Teague spent a few minutes last night adding a new corner-bead to a wobbley wall edge. Watching him work, I realize that my drywall finishing technique is truly horribly by comparison. I can’t feel too bad – he’s been getting lots of practice lately at his day job. Lucky for me, I got a play-by-play as he worked. Here’s what I learned:

Mix the mud before you start. This seems like common sense, yet I’ve never done it! Teague stays away from the lightweight compound – it sands easier, but it’s a little TOO easy.

Use one side of your knife consistently. This makes for a more even wear pattern. You WANT your knife to wear, because it softens the outer corners and you’ll get less gouges.

If you’re filling in screw or nail holes, don’t fill each one individually. Instead, swipe 3-4 at a time with a light coat of sheetrock. Keep your blade tight and wipe off all excess. This saves you lots of sanding.

When working on the paper seams, thin out the compound with a little bit of water and mix it up good. It’s easier to work with.

To test if you’ve got a level coat, set your knife blade perpendicular to the wall surface. You’ll be able to see if you’ve got any bumps or valleys.

It doesn’t have to be perfect on the second coat. If you have a few ridges or little “boogers”, you can sand those out later. You’ll make a bigger mess trying to get it perfect.