Paper or Mesh?

Frankawitz

From the looks of it, it seems it's to each his own. some like mesh others use paper. enough said.

j m hagelstein

explain your answer please.

S&SDRYWALL

I just dont use it , why because I never have and never will, for angles that is. Ill use it on patches and stuff like that, Guess if it worked for you, great, but I wont use it.

silverstilts

You can say all you want about mess (Yes mesh is nothing more than a mess) tape and how it holds up , hog wash it is made for the so called tapers that never mastered or learned how to tape.... or the do it yourself guys . I'm sure this comment will add fuel to the flames , the one that mentioned that he always repairs with mesh where paper tape cracks , maybe if you have problems with paper tape you better go back and learn how to tape or find a new career..... to many want-a-be tapers out there , tape one job and think that they know everything there is to know...

jim

Dig into your UL specifications etc. Mesh is NOT stronger than paper. It does however have a specialized place in our trade. ( when applied by proffesionals that are aware of its faults and use it accordingly

j m hagelstein

scrim tape works perfect for me when applied with joint filler and then topped with joint cement,never no problems.end of story.

miguel

I wont angle tape with it, its perfect for little jobs, kind of silly to bring a basooka for a 12 sheet job aint it? I probably strung more tape than most. I've been told by a 30 year vetran drywaller, that you'll always run in to a cocky drywaller that thinks he knows all but really dont know s..t, its true I trained lots of them after two years they know all and mastered tapeing...... all they know is to go fast do the motions and have no idea why they do them. and say done aint it.

silverstilts

I guess everyone has there minds made up as to what works best for them and this is what this forum is all about to get feedback.......I wonder does it matter where you are from as to how the mesh holds up? Does it hold up better in warmer climates where there is less movement within the framing ???? Maybe because of humidity causing wood to expand and swell , or where it is cold and dry everything seems to shrink??? Just a thought about how our climate where we live could possibly change and effect the performance of our materials used...

Custom Drywall Svc.

we only use mesh tape for patches, small jobs....or problematic cracks, etc...

JoeMudder

If you have enough mud under the tape you can coat over wet tape. If there isn't enough mud under it air bubbles will appear later. This is one of the problems with wet taping seams if you are pulling your tape out of a hopper. It's better to apply the dry tape over the compound if you intend to coat over wet tape. The trouble with wet taping out of a hopper is because the spots where you are holding the tape are all pinched and mud pulls away from the paper at those points leaving dry spots under it which can bubble later.

The only way I know to wet tape flat seams without problems is by using a banjo.

Bevelation

Hi, I'm new so I have to resurrect this 2 week old thread.

I wet tape everything, but mesh is nice for patch. I have heard of a system where mesh tape could be used in angles, but I just don't see it used around here.

I have so far stuck with Super Taper / hopper tape dispensing. I've only had problems with bubbling tape if there either wasn't enough mud under the tape or if the joint mud wasn't mixed down thin enough. What I do see with coating over wet tape is the seam shrinking back behind the flat. Hitting the flat with hot mud before you string tapes seems to help.

Mudshark

Well King of Drywall, you make a good case for mesh tape. Still go along with paper though for everything. Haven't seen mesh pass through many bazookas very well! Don't need to carry two types of tapes around. Have to schedule our workloads to offset the time it takes for the tapes to dry. Having more than one unit or building on the go at once is ideal.

JoeMudder

Even if I were to use all paper, I still like to have some mesh around. I put it in the inside angles where there are gaps so that when I paper tape them the tape doesn't suck into the corner.

paulyronaldo

hi, here in the uk we use a lot of mesh tape!!!! probablly because of our climate,the drying time is usually very slow when bedding paper over here - although paper tape is a far superior material.
paper is pouros and actually absorbs the joint compound thus the paper tape becomes part of the plasterboard forming a far superior bond that never usually cracks.
but using mesh tape allows us to apply 2 coats in a day so we can throw a 12" box over the following day and wallah! finished drywall in 48hrs,if we use paper tape its a much slower process-no if buts about it!
for the first coat we always use a fast setting joint filler or hot mud you guys in the usa call it, this is the industry standard in the uk,ive never really come accross enough cracks to worry me about using mesh,and doing it this way we are ready to 10" coat the flats once weve filled them and have layed all the internal corner tapes in - we always use paper for corners, its the only way, anyway running a corner finisher over mesh just doesnt work - i believe though tapetech made a corner finisher that paired up with the monster mesh taper to coat the meshed corners,anyone got one?-ive got a nice shiny monster mesh taper for sale if you want it !! never really took to it as i tape fast by hand and dont have time to learn new tools - took me a year to get used to my apla tech settup!!!
anyway mesh tape vs paper ???
both for me im afraid, they both have their uses and are here to stay no matter how some of you feel......cheers

Apple24

small jobs i mesh tapeall flats coat w/ 45 min w 8'' then papertape buuts and corners saves a days work. ran 8'' box over sticky tape and worked great but you dont always have a hose on the job

KingOfDrywall

(((Never use mesh on angles......that's a flat out no-no))).
Debating on which is "better" is really a no brainer. Mesh tape is downright stronger under all circumstances. The debate only came about becasue people are not using it according to the manufacturers recommendations. When used accordingly mesh tape will never crack. It's not a matter of your preference on what mud compound to use when using mesh tape. Only 2 products go with mesh tape: durabond sheetrock quick setting compounds or even the brown bag compounds. Under no circumstances would a green lid or blue lid work. If you know anything about compounds you'd have to know this. Green has nothing more than glue in it, and blue lid(+3 for example) is nothing more than an easily sandable topping--no structural and very little adhesive properties. Paper tape will split down the middle or even "pop" under stress, mesh will only stretch. As far as how it finishes......run a mud box over either and they finish exactly the same. My question is........why so much debate? What are we debating?

KingOfDrywall

I have to add, for all those machine tool fans I had to mention this. Make no mistake...I can run a tube as fast as anyone. Easy 300-400+ sheets house with just myself and 1 helper in a short day (all angles,flats and butts). However, me and 1 other guy can mesh out the same size house in under 1 hour, than he does all the seams(flats and butts with the mud box) while I tape and run all the angles. By days end I not only hape everything taped, but a bed coat on everything.....I still have a tube and I'll only use it for the angles.........using it on flats and butts is a waste of time.

Apple24

Apple24

Still leary about mesh on exterior wall butts sometimes I'll double tape them but always v-out and prefille first w/ durabond. Actually rather paper tape butts so I can run a box over them. I think the debate would be that anyone who is in business for themselves or is responsible for call backs would be an absolute fool to tape any corner w/ mesh. Seen enough failures.

Apple24

This guy gets it must be from midwest where quality counts rice and beans wont cut it in high end const.