A old timer contractor told me after watching me struggle for 20 minutes that paper tape with a slight crease down the middle actually bonds way better and I haven't touched mesh since, anyone else find paper easier for corners?
I was helping a buddy do some patch work at a church built in 1928 over in Dayton last month. The old plaster walls had these huge lath gaps and the texture was unlike anything I've seen on modern drywall. Made me realize how much we rely on perfectly flat surfaces these days instead of learning to work with what's in front of us. Has anyone else run into old plaster jobs that forced you to change up your usual approach?
I was using the same 6-inch knife for years because it was what my old boss gave me. Last month I picked up a tapered knife from a supply house near Denver, and man the mud just feathers out way smoother. No more ridges to sand down. The handle is thicker too so my hand doesn't cramp after a full day. Has anyone else switched to a tapered knife and noticed a big difference in their finish work?
For years I was strictly paper tape on every joint. My old boss swore by it. But after three cracked inside corners on a big house in Raleigh last month, I decided to try mesh tape just for the corners. The adhesion is way better on those tight angles. Plus I didn't have to worry about it bubbling up. Any of you guys mix it up depending on the job or stick with one type?
Swore by predrilling every hole for 10 years until a foreman on a 50-unit condo job in Austin dared me to try them on a full wall. Ran 300 screws in under 20 minutes without a single stripped head, and I haven't touched a drill bit since. Anyone else stubborn about switching up their fastener game?
I finished a 1,200 square foot basement in 6 hours with zero mudding mistakes because the tape laid flat and the corners hit perfect, has anyone else had a day where the drywall gods just smiled on you?
They were using a bazooka and a flat box together on the long seams and I swear they saved half the time it would've taken me with a hand box, has anyone else tried running two tools at once like that?
I spent 3 years just filling screw pops with regular joint compound and sanding them down, wondering why they always came back after a season. Last month a foreman on a job in Phoenix showed me how the compound shrinks and pulls away from the screw head, leaving air pockets that crack again. Anyone else have a better trick for keeping screw pops fixed for good?
Been hanging board for about 6 years now. Met this guy Frank on a job in Cleveland back in 2019, must've been 65, been doing drywall since the 70s. He told me to go around and hit every nail/screw hole with a quick dab of mud before doing the full coat. Said it saves sanding time. I thought he was just old and slow. Finally tried it on a ceiling job last month where I had like 400 fasteners. Took an extra 20 minutes up front but I swear I saved at least an hour on sanding. Anyone else do this or am I late to the party?
I bought that Wizbang auto-taper thinking it would speed up my flat work big time. First job in Raleigh it jammed up every 15 minutes. Mud consistency has to be perfect, and even then the tape wrinkles. Took me twice as long to finish. Ended up ripping it out and going back to my hand tools. Anyone else waste money on a fancy tool that let you down?
I was working a basement finish in Arvada last Tuesday, and halfway through hanging the first wall I realized I left my corner bead in the truck. But my truck was at the shop 20 minutes away. So I tried to make do with some scrap metal I had, figuring it'd be fine for a quick patch. Big mistake. The corner came out wavy and I had to cut it all out after the mud dried. Ended up driving back to the shop anyway, wasted 2 hours. Now I always double check my bead supply before I start a job. Anyone else have a time where skipping a step cost you more time in the long run?
I was at Drywall Supply Co in Tulsa last Tuesday picking up board, and this older guy in line ahead of me was explaining to the kid behind the counter why he never pre-fills his screw holes anymore. He said 'just use a wider knife on the second coat and it fills itself, saves an hour per room.' I thought he was crazy but tried it on a 12x14 bedroom yesterday. Sure enough, no dimples showing through and I finished the first coat way faster. Has anyone else dropped the pre-fill step and noticed any long term cracking?
I was picking up some buckets of joint compound at the supply house last Tuesday and this older guy, probably 60s, was telling the counter guy he never uses a pole sander on butt joints. Said he always does them by hand with a 12 inch sponge. I've been doing drywall for about 3 years now and I always just hit everything with the pole sander cause it's faster. Tried his method on a ceiling repair this weekend and man, the finish was way flatter, no swirl marks at all. It took me maybe 20 extra minutes but the customer noticed the difference and mentioned it looked like factory work. Makes me wonder what other little tricks I'm missing out on cause I'm too impatient to listen. Anybody else got little tips from older guys that changed how you do the basics?
I was in a finished basement in Elmhurst finishing up a small patch job near a light fixture. Got a little too confident with the nail gun and put a 2-inch dimpled nail clean through the ceiling drywall about 6 inches from where I was working. Must have hit a weak spot or maybe I had the pressure too high on the compressor. My helper just stared at me and said 'uh, boss, you got some daylight up there.' Ended up having to cut out a 2x2 foot section and hang a fresh piece of board right in the middle of their pretty living room. Took me an extra 90 minutes to tape and mud that spot plus two coats of paint they didn't ask for. Has anyone else had a tool just betray them like that when you're trying to move fast?
I've always used the cheap 6-inch flex knives from Home Depot, figured it's just drywall mud who cares. Last month on a big 50-board job my helper forgot his tools and I grabbed his fancy stainless offset knife. I'm not gonna lie that thing glided through the compound like butter and I actually found myself wanting to tape just to use it again. Finished the whole job in two days less than my usual pace. Has anyone else noticed a real difference with premium tools or am I just getting old and crazy?
For years everyone swore by banjo taper tools for hanging ceiling rock but I gave em the boot about 2 years back. Started hand taping my ceilings with a 6 inch knife and a box of 60 minute mud and honestly it cuts my time by about 15 minutes a sheet. Less mess on the floor too. Anyone else ditch the tool and go manual?
I was complaining about how hard it is to get a smooth finish on butt joints with the new lightweight compounds. He just shrugged and said "sandpaper and patience was good enough in 1975, still works now." Made me realize I've been chasing fancy products instead of just taking my time. Has anyone else found that the old methods still beat the new stuff?
Last August in Phoenix I was doing a 1500 square foot basement. Mud was crusting on my knife in 2 minutes flat. Couldn't get a smooth finish to save my life. An old timer told me to add a splash of dish soap to my mix. Worked perfect. Anyone else deal with this heat thing?
I drove by a house in St. Paul I did the basement on back in 2012. The owner never finished painting or priming the drywall, just left it bare. Now there's these long cracks running along the seams and a few nail pops. My own jobs from that era with proper primer and paint still look fine. Makes me wonder how much of our work actually holds up when people skip the finishing steps. Has anyone else seen old jobs come back to haunt you?
I used to use paper tape on EVERYTHING because that's how my old boss taught me. Then had a job in Thornton where the paper tape bubbled up bad on a ceiling repair and I had to go back and redo the whole thing. Now I only use mesh tape for butt joints and corners, and I do a thin pre-fill coat first. Has anyone else found a specific brand of mesh tape that holds up better in high-humidity basements?
After 3 years using a heavy steel T-square on a remodel job in Denver last month, I switched back to a lightweight aluminum one and my shoulder stopped hurting - has anyone else ditched the heavy stuff for a simpler tool that actually works better?
Bought a bulk box of generic self-tapping screws for a steel stud job last month. They kept snapping or stripping out, cost me half a day redoing panels. Anyone else get burned by cheap screws on metal framing?
Tried that out yesterday on a closet wall and it caught two studs that were a quarter inch off, has anyone else used a square like that or am I just behind the times?
Last month I had this job in Austin where the foreman promised me a helper but the guy never showed. Ended up hanging 92 sheets of 5/8 inch myself from 6am to 3pm, just hustling through the hallways of this new apartment complex. Foreman gave me an extra $200 for the solo grind but I was so beat I could barely lift my arms to drive home. Anyone else ever get stuck pulling a big room alone like that?
We were working this commercial build in Raleigh and I somehow ended up hanging every single sheet of fire code board myself. By the time we hit sheet number 600 I lost count but the guys kept a tally on the trailer wall. Nobody told me it would be that many until the end when the foreman handed me a bonus. Has anyone else gotten caught off guard by the sheer volume of sheets on a big job?