Spray or manual taping and jointing?
Taping and jointing plasterboard can be done manually or with an airless spray machine. Bear in mind that whichever you choose, there are some steps that always have to be done manually: smoothing after applying the plaster and then sanding. In terms of the types of products available, while spray plastering can only be done using ready-mixed products, manual taping and jointing can be carried out with either powder or ready-mixed filler.
Fill the joints, lay the tape, cover.
À l’Airless
To install joint tape manually, the first step is to apply filler generously along all the joints between the boards, using a filling knife.
The Toupret Joint, Skim & fill range comes as a powder in standard and quick dry versions and is perfectly suited to filling joints and then fixing the tapes. Its working time of approximately 40 minutes allows the tape to bond quickly after filling.
Apply the tape to the fresh plaster and smooth it with your blade. Then cover the strip with filler and smooth again with a blade to obtain a good bond. Smooth the filler along the join to create a very flat surface.. After the filler has dried, you can apply a finishing coat if desired. Sand lightly when the filler is dry.
Spray plastering
Toupret’s Airspray J is designed for spray jointing with spray plaster machines. It is ready-to-use, which saves time in the preparation. To prep, simply immerse the spray machine pump into the plaster, having first primed your machine by immersing and running the pump through water.
Spray the filler along the joint in the plasterboards, positioning yourself at right angles to the surface at a distance of 0.7 m to 1 m. Then move the gun along the joint at a steady speed for an even application. The tape must be applied to the fresh plaster and smoothed immediately with a blade. Then cover with filler before drying. Smooth again for a perfect bond between the tape and the filler and a smooth surface.
If necessary, you can apply a second coat of plaster as soon as the first is dry. Depending on the desired finish, you can sand after the plaster has completely dried.
Applying joint tape along edges
Because it’s a delicate operation. Edges are almost always taped and jointed manually. For a neat result, be careful to avoid overlapping where the horizontal and vertical tapes meet.
After applying filler along each side of the edge, carefully place the tape over the edge (having previously folded it along its central crease) and bed in with a thin blade. Smooth over and cover with a new layer of filler on both sides. Smooth again. When the filler is dry, scrape off the excess at the edges. Finally, apply a finishing coat over the whole area to complete the job. For edges where some shock resistance is required, you may want to insider using armoured tape with metal reinforcement strips.
Toupret offers support and training for professionals. Do not hesitate to get in touch for information.