Tools for Finishing Drywall

Joint Compound Mixing Tools

• Drywall professionals and do-it-yourself installers often choose to purchase dry joint compound because it is less expensive than premixed products and is available in lightweight packages. Drywall finishers mix joint compound on-site with power tools. The most common type of mixing tool is a paddlelike attachment for the average power drill. Often called "paddle mixers" or "mud mixers," joint compound mixing attachments look like large egg beaters or motor propellers. Mixers attach directly into the chuck of an average power drill. The most common mixing container for joint compound is a clean, 5-gallon bucket.

Taping Hand Tools

• Traditionally, drywall finishers and plasterers use broad putty knives to apply joint compound and plaster. In the drywall trade, finishers refer to the putty knife as a taping knife. The drywall taping knife's blade is slightly flexible and ranges in width from a few inches to over a foot. Finishers apply a first coat of joint compound with a narrow knife and add progressively wider layers of compound with wider knives. The gradual widening of joint compound layers creates a finished joint that appears as flat as its surrounding surfaces.

Taping Power Tools and Automatic Tools

• Automated taping tools save professional drywall finishers time and effort. Automated taping tools include both mechanical and power-driven joint tape and joint compound applicators. The design and function of automated drywall finishing tools varies according to brand. However, most automatic finishing tools feature a set of wheels, a joint compound container and a tape dispenser. To use automatic taping tools, the drywall finisher loads the tool with fresh compound and runs the tools wheels across a joint. The automatic taping tool dispenses both drywall tape and compound in a single run.

Sanding Equipment

• Sanding evens out lumps, removes blemishes and prepares a drywall surface for priming and painting. Drywall finishers use both hand tools and power tools to sand joint compound. Whereas standard sheets of sandpaper and sanding blocks are sufficient for touch-up work, drywall finishers often mount specially sized sheets of sandpaper to a pole-mounted sanding tool for large-scale work. The pole sander allows drywall finishers to access ceilings without a ladder and quickly run sandpaper across large areas. In addition to pole sanders, professional finishers use several power sanders to smooth drywall surfaces. Power sanders manufactured for drywall finishing include built-in vacuums that suck up drywall dust during sanding.