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Drywall is safe to cut as long as you follow proper procedures, such as wearing personal protective equipment and using the right tools to score and cut the drywall. When cutting new drywall, it can release dust with silica and other compounds that could pose health risks. Leave cutting drywall to the pros, or wear a high-quality respiratory mask, goggles, and other PPE when handling drywall.

Although they have similar applications, spackle and joint compound are not the same. Their primary differences lie in their composition, consistency, and ideal use cases.

Spackle is composed of gypsum and binding agents, making it thicker than joint compound. It dries quickly and is easy to sand, which makes it ideal for small wall repair projects like filling nail holes or patching minor damage.

Joint compound, also known as drywall mud, consists of limestone and gypsum. It is primarily used for large-scale projects, such as taping and finishing the seams on newly installed drywall. It tends to shrink more than spackle and can be more difficult to spread.

While both products can be used to fill small depressions and cracks, spackle cannot replace joint compound for taping and mudding new drywall. Conversely, you can often use joint compound for small patching jobs typically done with spackle.

There are six levels of drywall finish, from 0 to 5, that refer to the amount of work performed during the finishing process.

Level 0: Drywall is hung with no finishing work.

Level 1: Tape is placed over the seams between drywall sheets.

Level 2: A thin layer of mud is applied over the tape and screw holes. This level is common for utility rooms or walls that will be covered.

Level 3: A full coat of mud covers the screw holes and tape, but the surface is not sanded. This is often used in garages.

Level 4: This is the most common finish for visible interior walls. It involves applying two coats of mud over seams and screw holes, with sanding between each coat, creating a smooth surface ready for flat paint.

Level 5: This is a high-end finish for luxury homes. It includes full taping, mudding, and sanding, plus a final skim coat over the entire surface before painting.

There are several benefits to wet-sanding drywall, but the main perk is that it produces far less dust than dry-sanding. As a result, wet-sanding poses fewer health risks and makes less of a mess in your home. Plus, damp sponges are less abrasive than sandpaper, so there’s a smaller chance of scratching or damaging the drywall paper. Wet-sanding also creates a smoother finish than dry-sanding.