc. We do alot of commerical/retail work, and when the owner's rep does the walk-thru, they basically on come to walk the store to look at the walls. Thats the main thing they put the little blue tapes on. So finish in my parts need to be the closest to perfect you can get it. I wish I can get away with that type of thinking, saying offices don't need much touch up and painters can do some. I used to be a punch-out finalist, basically be the last finisher in a high-rise condo, and have to punch -out the pieceworker's mess, and trade damage. So i got a customed to fine -tuning walls.


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## Bevelation

joepro0000 said:


> they put the little blue tapes on.


*AAAAAAAAAAHH!!*
It's true....so true. Depending the builder, they can either be easy on you, or impossible. So much fickle stuff. Currently things are good here because we have a painter that communicates with us and is willing to work things out, but others before have been a nightmare with the blue tapes. One building I was on last year had the painters, builder's deficiency crews, and all the super's on top of us for doing touch-ups. Half of the junk the deficiency guys stickered was dirt picked up from the paint rollers. Poor organization is what it worked out to be, and we had to work around guys in different stages of painting. What a mess. I'm so glad that's over. As a head taper and pieceworker, I can definitely appreciate what you just said. I get to be the sucker for touching up after other pieceworkers (not to say I dislike it, I just ummm.... don't love it). I just keep reminding myself that I don't want to waste time touching up after myself, therefore I do the job the best I can.

Errm, sorry back to the topic. 2 coats of filler. Thorough sand and light check. No 3 coat jobs because I need the exercise.


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