Finishing drywall is the more difficult part of surfacing walls and ceilings, but it's a project well within the ability of a DIY homeowner. Armed with a basic understanding of the variety of finish materials available, you'll be able to walk out of your local home center or drywall supplier with the exact supplies you need to cover all joints, corners and fasteners for a successful drywall project.
The primary materials used in finishing are corner bead, tape, and joint compound. Corner bead is the angle strip—usually made of metal or vinyl—that covers a drywall corner, creating a straight, durable edge where walls intersect. Joint tape is combined with joint compound to create a permanent layer that covers the drywall seams, as well as small holes and gaps. Without tape, thick applications of compound are highly prone to cracking.
There are two types of joint tape: paper and self-adhesive fiberglass mesh. Joint compound, commonly called "mud," seals and levels all seams, corners, and depressions in a drywall installation. It's also used for skim coating and some texturing treatments.
There are several types of compounds, with important differences among them, but the two main forms are used for setting and drying (setting type and drying-type).
