MudAndTape is an independent site that works out drywall quantities — sheets, compound, tape and screws.
It exists because the answers to these questions are mostly published somewhere already — in code tables, manufacturer datasheets and industry standards — and almost none of it is available in a form you can actually use while standing in a merchant's yard.
Where the numbers come from
- published compound coverage of roughly 500 ft² of board per 4.5 gallon bucket at a three-coat finish
- the ASTM/GA finish level definitions, Level 3 through Level 5
- standard fastener spacing of 16 inches on walls and 12 on ceilings
Every page states the source and the assumptions behind its figures, because a number without its assumptions is not much use. Where a constant is a convention rather than a measurement, we say so.
Sheet length changes the job through butt joints rather than…
Sheet length changes the job through butt joints rather than through board count. A butt joint has no tapered edge, so the tape sits proud and has to be feathered eighteen inches each way — twelve-foot boards hung horizontally can eliminate them entirely on most walls.
What this site does not do
We do not cover fire-rated or shaft-wall assemblies. Those are tested systems, and substituting a component changes the rating.
Who runs it
One person, working on this alongside other things. There is no editorial team and we are not going to invent one — what should earn your trust is that every figure on the site names the standard it came from, so you can check it yourself.
Calculations are written as code and tested against every combination they can produce, rather than typed into a page by hand. When we get something wrong we correct it and leave a note.
How it is paid for
MudAndTape is free to read and funded by display advertising. There are no sponsored placements and no affiliate links on the site; nothing here changes based on who sells the product.
Getting in touch
Corrections and questions go to [email protected]. Corrections are the most useful thing you can send — see the editorial policy for how we handle them.