Heard a guy at the supply house say he uses a 12-inch knife for the final coat on ceilings.

Tried it on a job in Tempe last week and the wider blade really helped keep things flat. Anyone else use a bigger knife for topping?

4 comments

4 Comments

karenb973mo agoMost Upvoted

Might be mixing up the term for that final coat.

beth2763mo ago

Used to call it a finish coat myself. Watched a few videos from actual painters and they kept saying "top coat" for the last layer. Made me switch up what I say.

patricia2623mo agoTop Commenter

Wow, maybe it's a regional thing like soda vs pop.

-1

annajenkins29d ago

Wait, you used a 12-inch knife on a ceiling in Tempe? Wasn't it a nightmare to keep the mud from dripping all over you? I mean, I've tried a 10-inch on ceilings and that was already a workout for my arms. @patricia262 might be onto something about that being a regional thing, because out here in the Midwest most guys stick to a 10 or maybe an 8 for ceilings. The bigger knife sounds like it would be great for flats, but I bet the cleanup takes forever if you don't nail the angle.