You will need the following drywall tools
to tape and finish drywall:
(Click on links to see
pictures)
- A stainless steel mud pan.
Don't get the plastic mud pan with a (rusting troublesome) metal lip or
a non-stainless steel pan that will rust!
Get An Inexpensive Stainless Mud Pan Online

- A 4 inch, 5 inch or 4 1/2 inch steel knife.
This should be steel (not plastic), somewhat flexible, and of a quality
brand. It should be no wider than 5 inches so you can tightly
fasten tape within the recessed area of a joint. If needed, you can grind down the sides to make it narrower - I did this with mine.
- A 10" taping knife as shown at
the link. Get a good quality knife with proper stiffness since this is
probably your most important knife for finishing the job properly.

- A 12" taping knife to finish off your joints.
- A corner tool as shown
here. Believe it or not, I found that the cheap plastic tool shown
works better than its pricier steel counterpart! I use the plastic
tool, even though I also have a "better" steel tool.
- Paper tape as shown in the drywall tools
picture. I don't like the mesh stuff - neither do nearly any
professionals I have spoken too. I have found the knife glides
over the paper tape easily (if the mud is thin as it should be) but
tends to hang up on the adhesive mesh.
- A bucket of water for wetting
paper tape and tools down.
- Mud. I like the USG brand compound in the "green bucket" as
shown in the drywall tools picture.
It applies easily and draws off easily. Also, it is probably the
cheapest pre-made mud out there. I don't like the lighter dryer
mud in the "blue bucket" since it tends to leave more air pockets and
pinholes. I see professionals using the "green bucket" mud as well
for some of their coats however they will also use lower shrinkage mud
to minimize steps.
Check out my other DIY sites:
How to Level the Ground and Setup an Above Ground Pool
Raising Chickens in Your Back Yard
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- T-Square for cutting as shown in the
drywall tools picture. This is nice to use and doesn't cost
that much. It is very helpful in making an accurate cut.
Get an Inexpensive Drywall T-Square Online.
- Tape measure and Utility Knife - any type will do.
- Cordless Driver. An inexpensive
driver like the one shown works fine for smaller home jobs. I
got this one at a Menards home store and it cost me less than $30. You
could also use a power drill as I did for many years. If you want a
nicer driver, I would recommend getting a
used name brand cordless driver at this site - you can sometimes get
a pretty good deal.
- Sandpaper - 100 grit & 220 grit. Also an 8 inch by 3.5 inch
piece of wood for a sanding block. For hard to reach places, a sanding
pole as shown in the tool picture is helpful. If you do this all
right, you won't need much sandpaper!
- For ceilings, a panel lift is helpful, although a T-bar made of
lumber will work. To find
used drywall panel lifts and a used drywall lift for sale, go to this
page.
To purchase drywall tools, stop at your local home store or hardware
store. To find drywall tools online, check out the sites below. In
checking around, I found the best prices on drywall tools at the All Wall
site. The EZRip tool would be very nice to have as well.
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