Drywall Tools-Sheetrock Tools-Tapetech Drywall Tools! - Question: Why 3 coats of DRYWALL COMPOUND for inside corners?

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Why 3 coats of DRYWALL COMPOUND for inside corners?
Hi All, Ok, 1st the situation: I'm re-painting my mother's living-room. The house itself is approx. 80 years old & the drywall was re-done maybe 30 to 40 years ago. The walls appear to be chip-rock(I pretty sure of this because when I took off the wall socket wall plates I could see the inside of the wall where the cuts for the sockets made. That & I've done the odd repair for her here & there over the years & "CGC" drywall compound has worked fine) Anyway, the walls were wall papered 2 times over the original & then at one time or another my mom painted over the wall paper. I managed to get all that off (steamers are a wonderful thing:-) ) & now I'm down to the bare walls with some spots that need repairing. for small repairs I've used one drywall compound or another using only 2 coats. Problem this time is I have to repair most of the "inside corners" of the living-room & every where I look on the web I'm told I need to use at least 3 coats. So why is this a problem you ask? Well my mom is having a big family shin-dig & what's the living-room finished yesterday! So my question is: Do I really need 3 drywall compound coats for the inside corners or can I get away with only 2 coats? Here's what I have to work with (& no, I can't buy anything more unfortunately): 1: "CGC" drywall Compound that takes 24hrs. to dry per coat. 2: "CGC" SheetRock 20 Fast Drying Compound powder. Needs to be mixed. (which drys in 15 to 20 min.s so I can only use a small amount for 10 min.s @ a time) Oh, & it takes 24hr.s to cure. Only advantage is I can do multiple coats in 10 min. intervals, but that will take for ever.(i.e.: mix 10 min.s of puttying, then mix, etc...) 3: I have all the tools I need. (i.e.: several different putty knifes, etc...) 4: And of course I have enough "drywall mesh adhesive tape" + "Drywall creased paper" to do 2 living rooms. So does anyone know if I really need 3 drywall compound coats for the inside corners or can I get away with only 2 coats? & if I do need 3 coats, can anyone tell me why? Thanks for your time, Peace, - fast_editor2001
Decorating & Remodeling - 2 Answers - 2009-08-12 21:48:18

Best Answer
3 coats is the standard to feather the joint out far enough from the corner to make it invisible. Each coat is applied with a wider knife than the coat before, bringing the mud out about 18". If you want to use powder, but want to be able to work with it, use 45 or 90. A lot more working time, so you can mix a full pan at a time. It's your call. If the corner looks decent after 2 coats, go for it. Use paper tape for the corners. It will give you a much better corner. Thin your last coat down to make it go on smoother and easier to finish. Hope this helps.

All Answers
Answer 1
3 coats is the standard to feather the joint out far enough from the corner to make it invisible. Each coat is applied with a wider knife than the coat before, bringing the mud out about 18". If you want to use powder, but want to be able to work with it, use 45 or 90. A lot more working time, so you can mix a full pan at a time. It's your call. If the corner looks decent after 2 coats, go for it. Use paper tape for the corners. It will give you a much better corner. Thin your last coat down to make it go on smoother and easier to finish. Hope this helps.
2009-08-12 22:28:19

Answer 2
Three coats is the Norm for most taping.When you do inside angles you do one side at a time otherwise you keep cutting in to the other side.You can use an angle tool which works great for beginners.When doing inside angles you should use a 5' or 6' knife.You don't need to feather it out anymore than that like you would a butt joint. You can buy premed inside corners that have paper edges that you apply just like paper tape only you only apply a little mud,stick it in the corner and use the butt end of Your knife and run it up and down the angle to push out excess mud,then all you have to do is cover the small paper edge and you don't have to try and make a perfect angle.You can do this with 2 coats.Using durabond or 45-90 isn't a good idea for beginner unless you like to sand alot. Your corners will be ready to paint and they are inexpensive too. Good Luck
2009-08-12 23:32:56