Before sanding, round up a shadow light, a wide taping blade and a pencil (not a felt tip pen; it bleeds through paint). Map all wide seam work on ceilings and walls to plan how much to sand each seam ...

After the compound (drywall mud) dries, sand the area until smooth and reapply drywall mud feathering out further. Repeat this process. NOTE: Do not prime and paint until you're completely satisfied!

If you own a home, odds are very good that the walls (and ceilings) surrounding you are made of drywall. Also called Sheetrock, plasterboard, or wallboard, drywall was invented in 1916 and quickly ...

While there is no such thing as a perfect building material, drywall comes pretty close. For one thing, it's dirt cheap, costing about $7 for a 1/2-in.-thick 4 x 8 panel. It's also DIY friendly--about ...