How to putty drywall: detailed instructions for work. Do-it-yourself drywall putty for finishing How many layers of putty to apply to drywall

Among specialist builders, there is no clear opinion about the need to perform such work on drywall, because the quality of its surface is quite acceptable without it. However, an experienced builder will not fail to include this operation in the work estimate, protecting himself from subsequent peeling and warping of the material. If you don’t putty, then everything is clear here, but we’ll try to clarify what its application can do here, and the choice is yours.

How to putty drywall, what materials to use and what is the technology for performing the work - read below.

Primer work

Protecting the surface of drywall is a set of measures associated with strengthening structural material and improving some of its characteristics. But the most important thing is that its adhesive characteristics increase, that is, the ability to bear the finishing decorative coating.

The first finishing operation is applying a primer.

To determine its necessity, let’s consider the most common types of primer compositions and what qualities they can impart to the material in the form of gypsum plasterboard:

Universal primers based on acrylic, water-soluble. Are considered the best material for processing drywall. Drying time is 2 – 4 hours.
Phenol-based compositions are used in construction practice for processing metal and wood. If there is no choice, they can be used for gypsum boards, but only for the first layer.
Alkyd primers are used only on wood; they are strictly not recommended as a protective layer on drywall.
Perchlorovinyl - can be used for priming on any materials, but for interior work not used due to the release of harmful substances.
Glypthal primers are the most powerful. Designed for use in well-ventilated areas or for outdoor work.
Polyvinyl acetate primers are used only with polyvalent dyes. TO positive aspects applies a short time drying - about 40 minutes.
Polystyrene compounds are highly toxic and are used only for outdoor work using respiratory protection.

Primer application is done with a roller; this method is the most productive; in places that are difficult to reach with a roller, a paint brush is used.

Obviously, in our case only acrylic primers and putties are used. They allow, by being absorbed into the material, to obtain higher strength properties of the gypsum plasterboard surface and increase its adhesion to other materials - paints, wallpaper glue or tile products.

The surface condition improved by primer and putty allows for more uniform and thin layer lay finishing materials on it.

Special additives added to the primer composition protect the material from mold and fungi.

putty

Preparation for this work consists, first of all, of leveling the surface. Especially when it comes to preparation for painting. A layer of paint can enhance visual effect from the slightest irregularities, which makes the final result very unsightly. This means that before puttingtying drywall, the surface must be carefully checked, unnecessary protrusions removed, protruding screws tightened, cracks widened and repaired, potholes removed, and peeled paper trimmed under the base. After this, it is advisable to clean the repair areas with medium-sized emery cloth. And only after this you need to apply the first layer of primer.

How to choose putty

There are three main types of such compositions:

leveling;
universal;
finishing.

The first of them are used to level the surface of sheets, seal cracks and potholes.

The finishing ones are used as a front layer, applied with a thickness of about 0.5 mm. As a rule, after it dries, the surface is polished with emery cloth.

Universal compositions, as the name suggests, are used in both cases. It should be noted that the price level for such compositions makes their use exotic cases.

Stirring the dry putty mixture must be done in accordance with the instructions on the packaging. Often the composition is sold in finished form, just open a plastic jar and type required amount substances in a separate container.

Before applying the putty composition to the entire surface of the sheet, it is necessary to eliminate surface defects and seams between the sheets.

The bruises are removed by filling them with putty; it is better to do this with several cross movements of the spatula. Do the same with screw heads.

Before sealing seams or cracks, sickle tape is glued to them to prevent further destruction of the joined ends.

The corners of the room are processed in two stages, first one side is sealed with a spatula, after drying this place, the other side of the corner is processed. To speed up the work, experienced plasterers use a corner, passing both sides of the corner at the same time. Before processing the corners, it is also recommended to seal them with sickle tape. When processing external corners, you must first attach metal corners with perforated shelves to them. By filling the perforation with putty, you can securely fix the product on the corner.

Curvilinear corners also need to be reinforced with a corner, but in this case plastic material is used. First, it is fixed in place by filling the perforations, then the surface is leveled with putty.

Puttying the entire surface of the wall or ceiling is done with a wide, smooth spatula. The composition is applied to it with a narrow tool, then distributed in a thin layer over the surface. When repairing minor damage, you can use a rubber spatula.

At the end of the putty application process, the entire treated surface must be sanded to a perfectly flat surface.

Features of puttying walls for painting

As noted above, such a finishing coating requires more thorough surface preparation. This is done as follows:

surface preparation and priming;
applying the first layer of putty. If the composition is prepared from a dry mixture, you need to stir until the composition is homogeneous with the consistency of thick sour cream strictly according to the instructions. Attention! The lifespan of the putty mixture is 2 - 2.5 hours, after which it begins to thicken. It is not possible to restore the mixture by adding water. Therefore, you need to cook it in portions;
Important! Alkyd putty cannot be used to treat gypsum boards. In its field of application, the paper on the sheets swells with the formation of air bubbles, which subsequently burst and become torn;

for the seams between the plates, you need to perform reinforcement - cut the edges by 3 mm at an angle of 45 degrees, putty and glue with fiberglass mesh - serpyanka, let dry and sand;
the same operation must be carried out for external protrusions - before putting putty on the corners, you need to seal them with a metal or plastic corner
upon completion of applying the first layer, the surface should be allowed to dry and sanded with sandpaper;
apply a second layer and process it as the previous one;
Apply the third layer with a finishing plaster composition, achieving the most even surface possible, and remove unevenness by sanding;

thoroughly remove dust in the room by wet cleaning, thoroughly sweep and wipe the walls;
Apply a final coat of primer. Control the absence of stripes and transitions in color density, achieving the most even tone of the coating over the entire area of the walls. To do this, it is better to apply primer in perpendicular directions, if necessary using paint brush to even out color differences;
After thorough drying, the surface will be suitable for finishing with paint. The recommended drying time is always indicated on the packaging of primers and putties.

The success of painting the surface of plasterboard boards depends on how the surface is properly prepared for this type of coating.

To speed up the process of preparing plasterboard walls for putty, we recommend using gypsum-based putty to seal slab joints, screw heads, metal or plastic corners. She has more short time curing, which means the process will go faster. At the same time, you need to remember about the shortened lifespan.
When purchasing primer and putty mixtures, you need to pay attention to the release date and shelf life of the composition. As with cement, it is noticeably limited.
Before you putty the surface at any stage, you need to ensure that it is thoroughly cleaned of dust.
During processing ceiling surfaces execution of work on complex forms It's better to trust a specialist.

Conclusion

We hope that the information presented here on how to putty drywall shows quite convincingly that this is, at a minimum, necessary. Putty gives the structure additional strength, promotes more economical use of the finishing coating (paint, liquid wallpaper, etc.) and contributes to the durability of the finish. If glass wallpaper is used, high-quality wall putty will prevent delamination of gypsum fiber boards when removing old ones heavy wallpaper. I wish you success!

Most beginners think that when working with drywall, the main thing is to install it correctly, and the rest is not so important. But this is very far from reality. An important step in the process of manufacturing the structure of their gypsum boards is puttying the drywall. Sometimes, even poor installation and uneven fastening of plasterboard sheets to the frame can be hidden behind high-quality putty on the surfaces of the plasterboard product itself. It is the putty that is designed to hide all the unevenness of the gypsum board surface, because even very expensive drywall samples sometimes show some flaws. If you want to learn how to putty drywall, be sure to read this article.

If you carry out the puttying process as described in this article, then the result will definitely not disappoint you, but on the contrary, it will pleasantly surprise you, because there is nothing complicated about it, as it seems at first glance. The technology itself for puttingtying drywall is very simple, but there are important points in this process that many beginners often do not pay any attention to. For example, many people think that there is no point in leveling the wall before puttying, but the heads of self-tapping screws and screws that stick out from the sheets of drywall will not go away themselves, but will only interfere when applying putty. These are the important points that must be taken into account and remembered, because they will help make the finishing of a plasterboard product reliable and easy to perform.

The article is divided into blocks that describe in detail how to properly putty drywall, and what needs to be done at each stage of this important process in the manufacture of a gypsum board product. Please note that there is nothing complicated about puttingtying the gypsum board surface, but very stupid mistakes can happen the first time. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully read each paragraph of the article, everything is explained in detail and the mistakes and advice of many experts who for a long time work with drywall. And if you know how to putty drywall, then you should still read this article, as it describes many secrets that will help a master of any professional level.

What is this article about?

Preparing a plasterboard surface for putty

The most common element that prevents high-quality puttying of drywall sheets is the protruding heads of the screws that fasten these sheets to the frame. At the preparation stage, they must be driven deep into the sheets, but you should not apply too much force, otherwise you can make a hole in the sheet, which will be very difficult to disguise later. It is enough to quickly run a spatula over the surface of the drywall. If it goes through without any hiccups, then you can start puttingty; if not, then you need to remove the unevenness that interferes with it.

The second reason why puttying drywall may not go as planned is the paper layer peeling off from the gypsum base. If such protruding pieces of paper are present on a sheet of drywall, then they must be carefully cut off with a stationery knife to the very “root”. Then this area needs to be treated with fine-grained sandpaper to level it in height with the entire surface of the sheet.

After removing all the unevenness and imperfections from the surface that you will putty, you can begin priming. It needs to be done to make the surface very smooth, because in this case the putty will lie much better. But you should understand that you don’t need to apply a thick layer of primer; a thickness of 0.05–07 ml is sufficient. A very important point when priming drywall is the fact that you use alkyd primers V in this case it is forbidden. They provoke peeling of the cardboard from the plaster, which makes it simply impossible to putty.

Experts who know how to properly putty drywall are aware that gypsum reacts very strongly to high humidity. This is why you need to use a primer before putting on drywall. Water-soluble mixtures create a resistant film on the surface that protects the sheets from moisture penetrating into them, thereby preventing the destruction of the gypsum layer.

Also very important point, which many beginners do not pay attention to, are the joints between sheets of drywall. Usually they have a factory edge, which makes their connection stronger and more reliable, but if it is not there, then you need to make the chamfer yourself. The chamfer is made with a construction knife. Be sure to keep in mind that you need to keep the angle at 45 degrees, this way you will get reliable reinforcement of the seams between the gypsum board sheets.

Putty technologies and tools needed to perform it

The most basic tool, which is most often used when putting putty, is a spatula. IN construction store ah, their choice is quite wide, but we only need a few basic spatulas, and the rest of their types are used in rather non-standard cases, which rarely happen when working with drywall. So, spatulas with a width of 15 and 30 cm are required, that is, medium and wide, respectively. Also, the putty itself is required, which must be diluted. Keep in mind that it is diluted with a very small amount of water, which is why it dries out quickly, so you do not need to dilute a lot of putty. To do this, you need to calculate the required amount for 30 minutes of work, and then only dilute it.

An important point, if you don’t know how to putty drywall, then you need to think about the choice of putty; it is divided into three groups:

Putty on cement based, these are fairly inexpensive and easy-to-use types of putty that can withstand large temperature changes and high humidity.
Polymer based. They are very versatile and can be used in any room. Their advantage is low consumption, as they are quite viscous.
Plaster. Plasterboard putty on this basis is not used in rooms with high levels of humidity, as it begins to deteriorate under the influence of moisture and becomes unusable in rooms such as a bath or kitchen.

The technology used to putty drywall is quite simple: you need to use a medium spatula to apply an even layer of putty along the entire joint between the sheets of drywall, after which you need a special reinforcing tape - serpyanka. It is applied to the seam so that it is located exactly in the middle of the tape. The serpyanka is embedded in the first layer of putty. When the reinforcing tape is hidden under a layer of putty, you need to wait for the latter to dry, and then begin applying the second layer of the composition, but using a wide spatula. It is this technology that is used to putty drywall and its seams.

You need to putty self-tapping screws and self-tapping screws a little differently. Each hole in which the screw is located must be processed using the cross method. That is, apply putty first along the hole, and then across it, this will hide the screw under a layer of putty much better and more effectively than simply covering it up.

Puttying the corners of a plasterboard product works in almost the same way. But there are some differences. Since this surface can angle, the process of putting it is divided into two stages: processing the first side of the angle and processing the second side of the angle.

It is worth understanding that we putty the drywall in several stages. The above is a rough puttying of drywall. Already the finishing putty of drywall occurs with the use of special construction corners and reinforcing tape, which make it possible to make the connection of seams much more reliable and more pleasing in appearance. In products such as window or door openings, you need to use corners to further strengthen their joints with other surfaces. In hardware stores you can find steel angles already attached to them. reinforced tape, which can significantly facilitate the process of puttying corners. In addition, profile corners are also used to strengthen external and internal corners. So, having installed the corner on the treated surface, you need to apply a layer of putty on top of it, which will give even greater strength to the entire structure.

Remember that the main work is performed with a medium spatula, thanks to which the drywall putty is done more professionally. Use a wide spatula to level the putty layer. If you need to attach a corner to a curved corner, for example, an arched passage, then in this case plastic corners are used, which can be adjusted to the shape of the product. Their difference is not only that they bend, but also in their thickness - it is somewhat larger, so they need to be puttyed in two stages: fill all the holes in the corner, wait for it to dry, then apply a second layer of the mixture and level it with the main one the height of the drywall sheet.

Video about puttying joints and screws

Surface finishing

At the final stage, when you already know how to putty drywall, you need to final finishing, which can give it that perfectly smooth look that hides all the irregularities and flaws of the initial plasterboard sheet. To create a mixture that is used for finishing, you need to calculate its quantity using the formula. You know how to putty drywall and what mixture to choose from the beginning of the article, but for each type of mixture there is a specific form in which it is diluted. So, for gypsum-based putty mixtures, this is one kilogram of mixture per square meter surfaces, approximately the same consumption for gypsum mixtures. For glue-based mixtures it is much less - 0.5 kilograms per square meter.

Experts who know how to properly putty drywall note that you need to mix the putty, counting on half an hour of work; if it has already dried, then it is better not to dilute it a second time, but simply dispose of it, so the result will be much better. After the putty has dried, the drywall needs to be primed again to secure an excellent final result. After completing all this work, you can paste wallpaper on the wall or leave it like that, because a drywall product with high-quality putty will look good in any case.

One of the most commonly used finishing materials interior spaces is plasterboard, which allows not only to level the walls, but also to create partitions, niches and other structures in the shortest possible time. However, it is not enough to just build the required structure; it also needs to be brought into decent shape. As a rule, plasterboard structures are finished with the same materials as load-bearing walls: painted or wallpapered. And if lungs were used before paper wallpaper, which were often glued overlapping, today they are used modern materials requires special attention to the smoothness and evenness of the wall surface to be finished. Therefore, we suggest considering how to putty drywall with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction will be presented below.

Why putty drywall?

Despite the fact that drywall has a fairly flat surface, before working on it finishing, it is necessary to smooth out all the flaws formed on the material during installation. In addition, you will need to seal the joints of the sheets both along the wall area and in the corners. For this, two types of preparatory finishing are used: plastering and puttying.

Plaster is a rougher material and is used to level the surface in case of large defects, therefore it is usually used on concrete walls. The putty has a fine-grained structure, which allows you to almost perfectly level the drywall for finishing. This point is most important during subsequent painting and wallpapering. If the wall does not have a perfectly smooth surface, the wallpaper will begin to peel, and even the slightest irregularities will be visible on the painted drywall.

In addition, do-it-yourself wall putty (plasterboard) is additional protection, which is important when finishing. For example, if you paste wallpaper directly onto gypsum board, there is a high probability that it will swell from the glue and the new wallpaper will be warped. In addition, when changing the finish, you are guaranteed to remove not only old material, but also a layer of drywall.

Features of puttying

The puttying process is quite complex and requires special care and thoroughness. Therefore, many people prefer to order these works from professionals. However, in order to save money, you can perform a procedure such as puttying drywall with your own hands. To do this, you just need to be patient and learn some of the subtleties of surface treatment in each specific case. And also master basic puttying techniques, since puttying drywall under wallpaper, done with your own hands, differs from the work of preparing a wall for painting. This must be taken into account.

Puttying joints and corners deserves special attention, since this work requires preliminary laying of serpyanka tape (special building material to strengthen the seams). It will prevent the appearance of cracks that may appear from vibration or expansion of drywall under the influence of moisture.

Material selection

Today there are quite a large number of different ones on the market that differ in structure: coarse-grained starting and finer-grained finishing.

The starting one, the price of which is the lowest of all the options, is used to level out unevenness with surface differences from 0.5 to 2 cm. Therefore, it is practically not used for drywall. As a rule, this material is immediately coated with finishing putty, which has a finer-grained structure. With it you can immediately level the surface to a perfectly smooth state, suitable even for painting. However, in case improper installation drywall or visible damage, it is recommended to first apply a layer of starting putty and wait for it to dry completely. Then prime and then treat the surface with a finishing agent.

Varieties

In addition, they make a difference in the composition of the putty. It comes in gypsum, cement and polymer bases. Depending on the room in which they are held renovation work, and operating conditions, choose the most suitable finishing product. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages:

Gypsum putty has a very fine structure, so it is often used as a finishing material. However, the use of this material in rooms with high humidity It is not recommended, since this composition absorbs moisture from the air well, and in this case even priming the surface will not help.
For areas constantly exposed to high humidity, it is preferable to use cement-based putty, which is very resistant to such exposure. In addition, this type is characterized by high strength and durability of the coating.
The polymer type is the most plastic and is best applied to the surface, so putty is most often performed with this material.

Which putty is better to use?

Another difference in the material is the form in which it is sold. There are two options: dry mixture in bags and already ready solution, similar to sour cream, in buckets.

On the one hand, the most convenient is ready-made putty, which can be applied without prior mixing. While preparing a dry mixture requires certain knowledge and skill.

On the other hand, the ready-made solution is 1.3-1.6 times more expensive. Therefore, it makes sense to carefully select the material. It should be borne in mind that cement putty is produced only in the form of a dry mixture due to the peculiarities of its composition.

If we talk about drywall, then in living rooms It is preferable to use gypsum putty, and in rooms such as a bathroom, kitchen or bathroom, polymer putty.

How to putty drywall: step-by-step instructions

Before starting work such as puttingtying drywall with your own hands, the base must first be thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt after installation work. If there are material peelings in some places, they must be removed and cleaned with fine sandpaper. Also, do not forget to check how the screws are tightened. Ideally, they should be slightly recessed into the sheet of drywall and not protrude above the surface.

After this, the surface is primed, leaving no untreated areas. In this case, it is best to apply 2-3 layers of primer. This is necessary for good adhesion of the material. When applying the composition, it will not only additionally clean the surface of dust, but will also saturate the pores of the drywall. After applying each layer, the primer must be left until completely dry. Drying time can be found on the packaging of a particular product.

By the way, it is worth knowing that the technique of putting drywall with your own hands involves finishing the entire surface of the wall. You should not skimp on building materials and only process corners or joints. Subsequently, when painted or uncoated drywall will stand out strongly.

Preliminary preparation of drywall

At the next stage, it is necessary to repair all more or less noticeable depressions on the surface of the drywall. These include holes from unsuccessfully screwed screws, damage received during installation, and other defects. For these works, a small spatula is usually used.

You can also putty drywall joints with your own hands, and it is preferable to choose a composition specifically designed for these purposes. First we lay the serpyanka tape. To do this, tape is applied to the putty, previously applied to the drywall, and covered with another layer of the compound. After which the material is carefully leveled with a wide spatula and further puttying of the drywall is done with your own hands.

The corners are processed in a similar way, the only difference is that special plastic or metal corners are used for these joints. They will protect the edges of the drywall from mechanical damage. This is especially true for external corners, for example partitions or niches. For internal corners, if the sheets are tight and there are no large gaps, it is permissible to use the same sickle tape.

Applying putty material to the wall

In order to properly apply putty to the surface, two types of spatula are used: the material itself is applied and leveled with a large spatula, a small one is used as an auxiliary tool.

If it is initially intended to apply starting putty, then, depending on the condition of the drywall, it is applied in a fairly thick layer within 0.5-2 cm. If a thicker layer is required, theoretically it can be done in two stages. However, the cost of such repairs will be quite expensive. Therefore, it is better to use plaster for the first leveling layer. This material is much cheaper.

In any case, the first layer must be left until completely dry, after which it is primed and dried again. Then you can apply the next leveling layer. Do-it-yourself starting drywall putty is done until the surface is as smooth as possible. After this, it is dried and primed.

Features of applying finishing putty

After a layer of starting putty (if it was necessary), the finishing composition is applied. This work is more painstaking, as it is done in layers of literally a few millimeters. The finishing putty is applied very carefully and in small portions. Level as much as possible and dry. Then you need to carefully check the smoothness of the surface. The fact is that sometimes small bumps remain or, when drying, the material, on the contrary, collapses somewhat. It is permissible to cover the depressions with some more compound; the bumps can be removed quite easily with fine-grained sandpaper.

Once achieved perfectly Smooth surface, it must be sanded with zero-grade sandpaper until completely smooth.

Ceiling treatment

Plastering the ceiling is considered a particularly difficult task, which is recommended to be carried out with polymer elastic putty. Despite the fact that the material is quite plastic, applying the composition to a horizontal surface will require a lot of effort. Puttying is performed with smooth movements towards you. This process is quite complicated for those new to construction. Therefore, it is better to first watch how someone else puts up a plasterboard ceiling with their own hands. A video of professionals working will clearly show all the nuances of this procedure.

All preliminary and subsequent operations, such as sanding, are carried out in the same way as in the case of a vertical surface.

How to putty for different finishes?

There are several nuances of processing drywall, which depend on the subsequent finishing of the walls:

If you subsequently plan to stick light paper wallpaper, puttying the drywall under the wallpaper yourself must be done especially carefully, with the obligatory leveling of all defects. Otherwise, after finishing work, all flaws will appear on the material.
For heavy wallpaper, on the contrary, it is preferable to use only starting putty, which will create a rough coating. It will be easier to stick wallpaper on this base due to good adhesion of the material.
The most difficult thing is to putty drywall with your own hands before painting; in this case, the surface is smoothed until perfect condition. Professionals even use a lamp for this purpose, under the light of which they reveal the slightest flaws in the coating.

Putty is an important aspect of repair, which helps not only to eliminate defects in drywall, level its surface, but also to make the material as ready as possible for finishing.

Let's say you decide to cover the gypsum board with wallpaper, and you doubt whether preliminary putty is needed. When a person does almost everything in repairs with his own hands, then at some points he may decide to save (both effort and money), but this is not always necessary to do. There are at least two important reasons for puttingtying drywall before subsequent finishing.

Why you need to putty drywall:

If you purchased light and/or thin wallpaper, then the risk that joints and irregularities plasterboard sheets will shine through, great. It will turn out that the wall is made very sloppy, and it will be difficult to change this impression, so it is better to putty the surface.
The second point is that you may want to re-glue the wallpaper, and if a layer of putty is not applied, then the wallpaper will have to be torn off with a layer of drywall. And by doing this you will already break the entire structure. Putty will protect against such risks.

All this is relevant not only for wallpaper, any other decorative finishing requires preliminary putty. This is surface preparation, and so that the technology does not fail, and you are not disappointed in your work, be sure to putty the drywall.

Three stages: primer, reinforcement, drywall putty

Before puttying, you need to perform simple procedures. First of all, pay attention to those self-tapping screw heads that can stick out unsightly. If they stick out, twist them so that they fall into the sheet. If holes have formed under the fasteners, the screws need to be removed and replaced with new, longer ones. The caps should be at the same level as the drywall.

Then inspect for any defects at the joints. May peel off upper layer material. In case of such a defect, the paper must be carefully cut off with a knife, and the surface under the paper must be treated with fine sandpaper.

Primer. It must be applied in an even layer over the entire treatment area. Primers are mixtures that penetrate only the top layer of the material, forming a waterproof film. Alkyd compositions cannot be used; the paper layer may sag.
Reinforcement. The surface must be reinforced with a special mesh. Part of the mesh is treated with a special adhesive composition, so it is easy to fix the mesh. Glue it on all seams and corners so that the two sides of the joint are half the width of the mesh.

After these steps are completed, the putty is applied. But the mixture usually needs to be prepared. If you use a dry mixture, do it only just before the application process. Accordingly, there is no need to dilute the finished mixture - we take it and putty.

Dilution of the mixture: how to putty drywall

If you purchased a dry mixture, it must be diluted correctly. It's good if you have an electric drill with a mixer attachment. With its help, you simply mix the dry substance with water, the process will take no more than five minutes. Then you wait 15 minutes, the procedure is repeated.

It is more difficult to work by hand: you will have to add the mixture gradually and add water carefully, mixing everything very thoroughly, as if you were kneading dough. It is very important that there are no air bubbles left inside.

The putty dries very quickly, so it is better to prepare it in small portions. So that in half an hour you can use up the diluted mixture, and only then move on to new mixing. Both economically and technologically correct.

Doing it right: how to apply putty to drywall

The work often begins (or comes down to it) with sealing the joints. To do this, you will need two spatulas - wide (35 cm) and medium (15 cm). A grater and trowel are often used, but with them you need to be prepared for the fact that the work will be delayed and it is not a fact that the result will be perfect.

The whole process technology is as follows:

Use a narrow spatula to pick up putty and carefully transfer it to the seam;
Then take a wide spatula and stretch the material as wide as possible;
After several joints have been processed, you can arm yourself with only a wide spatula; this will save time, but it requires skill.

At this point, you should not leave any unevenness or smudges on the surface of the plasterboard. It will be difficult for you to remove them, as this can injure the material. Therefore, the work requires maximum accuracy.

Main surfaces: how to putty drywall correctly

Only after the starting layer in the corners and joints has completely dried, do you need to putty the main part of the drywall. First, the outer corners are strengthened aluminum profiles. They are installed using a construction stapler and putty.

The material is applied to the wall and leveled with a wide spatula. Move from top to bottom. If the room has arches or other complex designs, be sure to use plastic corner. It is secured with staples and then puttied.

Work as quickly as possible so that you can trim adjacent strips of trim as you go. After the putty is applied, allow the material to cure.

It is worth saying that drywall is sometimes puttied with a roller. This is done when you need to “whiten” a surface that has already been leveled in order to give it an even color for subsequent work. But more often you have to work with a roller.

Putty: finishing work

When the putty is completed, do not rush with the subsequent finishing. The surface must dry thoroughly. Then all irregularities need to be sanded with fine sandpaper. Be sure to do this wearing safety glasses and a respirator.

Then do this:

Treat the surface with zero sandpaper;
Then apply an even primer coat;
For finishing, use a special mixture, or dilute the starting mixture to sour cream;
Apply and stretch the material with a wide spatula - the putty layer should be thin and uniform;
After this layer has dried, you need to apply a primer again, and only then can you glue wallpaper or paint the wall.

From a surface treated in this way, it will be easy for you to tear off the wallpaper when next renovation. In this case, nothing threatens the drywall. Finished work There is no need to redo it, even if minor defects are found. Perhaps sanding or leveling a small area with a finishing compound will be sufficient.

Instructions: how to putty drywall (video)

You need to putty the drywall, and do it according to all the rules - with preparation, priming, sanding. Don’t skimp on layers or materials; the final look of the entire work depends on this.

Good results!

After finishing the ceiling and walls with standard sheets, the question of how to putty drywall arises for every developer or owner of the premises who has dared to undertake a new-fangled renovation. The need to putty drywall becomes obvious when looking at smooth walls marred by unaesthetic joints and fastening elements between them. Puttying drywall with your own hands is a very real and simple matter, especially if you know the best way to putty drywall.

Necessity of work and available materials

Putty for drywall is a mandatory component if further Finishing work. The need for putty on gypsum boards is even indicated construction companies, producing finishing tiles and decorative coatings, although some insist on puttying plasterboard walls at fastenings and joints.

The need for leveling and puttying becomes especially obvious when not only joints and fastenings are discovered, but also deformations, chips and cracks that formed during transportation. The basic axioms of working with drywall are:

putty on drywall must be carried out in full, provided that the finishing of the walls consists of them;
Puttying plasterboard walls with at least one layer of leveling coating is necessary under wallpaper with your own hands, and under paper wallpaper plasterboard walls needs to be thoroughly processed;
under decorative tiles or plaster, it is necessary to apply putty to the joints of the seams and the corners of drywall, masking fasteners and puttying internal corners;
If final decor consists of natural and expensive materials, puttying of drywall joints is carried out with a mesh.

The technology for puttingtying drywall is accessible even to an amateur, and finishing puttying of drywall is necessary in any case if further decorative finishing is intended.

In some cases, puttying a plasterboard wall must also be done using a primer. Its use as a separate means for leveling, and not for preparing drywall for putty, is recommended by some experts.

Using a primer before plastering the drywall allows you to achieve two additional benefits, one of which is to reduce the likelihood of bubbles appearing on drywall coverings, and the second is to maximize the leveling of the joint while simultaneously reducing the moisture absorption capacity of the gypsum.

The main tools for the process will be spatulas, and the materials - primer and putty.

How to choose the right composition

Before you putty the drywall, you need to decide on the type of room, because both how to putty the drywall and the further durability of the work depend on this. It is necessary to calculate the footage of the room, get a rough idea of the quantity that will be required, and decide on the estimated budget for the upcoming stage of repair.

How expensive or cheap the upcoming leveling with putty will be depends on the packaging capacity and the nature of the purchased material. With relative freedom of funds spent, you can purchase different types for the base and top coat, buy very high-quality compositions with additional functionality.

Do not prepare putty mixtures from a dry composition, but open the bucket and immediately begin work.

The starting mixture can be separate to create a solid layer or intended for filling and processing corners, joints, fasteners and sheet deformations formed during transportation and work. To determine the budget, it matters whether the mixture will be purchased dry or ready-made, and whether specialized additives are added to it in order to improve and supplement the properties of the applied putty.

The dry composition can be stored for as long as desired and at any temperature, but the finished composition must be used immediately.

How to decide on the composition

Finishing can be carried out using a special composition, but recently more and more preference is given to universal mixtures when they are going to apply putty. These compounds can be used for both the base and topcoat, and thus there is no need to think too much about the putty layer.

How to putty drywall and what composition to apply is decided mainly by the type of room being equipped:

it is preferable to fill the kitchen and bathroom, and sometimes the toilet (rooms with high humidity) with a polymer or concrete compound;
the living room, bedroom, children's room (dry rooms) will perfectly accept gypsum putty;
buildings where there is dry and heat, it is better to putty with polymer or gypsum, because concrete can shrink.

The easiest way out when choosing what and how to properly putty plasterboard, gypsum and concrete mixtures, which have disadvantages and advantages in the form of relatively low cost.

The best way out is to buy acrylic universal dry putty in a large package: it will be relatively inexpensive, and you can prepare as much as necessary, and store the dry residue until next time. And if the composition is universal, then both finishing and puttying of seams will be done, and it can be used for any room.

Puttying corners, joints and fasteners

The best option in choosing how to putty drywall joints is the use of special compounds and some necessary equipment. Putty for drywall joints is used either special or universal, but the optimal solution should be sought not in what particular composition the problem area was puttied with, but in how professionally it was done, and what available means were used. Seams, joints and fasteners are the main purpose of puttying, and for heavy finishing, some builders limit themselves only to them. For this work you will need:

sickle tape;
perforated plaster corner;
two spatulas: metal and rubber, of different sizes;
ready-made composition for working with seams;
isolation from drafts;
temperature not lower than +10 in the room;
work surfaces cleared of dust and other contaminants;
special clothes to avoid getting dirty;
container for mixing the solution;
a basin for work in which the finished putty is placed;
surface leveler;
grinding agents.

detailed instructions

The step-by-step instructions for performing such work are approximately as follows: a selected primer is applied to the wall and, after it dries, the joints that form between the fixed surfaces are sealed. metal profile sheets of drywall. To determine how to use drywall, you need to look at how wide the gaps between the sheets are, which are formed from the beveled edge.

You should first check the fastening elements, make sure that the screw heads are flush with the surface, and, if this is not the case, eliminate existing defects using a drill or Phillips screwdriver.

The technology for puttingtying seams is relatively simple and consists in filling the seam up to half with the compound, after which it is covered with adhesive tape or sickle tape, which is pressed into the wet mixture with a spatula. The type of reinforcing tape matters depending on the intended external decorative component. For greater strength, a fiberglass serpyanka is used, and for less strength, a paper component is used.

External corners are formed using perforated plaster corners, and how to putty the corners of drywall applied with outside angle, is decided depending on the thickness of the perforated metal profile used.

How to putty internal corners drywall, it’s best to watch the video:

In order for the masking of fasteners to be carried out competently and skillfully and to fulfill its purpose, the composition is applied crosswise; this is the only way to fill the grooves of the self-tapping screws, which, if they are not properly covered, can corrode and damage the wall.

Puttying main surfaces

Once the primer and starting layer have dried, the outer corners are strengthened using perforated corners, which are secured using a construction stapler and putty. After cutting perforated corner installed on corners. Window and door profiles are secured and closed using putty. After completing the most difficult steps, applying the finishing layer is no longer particularly difficult. It is simply applied in an even and uniform layer using two spatulas and leveled by subsequent sanding.

There are special compositions for finishing putty that make it possible to do without the encryption process, because they contain fine particles of filler

Puttying plasterboard sheets is a rather labor-intensive process and requires a lot of time, which is necessary for the layers to dry. View decorative covering, its visual component and ensuring long-term operation of the walls are those things that are worth such costs. The decorative component can be changed over time, but putty will help not damage the gypsum board sheets and preserve the walls.