Drywall and Taping

Drywall has evolved over the 41 years since I started when I was fresh out of high school. Simple hand tools like taping knives and various sized trowels still have a place in the drywall process for certain situations. But many of the old school hand techniques have been replaced with new mechanical tools and techniques that (in skilled hands) have vastly improved the speed and quality of drywall application. 

We are partial to Columbia tools. A Canadian company that makes some of the best drywall tools available.

1) ANGLES: We no longer spread inside angles by hand. Now we use a tube and applicator system that applies joint compound to both sides of an angle very quickly and efficiently. We still apply the paper tape by hand and then seat it with a Columbia roller. The final step in this initial application is to flush the angle with a tube and direct angle flusher that leaves a perfect coat to both sides of the angle at the same time. When that is dry, a final skim with the flusher completes the coating process.

2): FLAT SEAMS: The old school process of taping and coating flat seams involved ready mixed joint compound and paper tape. Then coating with a curved trowel to hide the raised seam we made. Trial and error has led to an evolution in Maine that most drywall companies in other states have yet to catch on to. The use of fiberglass mesh tape directly on the seam and bedded into the recess with quick drying joint compound such as "EZ Sand 90" gives a flat seam that doesn't crack or shrink. The process continues over the seam with ready mix joint compound using what is called a "flat box". The Columbia flat boxes come in various sizes for a variety of applications and are all adjustable to leave more or less compound as needed. The application is amazing to watch as it lays a perfect seem literally as fast as a man can walk in one pass. I like to follow up with a finish wipe using a trowel on an extension handle. The next and final coat requires a step up in size to hide the initial two coats. This process gives a perfect finish that does not shrink or crack. We even have smaller boxes made for coating screws that save time and wrist fatigue and leave a perfect looking wall. Check out or gallery to see what I mean.

3)SANDING: The final step in the taping process is sanding. The days of sanding with a pole and looking like the pillsbury dough boy at the end of the day are over. Today's drywall power sanders, with a little skill and technique, deliver a nearly flawless paintable finish that only requires minimal hand sanding to inside and outside corners. We use a Flex Giraffe Sander paired with a Mirka HEPA vacuum that virtually eliminates the dusty mess that normally plagues drywall projects. This is extremely nice when doing remodels or repairs in lived in homes. There are obviously a few more details to the process (Can't give away all our secrets). Trust me when I say that this evolved drywall process gives the absolute best finished product possible. We rarely have to go back to fix anything down the road with this process. We take great pride in what we do. Give us a call for your next project and let us impress you.

Scott Laliberty

Owner/Liberty Drywall LLC

07/11/2025