Does anybody know how much mud to purchase for drywall taping? I have around 80 sheets to tape, bed and finish :rolleyes:

This could almost be a trick question. How many coats is the equation here. Start with 2 5 gal buckets and go from there

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A better question is what type of mud to buy. When I do a large job I start with 10 or so 15 lbs bags of setting type powder in either 20, 45 or 90 minute sets. I mix up a small abtch that I can set mu tape and first scratch coat in less than 30 minutes. By the time I am spreading the second batch the first batch is stone dried, no waiting days for readimix compund to dry. I do the entire tape and first coat with setting compund and then swicth to the readimix for the 2nd and 3rd coat. I try to get my 3rd coat smooth enough so there is little or no sanding. Use a damp sponge to feather all the edges and then prime. So for me get 10 bags of setting compund and one 5 gallon bucket of redimix.

Well, I`m doing 3 coats.. I will start with "Green" plus 3 mixed with 45 easy sand, and then "blue" and then Tinted for final.. Is that about right, So at least a bucket per 4 sheets?

If you mean a 5 gallon bucket you are way over estimating.

So how much do you think I would need for around 80shts of rock? Do you think around 6 buckets total and around 6 bags of easysand?

From my post #3 " So for me get 10 bags of setting compund and one 5 gallon bucket of redimix" You certainly can use your easy sand if you want but on my 3rd coat I feather pretty good and only need a damp sponge after that. It took me several years to get this down pat. If 10 bags aren't needed you can always return the unopened bags or save for another project.

Thanks ballengerb1!!

Do you have all the right equipment for this job? I recommend using the fiber glass tape with its own adhesive.

When I finish drywall I usually can get it in what I call 2 1/2 coats.

On all inside corners I mix up 90 min. Mud both inside corners. Apply tape over wet mud. Now Knife/flatten tape on both of those inside corners. Right after that go back over just the one side of the inside corner and mud over the tape again.

When that is done you will see no tape on the one side of the inside corner and see it some on the other corner. This helps let you blade in a nice line and the knife rides along the surface of the tape opposite which has enough mud on it for tape to stick and a tiny skim on top which if there is a tiny blade mark there it will be covered up easily when it gets its coat.

The one side of the tape now only needs 1 more coat. When that dries in the Am you can now do the other side where you see the tape. This helps you maintain a nice sharp line in the corner and knife to a hard surface. Do this for all inside corners.

The next day I use green bucket to knife it the same fashion. It dries faster on second coat. So basically its really two coats and skim touch up.

I use the reg tape for the simple reason it flattens better and is thinner than the mesh. If the tape gets some bubbles in it that means the mud/tape is to dry. Mud needs to be wet enough for taping. If the next day see a bubble cut the bubble out with a utility knife and quick hit it so it has time to dry for the last coat.

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Hi you should use paper tape not mesh the paper tape is 10 times stronger than mesh tape I did work for a company that used mesh tape and coated with uasy sand and within a year you would see hairline crarks in that and for the amount of mud would depend on how many pieces of corner bead there are is every thing wraped with bead on most houses that are 120 sheets I would use about 5 bags of easy sand 90 used on the prefill coat and to coat all the corner bead for taping I would use about 4or 5 buckets of the green lid called all purpuse for filling and finishiung it would take 4 or 5 buckets of plus 3 the blue buckets and if there is a texure going over it about 6 buckets of texture