Paper joint tape XJ75150

Why paper still beats mesh on flat seams

Paper tape is stronger wet than mesh, and it shrinks slightly as it dries, pulling itself into the joint. On a flat seam between two boards that is exactly the behaviour you want: the tape bridges the gap and the compound feathers out to nothing. Mesh is the faster tape for repairs and for board that has already been painted; paper is the tape for a wall that has to stay flat for twenty years.

The 140–145 gsm US kraft matters here. A lighter paper tears at the crease when it is folded into an inside corner and drinks too much compound on the bed coat; a heavier sheet will not pull tight into the seam. This weight is the one tapers are used to feeding.

How to finish a joint

1. Press joint compound firmly into the joint over an area about 4" wide.
2. Centre the tape in the compound, over the hidden crack, and embed it; cover with a thin coat and remove the excess.
3. Drive nail and screw heads at least 1/32" below the surface, and fill the dimples with compound.
4. After the bed coat is completely dry — at least 24 hours — apply a thin second coat feathered 3"–4" each side, and coat the fastener heads again.
5. Let that dry, then apply a third thin coat feathered to about 8" each side.
6. Sand smooth at least 24 hours after the final coat.

Inside and outside corners

For an inside corner, apply compound to both sides, crease the tape and embed it, then coat both sides thinly. When dry, coat one side only, let it dry, then finish the other side and sand smooth — working one side at a time is what keeps the crease from lifting.

Outside corners take a wider first coat, about 6", followed by a second coat 6"–10" wide on each side of the corner.

Coverage per roll

At 50 mm wide, a 150 m roll covers 7.5 m² of joint; the 75 m roll covers 3.75 m² and the 23 m roll 1.15 m². Real coverage depends on how much is lost at the crease and at cut ends, so order on the linear metre of joint rather than the wall area.