I bought a used drywall lift off some guy in Pittsburgh for $150 last month. Figured I'd save a few hundred bucks vs a new one. Get it home, set it up, and the crank handle stripped on the second sheet. Took me an hour to get the sheet down without it crashing. Now I'm looking at either buying a replacement part or just eating the loss. Anyone else get burned buying used tools? Was it worth it to fix or should I just go buy new?
I was doing the paper tape fold first then mudding over it and wondered why my corners kept cracking. Watching a guy do mud first then fold the tape into it on a job in Phoenix last month finally made it click. Anybody else learn basic stuff way later than they should have?
I always thought pre-filling screw holes was a waste of time, just an extra step that slows you down. But I watched a crew there do a whole ceiling in about 3 hours and their finish was so smooth I barely saw any mud after the first coat. They used a simple 6 inch knife and just dabbed each hole real quick before the tape coat. The foreman told me it cuts down on sanding by half, and I saw the proof with my own eyes. Has anyone else tried this method and seen a big difference in their sanding time?
I dropped $600 on a battery powered automatic taper thinking it would speed up my corner work on new builds in Denver, but the thing jammed up on the third joint and I've never touched it again. Turns out my old manual bazooka and a steady hand do the same job without me fighting a machine that weighs a ton. Has anyone actually made one of those work long term or did I just get a lemon?
I was picking up a few buckets in Phoenix last Tuesday and this older taper named Rick asked why I was still using a standard 6 inch knife on inside corners. He showed me his modified 10 inch knife with a slight curve he made himself, and honestly I struggled for two days before it clicked. Has anyone else tried reshaping a tool they've used for years and found it actually works better?
I used mesh tape for everything for about 8 years, including butt joints. But last year I had a job in a new build where the homeowner complained about cracks showing through after just 6 months. A older guy on site told me to try paper tape for butt joints because it has more strength. I switched over and now for flat seams I still use mesh, but for butt joints it is paper all the way. Has anyone else found a similar difference in durability with different tape types?
I was about halfway through smoothing out a butt joint on a 12-foot ceiling in a new build out in Elmwood when my 12-inch taping knife just snapped right at the handle. The blade went flying and I almost fell off the stilts. I had to hop down and fish the blade out of a bucket of mud. Lucky it didn't hit anyone or drop into the fresh compound. I grabbed a backup knife from the truck but it was a cheap one and the flex was all wrong. Took me an extra hour to finish that pass. Has anyone else had a tool fail on them mid job and what did you switch to?
I mean, maybe it's just me but I see guys on job sites just taping corners without screwing in the bead first. I've been doing drywall since 2008 in the Denver area and those corners always crack within 6 months. Anyone else seeing this shortcut getting more common?
Figured it would save me time on the taping since I wouldn't have to reload as often. But by the third room my wrist was screaming and I kept leaving ridges I had to sand down later. Took me twice as long in the end. Any of you guys switch knife sizes for big jobs and regret it?
Used to sand everything smooth as glass. A guy on a commercial job in Nashville watched me for 30 seconds and just said 'you're making dust, not mud.' Been feathering instead of sanding for three months now. Who else learned basic stuff way later than they should have?
Was on a job in Raleigh last Tuesday. Nice custom home, big picture window in the living room. I told Kyle, my new guy, to just score and snap the piece for the left side. He grabs my brand new 18mm Olfa and proceeds to dig a 4 inch gouge into the window frame. Like, right through the paint and into the wood. Homeowner was standing right there. Ended up having to spackle and repaint the whole trim piece. Cost me 2 hours and a tube of caulk I didn't plan on using. How do you guys train green help not to wreck the surrounding work?
I tried hot mud on a bedroom ceiling last month in Austin and it set way too fast for me to get it smooth. Premixed gives me time to work out the bubbles and I'll take a slower dry over a rushed finish any day. Anyone else feel like fast-set mud is overrated for small patches?
I was finishing up a 2,500 square foot office ceiling in Austin and couldn't decide which tape to use. Paper tape is cheaper but Ive had it bubble up on me in humid weather before. Mesh tape is easier to apply but I worried about cracking at the seems. I ended up going with paper tape because the GC said they wanted extra durability. Big mistake actually. The paper tape kept lifting in the corners and I spent 4 extra hours fixing air pockets. Shoulda just used mesh and moved on. Has anyone else had paper tape fail on a large flat ceiling like that?
Borrowed my buddy's stainless steel taping knife last week and used it alongside my cheap carbon steel one. The stainless one didn't leave those stupid rust flecks on the mud and washed off way easier. Anyone else switch materials and notice a difference?
I was wrestling a 12 foot sheet up to the ceiling in a new build and the lift just buckled and dropped it right on the floor. The whole sheet cracked in half and cost me an extra $45 to replace. Has anyone here had a lift fail on them like this and found a good fix?
Turned out I was pressing too hard with my 12 inch knife and pushing air pockets into the compound, has anyone else dealt with that frustration?
Been using mesh for years on butt joints but kept getting cracks. Switched to paper tape on the last 3 jobs and zero cracks after 60 days. Has anyone else noticed this difference or am I just lucky?
Been doing drywall for about 4 years now and I always used all-purpose compound for small patches because that's what my first boss handed me. Last weekend I had to fix a 2x2 foot hole in a rental unit I manage over on Oak Street and decided to try the 5-minute hot mud instead. Mixed it up, taped and coated, and I was sanding within 45 minutes versus waiting overnight like usual. The hot mud dried way harder too, which honestly made sanding a little tougher but the final finish was smoother. I'm thinking about switching for most of my patch work now. Anyone else have strong feelings about hot mud versus the regular stuff for small jobs?
I've been doing drywall for about 2 years and always used paper tape for inside corners because that's what the guy who trained me did. Last week a 60 year old contractor saw my work and told me to switch to mesh tape for corners because it's less likely to bubble, and he was totally right. Has anyone else had a seasoned pro give you advice that completely changed how you do a basic step?
I was talking to this builder Ive known for years over coffee Tuesday. He told me he's started factoring in a 15% buffer for every drywall job because of how often subs get burned by hidden stuff behind old walls. Said he lost $2,300 on a single bathroom remodel last fall when they found rot behind the tile and the drywall guy had to rip out and redo everything. It hit different because Ive been underbidding for years and just eating the loss when things go sideways. Has anyone else started padding their bids based on stuff like this?
Been hanging board since 2013. Finally got a full 8 hour day without hitting a single pipe or wire with a screw. Job was at that new St. Mary's clinic on Elm Street. Anyone else ever track a perfect day like that?
I was grabbing coffee before a job in Denver and two foremen were going at it over which texture is better for hiding bad joints. One said knockdown hides everything and the other said orange peel is faster and customers prefer it. I have always used whichever the boss says but it got me thinking about what actually works best for our backs and time. They mentioned that knockdown takes an extra 45 minutes per room easy. Has anyone else run into this debate on site and found a clear winner?
Watched a guy on YouTube do this fancy flat box method for inside corners where you load the mud different. Tried it on a closet job in Decatur yesterday and the whole corner caved in after 20 minutes. Looked like I threw a bucket of mud at the wall. Going back to my old way with two knives.
I kept getting these tiny ridges in my inside corners and couldn't figure out why. Turns out I was using a 6 inch knife that was too flexible for corner work. Switched to a 4 inch stiff blade last week and the ridges disappeared completely. Has anyone else had an issue with blade flex messing up their finish?