Had a ceiling job in a 1920s house that made me switch up my tape method for good

I was doing a repair on a high ceiling in an old Portland home, maybe 12 feet up. The old plaster was a mess, and I had to match a big patch. I used to just slap on paper tape with a thin coat, sand it flat, and call it done. But on this job, the first coat over the tape shrank so much it pulled the tape right off the seam after it dried. I lost a whole morning. Now, I put a tight bed of mud down first, press the tape in, then scrape it with my 6 inch knife so it's almost flat before it sets. I wait a full day before the next coat. That old ceiling came out smooth as glass. Anyone else find they have to change their basics for these old houses?

2 comments

2 Comments

owens.nancy10d agoTop Commenter

Ever try the mesh tape instead?

hill.troy10d ago

Mesh tape can be a real pain to work with. That stuff bubbles under the mud way easier than paper tape. Ends up needing more coats to hide, which just makes the whole job take longer.