That mesh tape I switched to cost me an extra 4 hours on one job

I kept hearing guys at the supply house saying mesh tape is faster and stronger than paper tape. So I bought a few rolls and tried it on a basement remodel in Des Moines last month. Big mistake. The mesh tape just wouldn't stay flat on the inside corners, and I had to go back over every joint with a second coat of compound. The paper tape I usually use sets up fast and barely needs any sanding. With the mesh, I was sanding for an extra 90 minutes and still had visible bubbles in two spots. I wasted 4 hours total and had to buy a box of paper tape halfway through. Anyone else find mesh tape to be more trouble than it's worth?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan8982mo ago

No way, four hours? That's brutal. I would've tossed the whole roll in the trash after the first corner.

patriciah512mo ago

Morgan, four hours is rough, sending sympathy your way.

faith_carter1mo ago

Honestly though, who designed these things? Was it someone who never actually had to wrap a present in their life? I'd love to know what the manufacturer was thinking when they decided to make the sticky part barely exist. Like, did they run out of tape? Or do they just assume we all have superglue lying around? It's maddening.

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