amatuer drywalling

[highflyr]

Hi everyone,

I'm finishing my bsmnt and when I'm putting on the light switch and electrical receptacle covers, I'm realizing how amateur my drywalling is.

I've bought the oversize ones and for the most part, they cover the imperfections.

There are a few places where they hole was simply cut too big. What's the best and fastest way to fix it? None of the gaps are more than 1/4 inch wide at most.

I can post some pics for your laughing pleasure if I haven't described my shotty work well enough.

Thanks for reading and replying

Ed

[Kyle Boatright]

I have not found an easy way to do it, but the best way I have found is to run a strip of fiberglass tape across the area, add mud and sand. Repeat with the mud and sanding until you're happy.

[EXT]

I have found that painting the raw cut edge of the drywall with latex paint increases the adhesion of the mud to these edges and improves the ability to fill such overcuts around holes, otherwise the mud simply won't stick or just falls off when dry.

[DanG]

Make some "finger print catchers" of Formica or FRP in an appropriate color with the correct size hole in the center to trap between the switch and the cover plate.

Caulk or surface applied drywall compound will not work.

The best thing is to make the hole right by taping in the overcuts. This will mean tape/bed/sand/recoat/repaint. Cut a piece of left over drywall about 6" x 8", score the back of the rock a few times and break and peel the drywall off the back of the finish paper, carefully cut the correct size hole in the center of the piece, butter the back of the piece generously with drywall compound, apply and wipe in. It will probably still need another coat to blend in the edges. ___________________________ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG

[mgkelson]

I'd laugh at almost anything except that. I've cut a lot of holes for outlets in my day (mostly remodel work) and I still get nervous every time I do it.

I've never used this method before, but there's a suggestion for repairing electrical outlet holes at:

Good luck.

[krw]

It's also useful to use the mix-it stuff rather than the pre-mixed mud. The latter turns back to mud when it gets wet by the next coat'; very frustrating. I use the "90-minute sandable" mix, for at least the first coat or two.

[Harry K]

The fix is simple. You cut paper tape (not fiberglass!), mud the tape well before applying. It helps to fill the gaps with mud before applying the tape, just fill the gaps as much as possible. Apply the tape. Make your second and third coats as you are mudding other joints. Once dry and painted you can't tell there was a problem.

Why not fiberglass? Because it is too thick. You can't do a good finish job over fiberglass tape on the flat without building mud up much thicker than with paper tape.

As an aside. When hanging 'rock, don't try to make your fits tight. Gaps up to 1/4 inch between sheets are fine.

Tape and mud are your friends.

Harry K

[highflyr]

[46erjoe]

On 12 Nov 2006 12:17:11 -0800, "highflyr" wrotF:

Buy some DAP "Presto Patch." It's a powder mix that dries in about 30 minutes, is rock hard and adheres to wallboard if the board is dampened a bit. Mix a batch, spread it into the opening, let dry and sand. One more application and it should be ready for painting.

[pawlowsk002]

hf:

Patching plaster should work fine. Note that according to the NEC you /must/ fill any gaps between electrical boxes and the surrounding surface. A lot of people don't do this.

Cordially yours: G P

[kellyj00]

After messing up box cutouts dozens of times I've found a rotozip tool (or even a power drill with a rotozip bit) works well for cutting the boxes right the first time. Just put the drywall up loose (about a half inch off the studs is as far as you're gonna go for now) drill right into the drywall somewhere inside the box (don't hit the box, wires, children's toys or small tools like tape measures left in the box for petes sake) then just run your bit around in the box quickly. Then tighten the few loose screws, and finish the hanging.

Works on cieling too, but you've gotta put in a bunch of screws first if you don't have one of those fancy lift things to hold the sheetrock.

If you've got a 1/4" straight cutting router bit, it might do the job too...maybe... it might get gummed up a lot easier than a rotozip.

My last piece of amateur drywall advice: a case of beer and 2-3 friends are the best tools you'll ever have doing this job. Never underestimate how fast a friend who has never sheetrocked before will pick up the necessary skills to make it look decent, and it's a LOT more fun this way.

[krw]

RotoZip is an amazingly useful tool! I've used mine on pretty much every project lately. Enough that I fear that I've about killed it. :-(

If I were to do a ceiling again I'd rent a lift. Too much work any other way. I do have a small patch (32"x36") I have to do in the next week or so but that's not enough to bother.

The sheetrock outlet cutter has a dead point to follow the box. A router but (or even standard RotoZip bit) will cut right through the box.

One slight modification; don't open the beer until you're done. BTDT. The next day the drywall looked like crap. Good thing mudders know their stuff. ;-)

[<aemeijers]

Uh, doesn&#39;t that refer to gaps between the edge of the box and the surface of the wall? (box set too deep, needing an extender ring.) IOW, no place for sparks to land? I can think of no reason NEC would care about gaps outside the box, as long as the device is tight up against the back of the cover plate.

aem sends...

[kellyj00]

Where do I find one of these "box cutting" rotozip cutter deals? You&#39;re right about it tearing up boxes, but I never cut THROUGH one (more careful than that)

[krw]

Try the BORG. They&#39;re one of the main purposes of the RotoZip. Sheesh, I thought every RZ came with them. Perhaps you thought they were a normal bit and didn&#39;t notice that they had no bite in the first 1/2"?

Think "pilot pin" and buy the proper tools.

[Harry K]

That is my understanding. If it is the other gap that is referred to, there are a whole lot of houses that don&#39;t meet code.

Harry K

[Steve Barker LT]

I just bought mine on ebay for half of new. Looks like it&#39;s never been used, but was listed as used.

[krw]

They&#39;re called "guidepoint" bits: