Shoutout to the old-timer at the trade show in Atlanta who showed me a seam trick with a 6-inch drywall knife.

I was struggling with a tight corner on a commercial job in a Charlotte hotel last month and that trick saved me from having to re-cut an entire roll of berber.

3 comments

3 Comments

king.stella1mo ago

That "seam trick with a 6-inch knife" is a total game changer. I read a forum post years ago where a guy called it "feathering the bead" on a tough transition. Basically you use the corner of the blade to press and spread the tape compound just a hair wider than the seam. It makes that ridge disappear under texture, especially on a ceiling. Saved my butt on a popcorn repair job where the new board was slightly off.

ryan_ellis20d ago

Yeah I had the exact same problem with the stiff knife when I first tried it. Switched to a flexible 6-inch and it made a world of difference. The bendy blade lets you ride the contour of the ceiling without digging in, especially if the new drywall is sitting a little proud. I also found that letting the mud sit for like 30 seconds before feathering helps it spread out smoother and not pull away from the tape. That whole trick saved me from having to skim coat half a room after a patch job went sideways.

margaret_jackson731mo ago

Wait, does that feathering trick work with the flexible blades too? I tried it after reading @king.stella's post, but my old stiff knife dug in. Switched to a thin, bendy 6-inch and it lets you really lay that corner flat to spread the mud out super thin without cutting into the tape.