Paper or Mesh?

Apple24

Read the box, how are some of you people still working. You never coat wet tapes your manufacturer will not stand behind you when your whole job ridges.Wait a day then your mud won't shrink dowon to the tape.

KingOfDrywall

I do a few high end homes a year. Lets face it, The flats,butts and angles require little skill when using machine tools and doing it correctly. Key word is: IF DONE CORRECTLY. It's a no brainer. On high end homes I place more emphasis on the hand skills like perfect corner bead, the perfectly crisp angles and the final look over. Back in the day when I started in the trade, my old boss said to me "You don't do it any better going slower".......LMAO.

scottishtaperkev

yes most tapers use hawk n trowel here, but personly i use 10 inc knife for all joints n ceilings n walls i thk its faster than trowel, also we use 7inch box with fast set too 1st coat joints but you can only use a 2 buckets thn you have too go wash your tools but still quicker and good finish

tapingfool

After 25 yrs, I have done fine with paper tape only..I run a 7 inch box over the wet first coat tightly, I can then run a ten then 12, or a heavy twelve with thicker mud thru the canon!!

Whitey97

I didn't think anyone really used a 7 anymore

KingOfDrywall

In regards to the mesh tape vs. paper tape I have to say that the specifications are almost irrelevant. You could tear paper tape with your fingers........you couldn;t do it with a good mesh tape. The bond it holds to the board is almost irrelevant. Paper tape will "pop", or under extreme stress might even tear right down the middle. Mesh tape would never do either of those. So, as for which tape is stronger........mesh.
That's why I asked what the debate was. Mesh is unarguabley harder to tear. Try it yourself .

pobrown1

mesh tape sucks. problem solved

joepro0000

Mesh tape= need to apply the first coat with durabond, no regular pre-mixed, and will take more time, and can't fill it out with the tools for the first coat.

Paper tape = Can finish with 2 coats!

JoeMudder

Although this is true, my finishing time with mesh and durabond is faster.

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KingOfDrywall

Of course it's faster. I'm beginning to question everyones experience here....LMAO
Mesh tape vs. paper tape??
That's like when a customer tells me they like to top and spot nails with the "green lid". It's not a matter of question or preference.
Bottom line-----Mesh is stronger than paper tape. A no brainer.
Try tearing it with your fingers.....you couldn't tear mesh but you could tear paper tape.So how are we even debating that paper tape is stronger? I've seen posts where people are talking about using mesh tape than using "green lid" or plus 3...abd they say mesh sucks becasue it cracks ....LMAO ((((HELLO!!!!))))..um.....that's another problem((Like a less than skilled finisher using the wrong products)), certainly not a mesh tape issue. Hey...all good here. All I am saying is we know it's stronger and when used correctly((with the right compound and on flats and butts only)) it can get you a step ahead on a project. Unless of course we all agree it's ok to bed coat over top of wet paper tape? In summary......tell me you don;t like the way it finishes or something......but to say it's weaker and slower?? I question that.

KingOfDrywall

joepro
What did you mean you can't fill it out with the tools?
All you need is some 210 or 90 minutes, a pump ,a mud box and a water hose.
We constantly run durabond through our mud boxes.
haven't had any problems ever.

Bangzoom

I agree with Sand S drywall. Paper corners for sure. Clients want square corners not round(especially mill work trades). When running fiba tape mesh on butt seams and factory seams we use two coats of mesh. One coat of mesh tape is not strong enough. Use only on small jobs. Paper the big ones.

Quality1st

Mesh should only be coated with set fast material on first coat, period. Iy should only be used on flats, detail work,reinforcing bad hanging screwups and i use it on the edges of my metal to guarantee no cracking. It can be used on butts, but, if you do you have to completely bury the tape or it may hairline crack layer on. Plasteres use mesh on everything ,but they bury it with a finish coat after its flush. As far as stronger i still don,t know about that. The setfast gives it the rigidity it has to have. I know every trick in the book for using mesh to perform miracles on screwups and to save time ect.. Been using it for over 20 years in this way and realize its limited use. It shouldn,t be used on angles, except on a patch job and even then you have to tuck it way in the angle ,or your knife will weaken the tape. I use paper on everything except as noted. GIDDYUP

drywall guy158

paper tape on EVERYTHING! my thoughts ..... if you cant use paper tape with out getting air pockets under the tape then find another trade-job !
quit 1/2 a..ing things and giving drywall a bad name ! I hear so many people complaining about cracks in there drywall only to find out it was done by someone trying to short cut it with mesh tape ect.

drywallpro

"Perfect Finish" mesh tape

Anyone ever try the FibaTape "Perfect Finish" It is thinner with 50% more intersection points for strength. It is designed for butt joints it says. I was wondering how it holds up if you use USG easy sand on the fist coat. The problem with butts and mesh is the amount of quick set is so thin on the tape that there is no strength to hold it from cracking. ( This is my thought )

Stinger

In time you will learn that the mesh has nothing to do with rather or not your work is going to hold up when used with quick set. If you get a chance, experiment with it at your own home or a place where no one cares. You can mesh tape and quick set a joint or butt, or you can just mud the joint with no mesh at all. I have seen a couple "don't give a s*^T" finishers coat a whole garage or basement in their own home with quick set mud and no tape at all and the joints have held up without cracking for 4-5 years. That's why the manufacturers tell you to use setting type compounds only with mesh. Because the mesh tape doesn't help prevent cracks. It's the hot mud that does the work. Try it out. When you realize you don't even need to put mesh on but you will probably get ran off a job if you get caught, you will have to decide if you want to cheat part way, or all the way. Or, just paper tape to eliminate questions like you have now and keep jobs coming in.

Bevelation

Paper tape may tear easily, but tapers don't put up dry paper tape onto walls.
Try tearing paper tape that has 1/8th of an inch dried taping mud behind it. Better yet, try tearing it off the wall. If you use good mud product, the bond created by the mud can be stronger than the board itself.

Mesh is definitely harder, but that makes it more brittle. With any movement it is more likely to crack sooner than paper tape. Paper tape will crack, but not nearly as soon as fiber, because the paper tape flexes. When it flexes, it's simple to fix. Sometimes the paper joints give way a lot before they crack.

I like fixing jobs where fiber taped butts are cracked, because all I have to do is pull on the tape and since it's SO strong, it all peels off! Peeling off a dried paper tape is another story.

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BoB The Fixer

Hey Guys !

I am amazed from those who say u cannot put premixed mud on top of mesh ! I used both mesh and paper, but since 4 years now i only use mesh tape and i just put the mixed mud on top for the day and next day i put finish coat! done tons of offices and basements and houses ! its perfect ! who got the "theory" that u HAVE to use durabond for the 1st coat !

mesh is the best for hand tapers, and paper is the best ( or only choice ) for machines,

best wishes.

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silverstilts

that's a load of crap. not the way it is intended for. I would really like to see the finished product withing one year and see how it is holding up. guaranteed cracks.

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wnybassman

Years ago we used mesh on two jobs with AP mud. Both had cracking problems. The end, no more.