18
Unpopular opinion: I started using a 12-inch taping knife for the first coat on long seams.
Had a big ceiling job last week, 16 foot long butt joints. My 6-inch knife felt too slow. Grabbed my 12-inch knife on a whim. Loaded it up with mud and went for it. Covered the seam in two passes instead of four. Anyone else try this or think it's a bad idea?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
wendyc531mo ago
Had a whole house full of those long hallways. My 10 inch knife became my go-to for the first coat on anything over 8 feet. It just puts down more mud in a flatter plane right away. Saves a ton of time and you get a better base to work from for the next coat.
4
hannah24017d ago
Bigger knives are great until you hit a corner, @kim_smith82.
2
kim_smith821mo ago
Totally get that feeling! My 6 inch knife felt like a toy on some long hallway ceilings last month. Switched to a 14 inch knife for the first coat and it was a game changer. It lays down a much wider, flatter bed of mud right from the start. Makes the whole process faster and leaves less ridge to sand out later.
2