Drywall Repair

How many times have you hired someone to repair a crack in your wall only to be disappointed in how it looks?
Well maybe this will help.
1. You will need a 6" and 12" mud blade and a mud pan. A roll of mud or drywall repair tape, either paper or fiber.
2. Sand paper, grits from 60 (ultra coarse) to 1000 (ultra fine),
Read more: How to Determine Sandpaper Grit | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5657310_determine-sandpaper-grit.html#ixzz2DJGdi7XS
I use 60 grit if for some reason the dried mud is thick, but finer where there is less dried mud.
Also, what I use is a large cardboard box.
Wall preparation is important. Sand down the crack from the crack to at least 6" to 10" each side .
Next mix the mud ( if it is in powder form ) to the consistency of aprx. 1/2 of what cake batter is.
Now with the 6" blade dip into the pan at aprx. a 45 degree angle so as to get the mud on either the left or right side corners of the blade then smear onto the crack evenly but following the crack. Make sure there are no skips in the mud and also make sure you make it wider than the tape itself.
Tear off aprx. 6" longer than the crack a piece of the tape and place over the crack while keeping the crack in the middle of the tape. Clean your 6" and lightly press down and drag the length of the tape cleaning the blade periodically , but don't press to lightly but remember to keep harder pressure towards the outside edge and lessor pressure over the tape. That is called feathering the edges.
Let it dry, when dry lightly sand . Now take the 12" and dip into the pan getting as much as you feel comfortable with and spread over the top of the tape always feathering the outside edges. Don't worry at how it skips or looks if it is not excessive because after it is dried you will sand some more always being careful not to sand to much. After it has dried you can check the work by placing the blade on edge on top of the center of the tape and on the existing ceiling at the same time. If you can rock it back and forth, then there is to much dried mud in the center. If you can see space under the blade then it needs more mud. After all that has satisfied you, now you must prepare the mud to be blown.
You will need a mud hopper, air hose, air compressor, the cardboard, tarp or plastic and your 12" blade or mud dragging blade. I have seen people use the left over pieces of the garage exterior door weather stripping. But we will stick with the 12" mud blade.
Here's where tricks of the trade come in handy.
First look closely at your wall in several places and see if you can see how wet the old splatter was by the way it looks on the wall. If it was moist but with very little water , there will be edges on the droplets if it is standard splatter. You will also tell if it was drug by a blade after it was blown or just blown on and left to dry. If it looks like the droplets of splatter are rounded and smooth, then there is more water in the mixture. After you have mixed the mud to what you think the consistency was on the wall, hook up your hose to the hopper and compressor and turn it on but drop your pressure on your compressor to about 9 lbs. Next set your cardboard box up and spray small areas of the box. Check to see if it resembles the pattern on the walls. If it is to fine then drop your pressure, if to thick then up your pressure a few lbs. Look at the consistency of the mud. if it is to dry, add water. If to wet and the splatter flattens out to much, add powder. After you have tarped the area, commence spraying the area BUT REMEMBER , spray with a heavier pull on the trigger while in the center of your tape while fading out with a lessor pull on the trigger as you reach the existing splatter already on the wall. As you spray on top of the existing spray, it must be fading to near nothing a small ways out on top of the existing mud. Let dry if it looks good to your satisfaction, if not, scrape off the wet mud and with damp rag wash lightly the excess and do over. If you like it, wait until dry and wash with damp rag the fine overspray on top of existing sprayed mud. After the mud has set ( before the washing of the overspray ) for a couple of minutes ( depending the temperature, ) Use the 12" and very lightly and as evenly as possible, drag the blade on top starting from the outer edge until area is matching existing wall. After it has dried you can now paint.             Ted