Hot take: 5/8 inch fire tape on ceilings changed my finishing routine overnight

I noticed a big difference in how fast my mud dried when I switched to the thicker fire rated tape on a commercial job in Portland last month. The bubbles I used to fight on flat ceilings just stopped happening. Has anyone else seen that change with the heavier tape?

3 comments

3 Comments

keithbutler27d ago

You ever try pre-filling your butt joints before slapping the tape on? I had the same bubble problem on a warehouse ceiling in Eugene, and what finally worked for me was laying a thin skim coat down first, letting it tack up for maybe ten minutes, then embedding the fire tape into that. It's an extra step but I haven't seen a single blister since I started doing it that way.

umar5927d agoMost Upvoted

Wait wait wait... you pre-fill your butt joints? Like, every single one? I've been doing this tape-and-mud dance for almost fifteen years and I've never even considered that. Honestly, it sounds like a lot of extra work but the bubble thing is such a pain especially on a ceiling job where you're looking up the whole time. I had a job last summer where I had to go back and pop like eight blisters on a living room ceiling and it took me an extra three hours to smooth them out. You're telling me a little pre-fill goop fixes that? That's wild.

victorhill15d ago

Picked up that trick from an old timer on a church job in Salem and it's been a game changer ever since. He called it "wetting the bed" before you lay down the tape and I laughed but damn if it doesn't work perfect every time. I do the same thing with a thin coat, let it sit maybe five to eight minutes depending on how hot the day is, then press the tape in with a 6 inch knife. The key is not letting it dry all the way, just tacky enough so the tape has something to bite into and the air can't get trapped behind it. Saves me so much headache on those warehouse ceilings where you're craning your neck the whole time.