drywall questions

[handymandy]

Doing some drywall work over cracked plaster for a coworker, and was wondering about blending the new mud from patched cracks with the old textured (sandpaper like) plaster. Also, anyone ever use the tear away edging for drywall? I saw it in a magazine, and was wondering if I should use it for the inside corners where the newly sheetrocked ceiling meets the plastered walls? Any advice on this? Also, (sorry about the multitude of questions) any tips for getting a good straight line when cutting in against a popcorn ceiling?

Gimme a good how to book, and I'll try anything!

[Drywall DIY Guy]

I assume the tear-away edging is an L-bead that sits against the other finished surface. This would work but you would not have a finished corner.

If you want a finished corner, you need to first smooth out the existing wall about 6-8 inches in from the corner. Then tape and finish the corner as if it were two new pieces of drywall.

For the popcorn ceiling you might consider a nice trim - otherwise you would have to remove some of the popcorn surface, finish, and then restore the surface again.

Drywall Taping & Finishing For Beginners

http://drywallinfo.com