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For my first-ever drywall taping attempt, I (predictably) messed up. Taped the walls (three coats), then added primer (two coats) and semi-gloss Behr paint (two coats). Reinstalled my lighting and decided everything looks terrible.
I've been told I should either sand the paint/drywall down or put more mud over the whole thing. I don't know what I'm doing, but I do want this to look good. Are there good techniques/approaches to get me out of my mess?
Ugh. The paint is just going to make what should be pretty easy rather more difficult.
Even your drywall pros sand stuff - they just waste far less time than amateurs trying to get the mud perfect (and messing it up more) - get it on, get it dry, sand, next coat. Drywall mud is made to be easily sanded. Paint, not so much.
Don't even think about painting it (next time) until the surface is about perfect.
Start sanding. The only way out of this mess is to get through it, which will be something of a chore with all that paint on there. Always use a block of some sort when sanding drywall - you want to knock off the high points and leave the low ones alone (then fill the low ones left with mud, dry, repeat....)
..and (perhaps now more obvious to you) don't work in the dark - bring in bright, harsh portable lighting and get it on the walls as unflatteringly as possible so you can see what you are doing. This is what I use cheesy halogen worklights for...
Do not sand or scuff up anything.
Apply a coat of primer over the whole thing and allow to completely dry.
Use setting type 90, light weight joint compound, in small batches, to smooth out the imperfections. (It comes in a bag.)
Do not sand between coats - if you do, use a well wrung sponge, to remove excess dust, before applying another coat of mud.
Use the edge of a knife/trowel, to knock down any ridges/clumps, prior to additional coats of mud.
When you are satisfied, that you have a reasonably uniform surface, begin blending in the edges, with 120 grit drywall sandpaper. You can use 100 grit on thicker sections or ridges, but try to stick with the 120 as much as possible, following up with 120, if you use 100 on any spots. (Attach the sandpaper to a proper sanding pad/block - the bigger, the better.
Take your time, and start with the small spots first, gradually moving towards the bigger sections, as you build confidence, in your work.
When in doubt about drying times, there is nothing wrong with overnight - you'd be amazed what a fresh outlook in the morning, can add to the experience.
The wider the area, that you cover with mud, and subsequently blend into the surface below it - the flatter, the finished surface will appear, when painted.
If you have a portable shop light, or an old table lamp - put it opposite of you, close to the wall, while sanding, using the shadows, to even out the surface. (Turn off the decorative lamp, in the pictures too.)
The whole wall doesn't need a skim coat. That patch just needs touch-up spackle, sanded correctly.
The picture does a good job highlighting what you failed to do: bevel any divots or ridges with a sanding sponge during the final sanding. This is not something you can do easily with a pole sander; it'd be easier with just the paper in your hand if you've no sanding sponge. Use a swirling motion to reduce any deviation to a nominal profile. Fudge it.
It doesn't have to be flat, it just has to not have any ridges that will catch light and show the imperfection. Keep this in mind when sanding the extra coat you're going to put on, to fill these giant voids, that are next to the ridges that are covered in paint and are at this point basically unsandable.
Mudding an optically flat wall is beyond most people's abilities (if not, the general realm of possibility). The closet you're going to get (or ever really need to) is 'looks' flat: nominal.
If you can feel a 'catch' with your fingers, you're not done sanding yet.
You need to get a wire brush and scratch the hell out of your wall in the bad area and a little outside of it.
Add mud to flatten area. Let it dry. Scrape any high areas (with mud knife). Add a big layer of mud for a second coat. Scrape then thoroughly sand.
You are going to have to prime and paint the area. If you just slightly prime the already painted wall but use a thicker coating for the new wall you can do this where it is basically unnoticeable. This is a total of a couple hours over 3 days. I would try to remove as many things from room or tarp since to sand right you will make a mess.
(I am guessing from your pic - and it isn't very good - that you are not using enough mud and not sanding enough. If done right you only sand on your last coat - a lot. )
Make it easy on yourself if you can.
Recently I read their article:https://paintersvilla.com/how-to-fix-a-bad-drywall-job-that-has-been-painted/. I hope it would be helpful for everyone.
