c/drywall-installers

Showerthought: that convo with the supply house guy about mesh tape

Was grabbing mud at ABC Supply in Denver and the old timer behind the counter said he's seen more callbacks from guys using paper tape on inside corners than anything else. He's been at that desk 22 years. Has anyone else noticed paper tape giving you grief on tight corners?

Debate: Should we pre-fill tapered joints before knocking down? I tried skipping that step on a big house in Austin and it backfired.

I always pre-fill deep tapered joints before taping, but on a 12-room spec house I decided to save time and just mud over them. Figured the taper wasn't that bad, but the tape bubbled up in three spots and I had to cut and patch. Has anyone else found a way to skip pre-fill without issues, or is it always a risk?

Serious question, has anyone compared self tapping screws vs regular coarse thread for metal studs?

I usually just grab whatever box of screws is closest on the truck, but last week on a job in Eugene I ran out of my usual ones and had to buy whatever the hardware store had. Ended up with regular coarse thread drywall screws instead of my normal self tappers. Man what a difference. The self tappers bite right in and you barely have to change your angle, but those coarse threads kept slipping off the stud and I had to push harder which threw my rhythm off completely. I was getting mad and the driver was getting on my case about taking too long. By the end of the day my wrist was sore and I had maybe 3 popped screws I had to fix. Switched back to self tappers the next day and finished a whole room without one issue. Has anyone else noticed a big difference between these two types on metal studs?

Switched from a 6-inch knife to a 12-inch for taping compound yesterday

I always used a small knife for mudding corners, thinking I needed the control, but a guy at the supply house in Denver told me to try a bigger one. The 12-inch laid down a perfect bead on my third try, no bubbles or ridges. Has anyone else made a similar switch that felt wrong at first but worked way better?

Hit my 1000th drywall booth install last month

Did my 1000th drywall booth in a Costco near Phoenix. Everyone raves about the vacuums and the sanding sponges, but nobody talks about how much your knees take. That milestone made me realize I need knee pads that actually stay put, not the cheap foam ones that slide down after 5 minutes. Anybody got a brand that holds up on a full 8 hour shift?

My first drywall job in Austin totally changed how I finish corners

I was working on a little bathroom remodel down in Austin last month, and the before-and-after on the corners was wild. The old drywall had these awful, bulging tape joints that looked like someone put the mud on with a shovel. After I skimmed them flat and used a new metal corner bead instead of paper tape, the difference was night and day. It took me about 4 hours to redo all the corners, but the final result was so clean the homeowner actually asked if I put in new drywall. I switched to a different brand of premix too, a lightweight one that sands way easier. Has anyone else noticed a huge difference just by changing your corner bead setup?

Shoutout to the old timer at the Tucson supply house who hates prefilling screw heads

I was picking up some bucket of 90 in Tucson last Wednesday and this veteran drywaller starts ranting about how nobody prefills screw heads anymore. He says the new guys just slap tape over the whole mess and call it a day, leaving air pockets behind. I actually agree with him - I've been finishing a 4,000 square foot addition near Oracle and taking that extra 45 seconds to prefill every screw has saved me from callbacks. Anybody else still do this or am I just old school for no reason?

Debate among my crew: sand between coats or just knock down high spots?

We were finishing up a 2,000 square foot basement in Akron last Tuesday. My lead hand insisted on sanding every coat smooth. I told him it was a waste of time on a garage ceiling that was getting texture anyway. We went back and forth for 10 minutes until the GC walked in and sided with him. Now I'm wondering who else has been over-sanding jobs and who skips it without issues.

Remember when we used to hand-sand everything?

I was working on a ceiling patch last Tuesday in an old house over near Oak Street. The tape lifted on one corner and I had to cut it out and redo the whole thing, took me an extra 45 minutes. Made me think about how much easier we have it now with those automatic tapers and compound sprayers. Anyone else miss the old days or am I just getting sentimental?

TIL those fancy corner tools aren't just for show...

I spent years using a 6 inch knife for inside corners. Thought those metal corner trowels were just a waste of money for guys who wanted to look professional. About 6 months back I was working a big basement job in Denver and my regular knife kept gouging the tape. Buddy let me borrow his and I swear it laid the mud down perfect on the first pass. No more going back to fix burrs or pulling up the paper. Saved me a solid 45 minutes on each room down there. Now I feel dumb for fighting with a knife for so long. Anyone else have a tool they refused to try for years?

Saw a guy at the supply house today using a 6 inch knife for inside corners

He was fighting it for like 20 minutes and ended up with a mess of mud on the floor. Just grab a 4 inch knife and a corner trowel, it saves you so much time and headache.

Overheard a guy at the supply house say mudding is 90% cleanup

Tbh I was grabbing some tape and corner beads this morning and this old timer was telling the counter guy that half the job is just keeping your tools clean and your mixer bucket spotless. It hit me hard because I've spent so many jobs fighting dried chunks in my pan or a stiff brush that ruins my finish. Has anyone else found a trick to keeping your hawks from getting crusty mid-job?

I finally switched from a 4-inch knife to a 6-inch for taping and it's a different world.

For years I stuck with the 4-inch, thinking it gave me more control on the first coat. Last month on a big job in Tempe, my buddy handed me his 6-inch knife and told me to just try it. I did the whole second coat on a 12-foot wall with it. The wider blade lays down way more mud in one pass and leaves fewer lines to sand out later. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed how much faster you can move?

Had a whole section of mud crack on me in a Denver basement last month

It was a cold snap job, and I think the mix was too thin for the temperature. I had to scrape it all off, let the board dry out for a full day, and start over with a slower-setting compound. Has anyone found a good cold-weather mix that holds up better?

Serious question, just read that a standard 4x8 sheet of half-inch drywall weighs about 55 pounds.

Found that stat in an old trade manual at the supply house, and it finally clicked why my shoulders are always shot after a day of carrying boards up two flights of stairs.

Just read that the average drywall sheet weighs about 55 pounds, which is heavier than I figured.

Saw it in a spec sheet from a supplier. Do you guys have a trick for moving them solo without wrecking your back?

Warning: I'm seeing a lot more requests for curved walls in new builds

Three years ago in a suburb outside Atlanta, I did my first curved drywall job for a custom home. It took us a full extra day to get the framing and rock right. Last month, I had two jobs in a row that wanted curved features, one for a living room and another for a hallway. Just last week, a builder asked me for a quote on three separate curved sections in a single condo unit. Is this just a local design trend, or are you guys seeing this pop up more often too? What's the best method you've found for getting a clean, consistent curve without wasting a ton of material?

Had a client in Austin ask for a smooth finish on a ceiling with 16 foot vaults, no scaffolding.

Last week, my partner said to just use stilts and a long pole, but I argued for renting a lift, even though it added a day's cost. The lift got it done in half the time with zero neck strain. How do you guys handle those crazy high ceilings?

Had to choose between a 4x12 sheet or two 4x8s for a tricky ceiling in an old house

The hallway was long and narrow with a slight curve, and my helper argued the big sheet would be faster, but I was worried about handling it solo. We went with the 4x12, and it was a real bear to lift but the single seam came out perfect. Do you guys ever take the risk with the bigger sheets on residential jobs, or stick with the 8-footers?

TIL a client's 1920s house in Philly had plaster walls with no studs for 16 inches

We had to sister in new framing before we could even think about hanging board, which added a full day to the job. Anyone ever run into a wall that was basically just lath and air?

I've been cutting my drywall sheets wrong for three years and a new guy showed me why

I was on a job in Tacoma last month, hanging sheets on a vaulted ceiling. The new apprentice, Jake, asked why I was scoring and snapping the sheets on the floor before lifting them up. I told him that's how you get a clean break, obviously. He just nodded, but later I saw him score the sheet, lift it into place on the lift, and *then* snap it against the studs. The break was perfect and we saved so much time not wrestling with a floppy piece. It never even crossed my mind to do it that way. Has anyone else had a simple trick like that change their whole process?

That time a homeowner in Cincinnati asked me why I was using a 6-inch knife for the first coat

He said his dad, who was a taper in the 70s, always used a 10-inch for the first pass to 'let the mud do the work', and after trying it on his bathroom job, I haven't gone back to the smaller knife since.

Been using the same mud consistency for years, then a guy in Toledo showed me his bucket

I always mixed my joint compound to what I thought was a good, thick paste, about like peanut butter. Worked on a job with this older guy from Toledo, and he had his mixed way thinner, almost like pancake batter. He said it goes on smoother and feathers out better with less sanding. Tried it on a ceiling patch yesterday and I swear I saved 20 minutes on sanding alone. Anyone else run their mud on the thin side, or is that just a regional thing?

I finally gave in and tried a 12-inch taping knife for the first coat

I always stuck with a 10-inch for everything, thought bigger was just for show. Then I saw a video from a guy in Kansas City who timed himself, and he was a full 20% faster on a big flat ceiling using the 12-inch. I tried it on a garage job last Thursday, and it really does cover more ground with fewer strokes. Anyone else make the switch and notice a difference on certain jobs?

I thought those cheap plastic corner trowels were a total waste of money, but my buddy in Tampa swore by them for tight spots.