Dear Pat: I am handy with projects and I can even tape drywall joints pretty well. I am having a problem though taping some inside corners so they look good and last. What is the proper method by which to do this? — Lisa M.

Dear Lisa: Taping drywall inside corners is much more complicated than general taping of flat drywall joints. A bad taping job in these corners can be quite apparent even after the walls are painted with flat wall paint. The corners will look obviously thicker and there may even be some bumps if it is not done properly.

Before you start to tape the walls, learn the proper technique for readying and handling the joint compound. For smaller jobs, purchase a tub of premixed compound at your home center store. It is more expensive this way, but you will know it is mixed to the proper consistency for the job.

A standard, stiff 6-inch-wide taping knife is used to apply the compound. Don't try to scoop the compound out of the tub with the knife and apply it because you will get too much or too little. Scoop it out with the knife and place a large quantity of compound on a plaster trowel. Scrap the knife clean on the side of the trowel and then scoop off the amount you need.

When taping the drywall joints in a room, the first step is always to do the flat seams and do them properly. If the flat seams come loose in a year or two, the loose tape will likely cause the tape in the corners to also come loose. The tape for the corners should overlap the tape for the flat seams.

For the flat seams, always start taping them from a corner. Spread a 1/8-inch thick layer of joint compound along the joint. Place the drywall tape over this and bed it into the wet compound with a wide drywall knife. Hold the knife at a 45-degree angle from the wall as it is dragged along the tape and compound.

Now you are ready to tackle the corners. Use paper joint tape because it is easier to crease than fiberglass-mesh tape. Just as you did on the flat joints, spread a thick layer of compound on each side of the corner. Cut the end of the tape at an angle so there are fewer layers where the corner meets the ceiling. The end at the floor can be cut straight across.

You will notice the paper tape has a natural crease at the center, making it easier to fold and keep straight. Lay the folded tape in the corner against the compound, and push it in every foot or so to hold it in place.

Using the knife, bed the paper tape into the compound, moving from the ceiling to the floor. You may have to tack the tape in place at the top so it does not slide down as you drag the knife over it. Apply the compound and tape the same way across the ceiling-to-wall corners out from the vertical wall corner.

The next day, apply another layer of compound on just one side of each corner. The following day, apply a layer on the other side. This keeps it from getting too thick. Sand and finish the surface.

Send your questions to Here's How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com. To find out more about Pat Logan and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.