Had to choose between paper tape and mesh tape for a big ceiling job... went with paper and regretted it

Last Tuesday I was staring down a 1,200 square foot ceiling in a house over in Maplewood. The old guy I usually work with swears by paper tape, says it's stronger and won't crack. But I've been using mesh tape on smaller repairs for months and it goes so much faster. I went with paper tape because I figured he knows his stuff. After about 3 hours, I had to pull down a whole section because it bubbled up bad near a corner. Wasted almost 30 bucks worth of tape and a lot of mud. Paper tape is finicky if the mud isn't perfect. Has anyone else switched back and forth and found one way better for ceilings?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice9281d ago

Heard a buddy of mine tried paper tape on his basement ceiling last year and ended up cursing at it for a whole Saturday. He said the bubbles showed up no matter how careful he was with the mud, like the tape just didn't want to lay flat. After peeling off a big chunk near the light fixture he just threw the roll in the trash and went back to mesh tape. Said the mesh stuck fine and he finished the whole thing in half the time without any drama. Now he tells everyone paper tape is for flat walls you can baby, not big ceilings you just want done.

the_sean1d ago

So @alice928, your buddy basically had a wrestling match with paper tape and the tape won, right? Sounds like he learned the hard way that mesh tape doesn't care if you're in a hurry or not, it just works. Paper tape is like that finicky friend who needs perfect conditions to hang out while mesh tape just shows up and gets the job done.

beth_park1d ago

Paper tape sounds like a job for someone who enjoys do-overs, not someone who wants it done, right @alice928?