c/drywall-installers

Overheard a homeowner in line at the hardware store say 'mudding looks easy'

Made me realize we never get credit for making seams disappear. Anyone have a good line they use when someone downplays the skill?

The texture sprayer rental fee in my area jumped from $45 to $65 a day

I saw the new price at the big rental place on Main Street last month. It makes me think twice about taking on smaller ceiling jobs now. Has anyone found a cheaper way to handle knockdown on a single-room project?

PSA: That job in the old building on 5th Street last month had asbestos in the joint compound, my whole crew got exposed.

Changed my mind about those fiberglass mesh corner beads

Always thought they were junk for new builds. Used them on a Reno job in Tacoma where the old plaster walls were a mess. They bent around the weird angles way better than metal. No cracks after a full season change. Anyone else switch over for repair work?

My doctor just linked my sinus problems to unprotected sanding

Get a decent respirator, it's cheaper than meds and missed work.

My cousin's basement drywall job has me rethinking my own finish techniques.

He invited me over to check out the drywall he installed himself. Up close, the tape lines are clear and the mud isn't smooth. How do you gently correct family when their work doesn't meet pro standards?

Warning: Seeing a dumpster full of fresh drywall offcuts got me thinking about our trash

I was walking my dog last evening and passed a house getting fully sheeted, with a huge dumpster just packed with clean drywall pieces. It looked like enough to do a small room, all going to the landfill. That stuff is mostly gypsum, right? Which isn't toxic, but it doesn't break down fast and takes up so much space. I know from my store that some guys will save the bigger scraps for patch jobs later, but this was all cut to fit and tossed. It seems like such a waste of material and money. Do any of you have systems for reusing offcuts or know about recycling spots for this stuff? I'd love to hear if being greener on site is even possible with tight schedules.

Shoutout to a fellow installer who shared his secret for smooth sanding!

Vent: Today's drywall scrap heap woke me up to waste

I was sweeping up after a wall job and the bag of leftovers was stuffed full. It hit me that tossing all this just adds to the landfill when it could be used for repair bits. What do you do with extra drywall pieces to keep things green?

Update: My take on mesh tape for drywall corners

I used to hate mesh tape, but now I see it's better for corners.

A local job showed me how to stop door frame cracks

I saw a bunch of new properties in my neighborhood with cracks over doors. I found out putting more screws in the header helps a lot. How do you guys handle this?

Ever had mud turn on you mid-job?

My last mix went from perfect to soup in ten minutes flat. Now I time it like I'm defusing a bomb.