USG SHEETROCK Gypsum Panels - Manual (Page 16)

11 First Coat, Flat Joints
Start with butt joints. Apply an
even coat of thinned joint
compound for the length of the
joint with a 5
Љ finishing knife.
Center and lightly press tape
into wet joint compound with
fingers. Draw 5
Љ knife firmly
along joint to tightly embed
tape. Be sure there is sufficient
joint compound under tape to
prevent blistering of the tape.
While embedding the tape,
remove excess joint compound
from edge and apply as a thin
coat over the tape.
To reinforce tapered joints, fol-
low same procedure. Tape
should overlap tape applied to
butt joints.
Tips
For best results, apply medium
pressure and hold knife at a 45°
angle to panel.
To apply joint compound neatly,
dip the knife sideways into the
pan so you load only half the
width of the blade. For best
results, joint compound should
be thinned slightly with water for
easier application. Add water in
small increments (for one gallon
of compound, add water in 2 oz.
increments).
45
Finishing the Panels
16