I have found that this new mess tape that has sticky stuff to stick to the wall seems to not hold very well. I applied the tape and then covered with general purpose mud...did the normal 3 or 4 layers and it was very hard to get it to lay down. I also use some of those paper and plastic outside corner and glued them on before using mud. They did not seem to hold very well either. What could be the problem?

 

Mess tape, I like that. Of course you meant to write mesh tape and it is not all that new having been around at least forty years that I know of.

The self-adhesive property of the mesh along with the material being stronger than paper would make a person think it is a superior product compared to the paper tape but, amazingly, it is in fact INFERIOR to the old paper tape. I think that you may have some problems with your technique rather than the materials.

There are several types of corner bead and most, if not all, are used on outside corners exclusively. The all-metal bead is nailed or sometimes "crimped" on first and then the drywall compound applied. The metal bead that has paper "flanges" is applied after first laying on a band of drywall compound on either side of the corner and then pressing the bead in place followed by using the taping knife to squeeze out most of the compound from under the tape. Let it dry/harden for a day and then add some more compound over the top, building it up and feathering it into the wall away from the corner. You might need to slightly sand the compound between layers. The third layer should be laid with a 12 inch knife by keeping one end of the knife on the corner bead and then feathering out into the field of the wall.

I have only used pre-mixed joint compound and I go really slow, allowing at least a day between thin coats of the compound. From reading what the professionals on this board use (site mixed, hard-setting, quick drying/setting compounds) I gather that some of my work would have been better had I learned how to use the site-mixed materials. But for me slow and steady with the pre-mix has always yielded satisfactory results.

 

Mess tape might have been a typo but might be a better name for the mesh [sticky] tape

They say the 'sticky' tape works ok if you apply a setting compound like durabond over it but I've had a few failures doing it that way. I won't buy anything but paper tape!! I like metal corner bead but prefer it to be nail on, too many failures down the road with crimped on bead.

 

Thanks....i must have read somewhere to use glue on the paper corner and then mud over but my experience says that sucks!! The mesh (spelled) tape works ok but I must admit the old school tape is better. I think the mesh might be fine for repairs over cracks etc..
Thanks...love this forum

 

Hi wp,
I'm not a pro, but I have used many rolls of tape and a few of the mesh version. One of the problems with the mesh (sticky) tape is people often assume the sticky will contribute to holding it in place and then they do less to be sure the mud does its job. Here's a hint for either version.

Mud spread on a dry section of drywall will adhere poorly if not worked into the paper. I always check my mud and when necessary add a dash (it takes very little) of water. Although I don't care for the mesh tape, if it is placed on the wall and covered with mud, and then virtually all of the mud is removed, the pressure applied in this process will force the mud into the paper beneath the tape. Paper tape is worked in a very similar process. Mud is applied, then tape, then virtually all of the excess mud is forced out from behind the tape. During that process the mud is forced into the paper on the drywall and also into the tape. If it wrinkles and you have occasion to pull it off and re-apply it, you will quickly notice it is saturated with mud.

This process of the tape becoming impregnated with the mud as well as the paper on the drywall is why it is usually more successful.

I know, I over analyze things, but with a little training and miles of practice I have finally discovered I don't mind taping drywall, I'm just slow.

Bud

 

One more vote for paper over mesh.

 

I just received a test roll of FibraFuse. It is a fiberglass mat not woven tape. It seems to have the dimensional stability of paper and the tensile strength of fiberglass. I used it for the first time today on a patch. I used five minute mud. I only used about 12' but I am inpressed. It is not adhesive. One must lay on the mud then bed the tape. I don't think it would work with a banjo. I will continue to use it for a while and see if there is a downside. This was a complimentary roll. I don't know how much it costs.

 

I'm just an amateur, and have never had a problem using mess/mesh tape. It's a lot faster for me than using paper had ever been, and I've never had a problem getting it to stick and lay flat.

A humbling experience is watching a good drywall man (equipped with a well-worn banjo and paper tape) doing his thing--extremely fast, no wasted moves, and no globs of mud all over the floor. Just don't dwell on the fact that he probably doesn't have any fingernails, with the lime in the mud having eaten them away years ago.

 

We're on a commercial site for a few weeks doing trim, and I noticed the rockers applying their initial coat of mud. Of course they were using the pole banjo and kept the pole poked with mud....BUT their mud was remarkably thin (probably the consistency of pancake batter). One guy was laying the paper tape and thin compound on the seams with the banjo, while another came by with a 9" knife smoothing it out. Wow, what a smooth initial joint. I guess with the thinner mud, they are able to second coat the next day without a problem.