Preparation when plastering is the ultimate key to a great finish, failing to prepare will inevitably lead to failure, so making sure you have the right tools and prepare to the best of your ability is essential.

Whether you're patching up a small area or a large scale build, plastering tape is a crucial piece of equipment that can make a world of difference to the finish and the efficiency of the job you do.

Choosing the right plastering tape is essential too and there are three main types that you will need to look out for and add to your tool kit. Scrim tape, angle tape and drywall tape are the three plastering tapes every plasterer should carry to ensure you have the right one for a multitude of surfaces and projects.

Scrim tape in particular is very popular for plastering beginners and DIY-ers, and is generally an all round good tape. It has the added benefit that you don’t need to use jointing compound with it, so much easier to use. Scrim tape is made of fibreglass, and is an interwoven mesh of threads, which offers optimum flexibility and strength, and it won’t bubble up or move around like other tapes.

 

With a specially-designed fold down its middle, this style of tape can be applied quickly and easily with the assurance each corner will be straight and sharp.

When you have got the type of tape that you need for your particular project, you need to make sure that you get the width right. In our experience, 1 to 2 inches is fine, however if you’re working on a larger scale, you can purchase much wider tapes to suit the job. The real goal here, is to keep the joins as tidy as you can, so speak to us for more guidance here if you need it.

You will quickly learn from trial, error and experience on how to best prepare for plastering projects, with the right drywall and plastering tapes.

Most experienced dryliners will have a favourite plastering tape that is their go to, but will mix it up amongst the three we've discussed depending on their project. Ultimately, the most important thing is to finish the join to the best of your ability, with the right tools making it a more efficient, clean and high quality finish.