# Evaluating Fibafuse Tape



## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

Fibafuse seems to offer low build qualities (less tapering) & strength...

Does it offer any real worthwhile antimicrobial properties? One customer told me his prior drywallers wanted to apply it but he refused, thinking mold in the lower basement may catch hold in the tape.

What I really want, now that I've taped with it on several patches, and before I have it over a multitude of projects (only recently) -- is how strong it holds relative to paper tape. Is it really stronger even on larger patches secured 16" on center even? Over time?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

artinall said:


> Does it offer any real worthwhile *antimicrobial *properties?


No, but think about it. It's made of glass. Not a microbe killer, but certainly not something yummy for them. It's essentially neutral.

As for strength, good question. In the raw, it tears more easily than paper when stressed at 90°. But I would venture to say that when embedded, it would be stronger longitudinally than paper.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

artinall said:


> strong it holds relative to paper tape. Is it really stronger even on larger patches secured 16" on center even? Over time?


Cut a square of it, and grab two opposing corners, then pull. Notice how it stretches? It's like mesh in that regard, just not as bad.

Paper is better when you have framing movement.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

It makes me itch just looking at it


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

It's nice to work with.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I don't use anything else these days.


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## CrpntrFrk (Oct 25, 2008)

donerightwyo said:


> It makes me itch just looking at it


Yeah....don't put that crap in your pocket and forget about it.....don't ask me how I know that. Lol


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## John1957 (Nov 20, 2016)

I use Fibafuse, and I can't say that it is any better or worse than ordinary mesh when it comes to repair work. I have seen it crack at factory edges and butt joints just as often I have with paper or regular mesh. Most often, it had been applied improperly, as I have been running into a lot of repairs the past 4-5 years with Fibafuse bedded in with regular mud and seeing the fiber ends sticking out the through the finish in slick walls and ceilings.

My only *serious* knock against Fibafuse is when I am doing patch work repairs over thick nugget knockdown finished walls. Regular mesh seems to be a little more pliable and takes less hot mud to feather the repair into the surrounding area. The ends of the Fibafuse strands are a little more rigid and will tend to pop through the hot mud unless I coat it more heavily and bust the repair out wider before tooling it down with a 6" knife as it sets off.

With that said, Fibafuse *does make* a thinner mesh, and I have 4 rolls of it on the shelf out in the garage. I will try the thinner stuff eventually and how see how it works.

As far as it's ability to withstand mold? It is a nice marketing ploy, but why would I care about this at all? If you have mold at the board joints, then you have a much more serious problem than worrying about the type of tape you have been using.


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## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

Just not be clear - this is about 'fibafuse' tape and not 'fibatape' mesh.

Definitely some confusion in the way they did the naming...


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

Don't use anything else. Lays smooth, quick and clean. I had to scrounge up some paper for a repair a while back and it was like going back to the 90's. 1890's.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

artinall said:


> Just not be clear - this is about 'fibafuse' tape and not 'fibatape' mesh.
> 
> Definitely some confusion in the way they did the naming...




Yes. True.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

I stick with mesh. Fibafuse is a pain for me. It tears and leave strands and also seems to want to raise up more. Not to mention trying to find the end on the roll. 

And for you new guys......I'm 100% patch and repair. No time for paper. New construction, whole houses always get paper here. 


And they never sent me my free roll. How long ago was that????


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

Fibrafuse is the way of the future, I use it all the time, Cleaner, less chance of air bubbles, but there is one drawback... in the angles. I likes to tear when flushing it, or at least i find it to do that.
Runs through the autotaper easily, coats over nicley, dries quicker than paper tape.

All in all a great product. It costs more, but it evens out if you cut any call backs out of the equation.


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## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

AARC Drywall said:


> Fibrafuse is the way of the future, I use it all the time, Cleaner, less chance of air bubbles, but there is one drawback... *in the angles. I likes to tear when flushing it*, or at least i find it to do that...


 I get that too. Which begs the question - can paper tape be applied overtop the fibafuse, are the two "compatible".

Like for a ceiling or wall patch that includes the corner?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Fibafuse "integrates" with compound better than paper tape; I'd be confident paper over fibafuse would work even better than the converse.

Which still begs the question: Why would you use fibafuse in a corner to begin with, since you know it's susceptible to that tearing? Leaving aside the fact that a guy with a good touch can do that.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

I'll use fibafuse over paper all day long except in corners unless you're Hispanic and use your hands to apply mud. I have repaired mesh countless times and refuse to use it, it's junk. 

And what do you mean "compatible'???? I use paper or something like Strait flex in corners, fibafuse on flats does that mean something's going happen where they overlap? It's not like they adhere to each other without mud.


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## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

Tinstaafl said:


> Fibafuse "integrates" with compound better than paper tape; I'd be confident paper over fibafuse would work even better than the converse.
> 
> Which still begs the question: Why would you use fibafuse in a corner to begin with, since you know it's susceptible to that tearing? Leaving aside the fact that a guy with a good touch can do that.


 Which begs the question yet further, even for a guy with such a touch as my own would consider, given the advantage of fibafuse on the remaining sides versus what lingering uncertainty of compatibility remains...



avenge said:


> I'll use fibafuse over paper all day long except in corners unless you're Hispanic and use your hands to apply mud. *I have repaired mesh countless times and refuse to use it, it's junk. *
> And what do you mean "compatible'???? I use paper or something like Strait flex in corners, fibafuse on flats does that mean something's going happen where they overlap? It's not like they adhere to each other without mud.


 I'm repairing mesh on the job I'm on right now.

Any time dissimilar materials are being used in contact with one another I tend to question ...


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Fibafuse over or under paper - doesn't matter.


I'll run corners with it. Light touch with a drywall knife, or if you have a corner trowel worth picking up (most aren't), they're a breeze.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

artinall said:


> Any time dissimilar materials are being used in contact with one another I tend to question ...


As I said paper and fibafuse need mud to stick so how can they be in direct contact with each other. Paper tape is paper, drywall is paper so I guess we can't use fibafuse in contact with drywall paper? Thank goodness there's mud between them.


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## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

avenge said:


> As I said paper and fibafuse need mud to stick so how can they be in direct contact with each other. Paper tape is paper, drywall is paper so I guess we can't use fibafuse in contact with drywall paper? Thank goodness there's mud between them.


 Point taken.


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