Mesh tape vs paper tape - I was a paper guy until last month

I swore by paper tape for 12 years. Thought mesh tape was just for DIY guys who didn't know any better. But I took on a basement job in Overland Park that had these weird control joints every 6 feet and the paper just kept bubbling on me. One of the older guys I work with told me to try the FibaTape mesh for those sections. I figured I'd waste 30 bucks on a roll, no big deal. That stuff laid down flat and I didn't have to fight it at all. The mud job came out cleaner than my paper work on the flat areas. Now I'm thinking about using mesh for everything on the next house. Anyone else switch teams after years of doing it one way?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_dixon491mo ago

Is mesh tape really strong enough for those big flat ceiling joints though?

seth_shah1mo ago

Oh come on, mesh tape is totally fine for ceiling joints if you do it right. The trick is to make sure your joint compound fully pushes through all those little holes in the mesh so it bonds to the drywall underneath. I've done plenty of 12-foot ceiling seams with mesh tape and never had a crack (knock on wood), just gotta bed it in well and let each coat dry fully before the next one.

vera_robinson361mo ago

Oh man, I feel you on that! It's wild how sometimes you've gotta unlearn what you thought was the only way to do something.