Found the angle trick that saves my back on butt joints

Been hanging board for about 15 years now. Always fought with butt joints on ceilings, especially in tight hallways. Last month a 60 year old taper told me to pre-cut my sheets at a 45 on the butt edges. Feels weird at first but that little angle lets the mud flow in cleaner. Less sanding and way less strain holding the sheet up. Anyone else try beveling their own joints like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin77719d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, that trick is solid. I've been doing it for a few years now and it really does save your shoulders, especially on those long 12 foot sheets in narrow hallways. The angle lets the sheets seat together nicer without forcing them, and you don't get that ridge that needs extra feathering later. Only thing is you gotta be careful on the cut, a tiny bit off and the angle doesn't match up perfect. But once you get the hang of it, there's no going back.

janaf9119d ago

The 45 degree bevel trick is solid but on ceilings I actually go a little steeper around 60 degrees. It helps the mud grab even better on those overhead joints without sagging. Just takes a steady hand on the cut to keep it consistent.