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Unpopular opinion: paper tape isn't always better than mesh | Drywall Installers - Vivisector

Unpopular opinion: paper tape isn't always better than mesh

For years I swore by paper tape for all my butt joints and corners. Thought mesh was just for amateurs who didn't know better. Then I had a job last month on a new build in Phoenix where the humidity was killing my drying time with paper. Switched to mesh on a couple of long seams just to see what would happen and honestly it saved me three hours of waiting around. I still use paper for most stuff but has anyone else found certain conditions where mesh just works better?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyp612mo ago

Mesh was just for amateurs" - woah, that hit different because I used to say the exact same thing and then my buddy talked me into trying it on a garage fire tape job in Florida last summer. I mean, the humidity there is no joke and I was basically watching paint dry with paper tape, it was brutal. Getting that mesh on there and actually being able to move on to the next coat without waiting half a day was honestly kind of a game changer for me in that specific situation. Idk, I still feel kinda guilty using mesh sometimes like I'm cheating or something, but results are results.

fiona_carr262mo ago

Right? The humidity part is so real. I had a similar situation up in a crawl space last fall after a hurricane hit, and the dampness just wouldn't leave the studs. I tried paper once and it was like watching a sloth race. Switched to mesh just to see and it was a total game changer. Like @olivia_lopez98 said about that basement, it lets the moisture out so the mud actually dries and bonds instead of just sitting there. I don't feel as guilty when I think about it saving me a whole day of waiting around, you know?

olivia_lopez982mo ago

My buddy Marco had the same guilty feeling until he did a whole basement renovation in an old house where the walls were all uneven and slightly damp. He used regular paper tape on the first seam and it just bubbled up on him no matter what he tried. So he grabbed a roll of mesh out of frustration and it actually stayed flat and let the mud set up way faster since it let moisture through the back. He said he finished that project in half the time he normally would have and the homeowner was thrilled with how smooth everything looked. Now he keeps a roll of mesh in his truck for those sketchy repairs where paper would just fight you the whole way.