- 1). Scrape the plaster off the visible drywall joint using a drywall knife. Remove enough of it to expose the drywall tape. Pull the tape away slowly so the rest of the plaster in the seam comes up with it and the seam between the sheets of drywall is exposed. Scrape off any remaining plaster with the drywall knife.
- 2). Press a length of new mesh drywall tape over the seam to cover it completely from floor to ceiling.
- 3). Spread drywall joint compound over the drywall tape using the drywall knife. Cover the tape completely and create a stripe of compound that's 4 inches wide--2 inches to either side of the seam. Smooth it with the drywall knife. Wait six to eight hours for the joint compound to dry thoroughly. Run your drywall knife forward over the line to take off any raised spots or lumps.
- 4). Apply a second coat of joint compound over the seam. Make this layer about 6 inches wide, three to either side of the original seam between the sheets of drywall so that it covers the first layer and extends past it on either side by 1 inch. Smooth it with the drywall knife. Wait six to eight hours for the compound to set. Scrape it smooth with your drywall knife.
- 5). Apply a third coat of joint compound, making the seam 8 to 10 inches wide so that it extends 1 to 2 inches beyond either side of the second coat. Apply the compound as smoothly as possible. Wait 12 hours for this layer to dry.
- 6). Use a drywall sander to sand the new seam flush with the surface of the drywall sheets. Wipe off any dust with a clean cloth.
- 7). Repaint the entire wall with a roller.
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