[adgjqetuo]

I recently patched a hole in my ceiling from a water leak but I can't get the edges invisible. The right side is good but the left side is awful.

I used tape and mud. I did 3 coats and it was perfectly smooth feeling after I sanded down. Once I painted a first coat it shined right through.

Any way to fix this??

 

[bote110]

I repair a hole in my ceiling and prime first before painting with ceiling paint , the mud will show thru the paint if you don't prime first also had to do the walls to before I painted the walls. {Brand New house just build}

 

[chemman]

You need to use a MUCH wider drywall knife. At least 12 inches, 15 would be even better. From the picture is looks like you only extended the mud a few inches from the seam.

 

[adgjqetuo]

Yeah - I used a 6" puffy knife the first time. I sanded it down and tried with a 12" but it seemed to leave tons of air pockets and large divots. I tried to smooth it back out with the 6" but I'm not sure what the outcome will be. I guess I will find out tomorrow when I sand it down again for the fourth time....

It's just been a very frustrating experience... I got the drywall fitted and screwed up in no time - it's just the muddying I can't ever seem to get straight...

I guess I just got lucky with the right side.

 

[danpik]

To properly blend those seams so they will not be seen you will have to have the compound at least a foot wide on either side of the joint. Even then some shadow will show depending on the lite. I have, in some cases, coated the entire area with a skim coat to blend in the joints so they can not be seen. Hanging drywall if easy, Hanging it right takes experience. Same with mudding it. It takes time to get joints invisible. I know some drywallers who have been in the business for years that still can't do a good butt joint with compound.

 

[oh'mike]

You have made a lot of 'first time' mistakes----

1--to much mud used to set the tape----
2--to much mud on the first coat---
3 not feathering it out far enough---

what mud did you use for the different steps?

 

[adgjqetuo]

I just read there are different types of compound apparently - green lid and red/blue lid. Newbie mistake I guess but I was unaware and was using green lid for everything.

Is the red/blue lid thinner and easier to spread or something? I had to use a lot because I couldn't get it to spread evenly otherwise. I always got large air pockets where it wouldn't smooth out right.

Would it be worth my money to sand this down and go for the other compound?

 

[oh'mike]

Green lid is multi purpose----that is hard to sand---contains glue--and is used to set the paper----

I suggest you sand that down so you don't have a hump----

get some blue lid---light weight----this is easy to sand and has a better spreading consistency---

Plan on three or four more very thin coats------

Don't worry about air bubbles or minor flaws---the next coat will take care of those--

use a 12 inch blade----start in the center of the tape so you are 20 or 24 inches wide-------

You have a hump and need to feather it very wide to hide it----

several very thin coats---thin---

Taping is a learned skill-----it takes practice to be good-----so you will need patience and work on this over several days-----thin coats ---

 

[adgjqetuo]

Do I go with the tape or against the tape when spreading? It looks like its flush until the tape center then it has an upward soap to the normal drywall. My thought was to start center with the tape and work outward to try and even the soap

 

[coupe]

it takes a lot of practice, to do drywall proficiently, and efficiently. it takes many sheets to just break in your tools. My drywall finishing tools consist of, a 4",6",8" knives, a 15" concave trowel, a 16" hawk, a mud pan, a pair of 42" stilts, a 12" flat trowel for those butt joints if needed? can feather out to 36". and a 4" paint brush, for clean up and coating both sides of inside corners at same time.

you never go across the tape! always go with the tape keeping tape in center of knife/trowel you're using. both outside edges of knife/trowel gliding along drywall face. when each coat is dry, if you can see start/stop ridges? go over those on both sides to fill in. anything you go across? will just follows the contour of that you're going across

 

[ToolSeeker]

Are you mixing your mud? Are you adding water too your mud? First from the pics you need to sand down those hump areas, down almost to the tape. Then yes a 12" knife, but don't try to take it all in one bite. Make each layer wider than the previous one. And sand between coats, all you need to worry about are the high spots and ridges, The low spots and pocks will fill on the next coat. You need to mix your mud and add some water (about a qt for a 5 gal. bucket)Maybe a little less. When you are done seal your bucket, then re-stir before you use it again. Your mud should be creamy not runny. Sometimes for someone new it works to mud just 2 sides of the square at one time. Then when that dries go back and do the other 2. Hope this helps.

 

[Fix'n it]

first off. are those tapered joints or butt joints ?

butt joints have to be feathered out a good ways, 1'+ on each side of the joint. then carefull sanding.
tapered joints are easier. you fill the joint with the mud, in layers. on final sanding, you have to be very carefull. the sanding tool is not perfectly flat AND the mud is softer than the drywall paper. what happens is the sander eats away at the mud, to a point that the joint is now lower that the paper. but while you are sanding, it "looks" just fine. after paint, not so much. so, you have to be carefull on final sanding.

 

[ToolSeeker]

first off. are those tapered joints or butt joints ?

butt joints have to be feathered out a good ways, 1'+ on each side of the joint. then carefull sanding.
tapered joints are easier. you fill the joint with the mud, in layers. on final sanding, you have to be very carefull. the sanding tool is not perfectly flat AND the mud is softer than the drywall paper. what happens is the sander eats away at the mud, to a point that the joint is now lower that the paper. but while you are sanding, it "looks" just fine. after paint, not so much. so, you have to be carefull on final sanding.

It's a patch so it's 4 butt joints. A mistake most newbies make is putting the mud on too thick and then leaving too much on this results in a hump. Question what tape did you use? If you used mesh that could be part of the problem as it takes more to cover it, then in that harsh light it shows up.