The Right Drywall Tools For Plaster Repair
Not too surprising, really, since we are using drywall finishing materials when we fix those plaster problems. How much you spend depends on just how big your project is. If you have a large task ahead of you, and you are motivated to see it through, it may be worth your while to spend a little more and get the higher quality tools. Every home improvement center carries a variety of drywall knives, pans, etc. The better drywall tools are made of stainless steel. You do not have to worry about your tools rusting in that case. However, some stainless steel knives have stiffer blades than regular steel knives. They may prove a little harder to use, initially, since a certain amount of flex is helpful in spreading joint compound.
The taping knives made of regular steel will serve fine, nonetheless, as long as you clean them frequently. Joint compound is fairly corrosive, so any tool should be cleaned after use before being put away. You will need a pan to hold your mud. They come in plastic or all metal. The plastic ones have a metal lip, for wiping your tool on. The lip has a tendency to come loose after a while, so I would recommend a metal pan. Here your choice is galvanized steel, or stainless steel. The stainless model is considerably more money. The other works fine, just clean after use and don't leave material in it overnight. The length of the pan you purchase will depend on the width of the broadknives you plan to use. If you are going to use a ten or twelve inch broadknife to put on the topping coats over taped joints or cracks, or for doing skim coating, then you want the longer pan, of course. If you are going to be putting drywall into the places where plaster is missing over wood lath, you will need a power screwdriver. An electric drill fitted with a screw head can do it, if you are careful not to overset the screws. You need a mud mixer. Some like to use a beater attached to a strong electric drill. Care must be taken in how the mixing is done, so you don't introduce air into the mix. You don't want the little bubbles in your topping coats. I like an old fashioned mud stick, an oversized "potato masher". When I am mixing from powder, I like to squash the lumps against the bottom of the bucket. Works well for me, and gets the pulse up a bit for good measure. Taping knives: use a five or six inch knife for applying tape, and a ten or twelve inch broadknife for topping. The wider broadknife is a better choice, but a little harder to use when you are starting out. Plastic buckets: you never have too many of these. You need a minimum of three, I think: One to hold your wash water, one to hold your clean water, and one to mix your mud in, or dump into if you are using pre-mixed compound. And now, for the least of your drywall tools, but very important, we come to your cleaning implement. You simply can't beat sturdy plastic scouring pads for getting mud off your tools, especially if you use hot mud. The best I've found, if you can get it, is something called "Mister Tuffy". About the size of a small fist, these little orange gems will prove invaluable. Take my word for it! By the way, avoid steel scouring pads. Oh, and before I forget, if you can handle it, the plasterer's hawk and trowel are fantastic. They take some practice getting use to, but with this combo, you can run circles around anyone using a broadknife and pan for topping. I am grateful that the man who first hired and trained me insisted I learn to use them. The hawk (plasterboard) and trowel are the best and most versative of all the drywall tools. Besides topping functions, it (I think of them as one tool) can be used to do a variety of different plaster-like textures. And, of course, you will need miscellaneous tools sometimes, like hammers, scrapers, stiff putty knives, sharp utility knife, etc. You will find as you go along that one thing or another seems to work best for the task at hand. |
