[bmmitche]

Hello:

New to the DIY forum so thank you in advance for reading and (maybe) replying to my inquiry. I'll try to keep it short:

Home built in 10/2008. The ceilings of nearly every room have visible drywall seams, ranging from very slight to pretty overt. Obviously everything is finished and painted. That being said, I'm a perfectionist and everytime I turn on the lamps in the room these things pop out like a sore thumb. Complained to the builder, and got the response "Well I can fix it one time and one time only, when it's done, it could look better, or it could look worse, it will not be painted following the repair when its done, and regardless of how it looks afterwords, that's it". Yeah, wow. :jester:

I've done plenty painting before but never fixed wavy drywall seams. I purchased a 6", 10" and 12" taping knives and a 12 lb pre-mixed bucket of wallboard joint compound. Used to do body work on cars so I'm thinking just fill the low spots using the taping knives using gradually wider knives from coat to coat...

I've pretty much accepted that the builder is not going to help me out whatsoever. I want to paint the entire house myself, but beforehand would like to repair these seams. My questions are:

1. Is there a rule of thumb to how many coats should I use?
2. Do I sand in between coats?
3. Is there a trick to know when I've get it totally straight (other than running the hand over it to feel)???
4. Any other tips to a first timer so I don't have to 'learn the hard way'?

Sorry that this is so long and my questions may be dumb but I surely appreciate you helping me out

Brian
Shelby Twp, MI

 

[Matthewt1970]

To fix crappy drywall work, 2-3 coats will uually do it. You do not need to sand between coats, just use one of your blades to knock off any high spots or ridges left behind. Shining a flashlight across the wall ill help tell if your work will look right. Be prepared to prime, fix anything still left behind, prime again and paint. I like Zinsser 123 Bullseye primer as it has a bit of a sheen to it and will make any imperfections stand out before you paint.

 

[chrisn]

Is there a trick to know when I've get it totally straight (other than running the hand over it to feel)???

Hold a level on the ceiling