sanchez.mary•27d agoProlific Poster

Pro tip: Stop using mesh tape on inside corners in basements

I see guys doing this all the time on basement jobs I get called to fix. Mesh tape just crinkles up and bubbles when the concrete walls sweat moisture through the mud. I pulled off a whole inside corner last month in a basement in Des Moines that was done just 6 months ago. Why does everyone keep using mesh when paper tape with a good setting compound holds way better in damp spots?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_wright27d ago

Yeah "that little bit of moisture from the concrete just ruined it" is exactly what people don't get. Concrete isn't dry just because you can't see water on it, it's always pushing moisture up through the slab and walls especially in basements. Mesh tape is way too stiff and doesn't let the mud move with that tiny bit of expansion and contraction that happens. Paper tape has that little bit of give and it actually bonds into the mud instead of just sitting on top of it. So even if there's some dampness the paper tape holds tight while the mesh just lets go and bubbles up like a blister. People need to stop thinking mesh is just as good for everything and learn when to use paper.

harper_owens27d ago

Oh man, that's exactly what happened to my buddy's basement job last year. He did a full finish in his own house, used mesh tape on the inside corners like he always does, and within maybe 8 months the whole corner joint was bubbling up and peeling. He was so frustrated because he thought he'd done everything right. I mean, it was a dry basement most of the time but that little bit of moisture from the concrete just ruined it. He ended up having to cut it all out and redo it with paper tape and a good setting compound, and no problems since. Idk why people stick with mesh when paper is so much more reliable in basements.