Talked to an old painter in Chicago who changed how I patch drywall

I was grabbing spackle at the hardware store last week and this guy named Frank, been painting since the 80s, told me to stop using that mesh tape for small holes. He said just use the paper tape and a thin layer of joint compound, let it dry overnight, then sand. I tried it on a dime-sized hole in my hallway and it came out way smoother than my usual hack job. Anyone else ditch the mesh tape for something simpler?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_baker2d ago

Yeah I made the same switch a few years back after fighting with mesh tape for way too long. Paper tape just sits flat and doesn't crinkle up on you. I still use mesh for bigger cracks but for small holes it's paper all the way now.

jesse_burns82d ago

Man I feel this so hard because I'm the guy who used mesh tape for everything like an idiot for years. First time I tried paper tape and compound on a little hole in my bedroom I actually had to step back and admit Frank knows what he's talking about. My usual method was basically spackle and pray, which left these lumpy spots that stuck out like a sore thumb after painting. So yeah I'm totally on board with ditching mesh for small patches, paper tape just lays down way cleaner and you don't get that stupid bubble problem. Now if only I could figure out how to stop making every patch job look like a third grader did it.