# Drywall terminology



## cblevesque (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm a carpenter by trade and have recently been working with some drywallers that use some lingo that I'm not familiar with. They say that after hanging, it takes them three coats to be ready for paint:

They say that they tape it, block it, and skim it. 

I understand the tape it(talking about getting the tape on the wall), and the skim it(talking about the last coat that fills the voids), but the _block it_?

Please let me know if anyone has any thoughts.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

cblevesque said:


> I but the _block it_?


It entertains me to guess that "blocking it" might refer to the shape of a drywaller's head after a few years of holding up lids with their heads to get a few screws in.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

LOL.

Block it - install blocking anywhere where the framers F up and left places where the drywall will be floating with nothing to screw it to.


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## jproffer (Feb 19, 2005)

Given the order you put them in, I would venture a guess that "blocking" means sanding the first coat (maybe with a block)


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Never heard of it, - - but I'll guess maybe they mean 'striping' across the screw holes??


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## K2 (Jul 8, 2005)

I've seen some guys use a "box" to coat the tape. It is like a box full of mud with little wheels on it. They would run it over all the joints and it would lay down an even coat of mud. I think the wheels would adjust up for high joints. I believe the box was, or is part of the Ames tool system. It's been a while since i've been around these guys. RT.


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## jproffer (Feb 19, 2005)

Yea, that's a banjo. I guess anything's possible, but I don't think that's what they're talking about when they say "blocking". Could mean alot of things I suppose. Hmmmmmmm


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## damudman (Dec 12, 2004)

block=2nd coat.....1st coat over the tape. :Thumbs: I call it tape bed skim


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## damudman (Dec 12, 2004)

jproffer said:


> Yea, that's a banjo. I guess anything's possible, but I don't think that's what they're talking about when they say "blocking". Could mean alot of things I suppose. Hmmmmmmm


No thats a box. Banjo is a tape dispenser with the mud on the back side of the tape.


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## jproffer (Feb 19, 2005)

...I guess I need to read more carefully, I thought he meant the one with tape and mud all in one....thanks mudman


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## K2 (Jul 8, 2005)

I think the *ames* system uses a *bazooka* instead of a banjo. RT


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## BUILDER1 (Aug 27, 2005)

Blocking is the step after taping. It means blocking the tape 1/16" of mud over the tape with a 10" wide knife.


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## Mudd Dogg (Sep 14, 2005)

The terminology of "blocking" after the tape coat is basically just how Builder 1 said, but as in any aspect of construction, it may very from finisher to finisher. ''Blocking" is the same as "bedding in" which is the most common terminoloy that I have encountered. It is, what is considered, the second coat. First is the tape coat. That pretty much speeks for it's self.( taping the joints) The second coat is the "bed coat" or "blocking", meaning coating the tape, screws or nails, angles, and any corner bead. The third coat consists of reapplying mud to everything included in the second coat. But there is more to than that. Such as the butt joints (joints that run vertically between flat joints) they need a bit more TLC. 
Just always keep in mind, the way drywall is finished, differs from finisher to finisher. Hope this helped.


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