Switched to mesh tape after a nasty callback near Denver last fall

I used to use paper tape on EVERYTHING because that's how my old boss taught me. Then had a job in Thornton where the paper tape bubbled up bad on a ceiling repair and I had to go back and redo the whole thing. Now I only use mesh tape for butt joints and corners, and I do a thin pre-fill coat first. Has anyone else found a specific brand of mesh tape that holds up better in high-humidity basements?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantw3219d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah the paper tape bubbling up is exactly why I quit using it in basements too. That Thornton job sounds rough but honestly the pre-fill coat thing is key. I've been doing that for years now and it makes a huge difference. For high humidity spaces I've been using FibaTape Ultra tape and it's held up way better than the cheap stuff. The mesh is tighter so it doesn't let moisture get under it as easy. Also make sure you're using setting type mud for the first coat in damp areas, the pre-mixed stuff just takes too long to dry out and that's when the tape floats. A buddy of mine does all his basements with mesh and a thin layer of hot mud first then finishes with lightweight and he swears by it.

burns.jenny19d agoTop Commenter

Yeah that FibaTape Ultra is solid stuff, I switched to it maybe six months ago and haven't had a bubble since. @grantw32 you're totally right about the pre-fill coat too, I started doing that after watching a YouTube vid and it cut down my callbacks like crazy. Plus the hot mud trick for that first pass is gold, it sets so fast you don't even have time to worry about moisture.

jamie77019d ago

Actually real quick, the FibaTape Ultra is a mesh tape not a paper tape. It doesn't bubble the same way paper does because of the weave, but it can still get moisture behind it if you dont press it in good. The pre-fill coat thing works way better with paper tape since it helps the mud grip the paper fibers. With mesh tape you kinda want the opposite, you want the mud to go through the holes so it locks in tight. Putting a pre-fill coat under mesh can actually cause it to not bond right cause the mud cant squeeze through. Not trying to be that guy but I learned that one the hard way.