Drywall and Plaster
Tips
One of the biggest
problems I run into with drywall when remodeling a client’s home is the
dust. To help reduce the dust, we sometimes use a wet sanding technique
after the final coat. A skilled drywall finisher can skim the coats of
joint compound to a very smooth finish. This also will help reduce the
amount of sanding needed.
To help reduce the dust to the uppestairs floors when finishing
drywall in the basement, try taking cheese cloth or other loosely woven
fabric, soak it with water and wring it out so that it remains damp.
Place pieces of it over your heat register and it will help to trap any
drywall dust that may find it’s way up through the duct work. Be sure
to close off the registers in the basement while the sanding is taking
place.
To help speed up the drying time of the joint compound between coats,
try using Sheetrock EasySand joint compound instead of the standard
joint compound. It comes in drying times as low as 20 minutes and it
comes in a powder form is mixed with water. Try to mix only the amount
you will be able to spread in the allotted time to avoid having the
mixture harden up before you are able to use all of it. This stuff
really works well and yes, unlike standard Durabond joint compound, it
is very easy to sand.