c/drywall-installers

Remembering the switch from hand sanding to pole sanders

Back in the early 2000s, I was still finishing seams with a sanding block and a lot of elbow grease. A guy on a crew in Cincinnati showed me his pole sander, and I thought it was just a gimmick. After a full day on a ceiling job, my arms were shot, but he was done in half the time with a much flatter finish. The difference was the even pressure and not having to stand directly under the dust cloud. Anyone else have a tool they resisted that's now a must-have?

Tried to skim coat a whole room with just a 6 inch knife. Bad idea.

Had a small bedroom job in Fresno. Figured I could save time and skip the wider blade. Used my trusty 6 inch knife for the whole thing. After two hours, my arm was dead and the finish looked like a washboard. Took me another three hours to fix it with a 12 inch trowel. Learned the hard way that the right tool for the area is not just a suggestion. Anyone got a good method for picking the right blade size for different rooms?

Vent: Watching a crew try to tape a ceiling seam without a lift in a 12 foot entryway

They were using two ladders and a plank, wobbling like crazy while trying to spread mud overhead. I told the foreman a cheap lift rental from the local yard is $45 a day and saves your back, but he said they 'always do it this way'. How do you handle high seams without killing yourself?

My old cordless screwdriver gave up the ghost on a big ceiling job in Tempe

It was a Milwaukee M12 that I've had for about four years, and the battery just wouldn't hold a charge halfway through boarding a 20x30 foot room. Had to run to the truck for my backup, which cost me a solid hour. Anyone have a favorite brand that lasts longer under heavy use?

The old plaster wall in the Jefferson house finally gave out on me yesterday.

I was just doing a simple patch job on a ceiling, but when I went to feather the edge, a whole section of the original horsehair plaster behind the drywall just crumbled. It was like trying to work with wet sand. I had to stop everything, pull down about four square feet of the old lath, and sister in new studs before I could even think about hanging new board. Anyone else run into this kind of surprise on a remodel lately? How do you handle it without blowing the whole bid?

Finally got that curved archway in the old house on Elm Street to look right. Took me three full days to figure out the blocking.

My ceiling repair turned into a 3-day geometry lesson

Everyone says to just patch the hole, but matching the curve on this 1928 plaster cove molding took me 14 hours of shaping and sanding. What's the most time you've lost trying to get a historical detail right?

Saw a new hotel going up in Phoenix using a different corner bead system

They were using a paper-faced metal bead instead of the vinyl I'm used to, and the install looked faster. Has anyone tried this on a big commercial job?

Serious question, has anyone else seen that new 'fast set' joint compound that claims to dry in 30 minutes?

I was on a job in Denver last Tuesday and the foreman insisted we try it to speed up a small patch. It actually hardened in about 35 minutes, but the finish was so gritty it took twice as long to sand. What other quick products have you guys tried that ended up costing more time?

Tried that new 'fast set' mud on a kitchen ceiling job, cost me a full day and $200 in wasted material.

The stuff just wouldn't feather right, it kept dragging and pulling off in chunks after it skinned over. I had to scrape it all off and start fresh with the regular stuff I should have used. Anyone know a reliable brand for a true lightweight topping coat that actually works?

I used to think taping knives were all the same until a job in Boise last fall

For years, I just used whatever cheap 6-inch knife I had in my bag for applying mud, thinking the flex and edge didn't matter much. Then on a big apartment complex job, the lead guy handed me his 6-inch Hyde with the stainless steel blade and told me to try it. The difference was crazy. The flex was just right, so it didn't dig in on corners, and the mud came off the blade clean every time. My old knife would leave little ridges I'd have to sand out later. I bought one that same week and it's saved me so much time on sanding. I guess I was just being stubborn about tools. Has anyone else had a simple tool change make that big of a difference in their finish work?

My uncle told me to always pre-fill screw holes before taping, and I finally tried it

My uncle, who hung board for 30 years, always said to take a little mud and fill the screw dimples before you lay your first tape coat. I thought it was a waste of time for years, just another old-timer thing. Then I got a job doing a big ceiling in a new house in Tempe, and the lighting was brutal. After my first coat, every single screw was still shadowing through. I remembered his advice, went back, pre-filled every hole with a small knife, let it dry, and then taped. The difference was night and day. It took an extra hour that day, but saved me a full sanding pass later. Has anyone else found a small step like this that actually saves a ton of headache down the line?

Just had a ceiling panel drop on me in a house in Bakersfield

I was working on a 12-foot cathedral ceiling, and the drywall lift slipped on a small patch of spilled joint compound. The whole 4x8 sheet came down, just missing my head but taking out a brand new light fixture. I had to cut a new piece and redo the whole section, which set the job back about 3 hours. Has anyone else had a lift fail like that, and what's your trick to keep them steady on slick floors?

Warning about that new 'fast set' mud from ProCoat

I grabbed a bucket of ProCoat's '30 Minute' compound for a small patch job in a Denver condo last Tuesday. The stuff hardened in the bucket in under 20 minutes on a cool day, way faster than the label said, and I lost a whole bag. Learned you gotta mix tiny amounts and work SUPER fast, even if the temp seems fine. Has anyone else had this happen with their quick-set products?

A trick for getting a tight corner on a weird angled ceiling joint

I was working on a sunroom addition in Springfield last week and the ceiling met the wall at this odd 110-degree angle. My normal corner bead just wouldn't sit right. I ended up cutting a thin strip of scrap drywall, maybe an inch wide, and using it as a backer behind the paper tape before I mudded. It gave the tape something solid to form against and made the whole thing way easier to finish. Has anyone else run into a weird angle like that and found a different fix?

Had to choose between a 10-foot and 12-foot sheet for a vaulted ceiling in a Denver remodel last month.

Just realized my corner bead work was getting roasted on a job site walkthrough

The GC in Fort Worth pointed out my 20-foot run had a visible hump and said, 'You're relying on mud to fix a framing problem,' so I now spend an extra 30 minutes with a level and shims before I even touch a sheet.

Why does nobody talk about how much easier a 10-inch knife is for taping?

I've been using a 6-inch knife for taping joints for like... eight years. Always thought it gave me more control, especially on inside corners. Then last month I was helping a friend finish a basement in Akron and he hands me his 10-inch knife. I was skeptical but tried it on a long flat seam. It just glided... no ridges, no extra passes. The longer blade bridges over the low spots way better. I did a whole wall in half the time. Now I feel like I wasted so much effort fighting with that tiny knife. Anyone else switch to a bigger blade and have it click like that?

Remember when we used to mix mud by hand in a five gallon bucket?

I was cleaning out the garage yesterday and found my old mixing paddle, the one with the bent shaft from a long day in a Denver condo. It got me thinking. For years, that was the only way. You'd stand there, drill screaming, trying to get the lumps out, and your arm would be numb after three buckets. Then, maybe eight years back, I saw a guy using one of those mortar mixers, the kind with the spinning cage. I thought it was overkill. But he let me try it on a big ceiling job, and I mixed a whole bag in about 90 seconds, smooth as butter. I bought one the next week. It's not just faster, it's better. No more guessing if it's right, and my shoulder doesn't hate me at the end of the day. Does anyone still hand mix for smaller patches, or is that a dead art now?

My old boss in Denver said to always mud the whole seam before taping, but that just made a huge mess.

He insisted it gave a better bond, but on a big job in Cheyenne, the mud kept squeezing out and I had to scrape it all off. Now I just put a thin line down the center and it's way cleaner. Does anyone else have a strong opinion on this method?

Vent: My quick patch on a popcorn ceiling turned into a full retexture

Had a small repair in a 1980s condo in Phoenix, just a 2 foot by 2 foot water stain. I used a standard setting compound to patch it, but when I went to match the popcorn, the new stuff looked totally different, like cottage cheese next to sand. I learned the hard way that old texture has settled and changed color over 40 years. You can't just patch it, you have to blend the whole ceiling or redo it. Anyone know a better way to match old popcorn without it being so obvious?

Finally figured out why my butt joints kept cracking

For years I had this one spot in my garage that would crack every winter, no matter how careful I was. My buddy Rick came over last week to help me move a fridge and just pointed at it, saying 'Your tape's too tight, man. You're pulling it like a guitar string.' I always thought tighter was better for a smooth finish. He showed me how to lay it with just enough tension to stick, then leave it alone. I redid a small section his way, and after a week with the heat on, it's still perfect. Anyone else have a simple fix they learned way later than they should have?

Appreciation post: A guy on a big Reno job in Kelowna showed me a better way to tape inside corners

Honestly, I used to be all about the paper tape for inside corners, no question. I thought mesh was for hacks and would always crack. Then, about six months ago, I was on this huge custom home job up in Kelowna. This older guy, Pete, was running the board crew. He saw me struggling with a bubbled paper tape in a tricky bathroom corner and just said, 'Try the fibaFuse stuff with a thin coat first, then your mud.' I was skeptical, but I was also tired of redoing it. So I grabbed a roll from his truck. Ngl, it went on so flat and stuck right away. I did my three coats like normal, and when I sanded, that corner was perfect. No bubbles, no lifting. It changed my whole process for inside work. Has anyone else made the switch to the fiberglass tape for corners, or do you still swear by paper?

Had a whole section of 5/8 board buckle on me in a Phoenix attic last Thursday

It was 112 degrees up there and I think the heat got to the adhesive before I could get it fully screwed. Ended up having to pull down three sheets and start over after letting the space cool down with a portable fan for an hour. What's the hottest temp you guys will still try to hang board in?

PSA: Tried a new lightweight mud pan on a big ceiling job

It was a 12-inch Goldblatt that felt great in the store, but after two hours of overhead work, my wrist was killing me. I guess the balance was off compared to my old steel one. Anyone have a lightweight pan they actually swear by for ceilings?