How to Mud & Tape Greenwall

Mix a bucket of drywall joint compound with a drill equipped with a paddle bit until the joint compound has the consistency of butter. In most cases the bucket of joint compound comes from the manufacturer with enough water in it. If the surface of the joint compound in the bucket has dried and cracked, add 1/2 cup of water while mixing.

Fill a mud box about halfway with the mixed drywall joint compound. A mud box looks like a metal rectangle-shaped box with three-inch-tall walls.

Fill each of the greenwall's nail or screw holes with the joint compound from the mud box, using a six-inch-wide putty knife to spread the mud. Scrape any excess joint compound off of the greenwall with the putty knife and place it into the mud box.

Fill the greenwall's seams with the drywall joint compound. Use the six-inch putty knife to force the compound into the seam. This key step helps provide a solid surface for the tape to stick to. Failure to do this leaves a gap that promotes tape peeling.

Apply a 1/16-inch deep, six-inch-wide layer of drywall joint compound over each greenwall seam with the six-inch wide putty knife.

Center a section of drywall joint tape over the six-inch-wide joint compound covering the seams. Cover each joint with a single piece of joint tape. Tear the tape to size by hand. Repeat this on each seam.

Press the drywall joint tape into the drywall joint compound with the putty knife. Start at the center of each seam, hold the knife at about a 25-degree angle to the wall and work to the end of the seam. Repeat this on each joint.

Fold the drywall joint tape along the line in the center of the tape. Press the tape into a corner with the six-inch putty knife. Use the edge of the knife's blade to form the corner. Feather the joint compound from the center of the corner out onto the wall. Repeat this on each corner.

Remove the excess joint compound from the greenwall and allow the joint compound to dry overnight.

Dampen a sanding block in water. A sanding block feels and looks like a stiff sponge and is available from any hardware store.

Lightly sand the dried drywall joint compound with the damp sanding block. Remove all ridges from the compound.

Apply a joint compound skim coat to the surface of the greenwall with a 10-inch drywall knife. Fill all dimples and low spots in the greenwall's joint compound base layer.

Let the skim coat dry overnight and then sand the rough spots with the sanding block.