I was finishing a basement remodel in an old house near Akron and couldn't decide if I should use a setting-type joint compound or the pre-mixed all-purpose stuff. I went with the hot mud because I needed to get two coats on in one day, but I pushed it too fast on the second coat and it ended up cracking in a few spots near the window. Has anyone else had trouble with hot mud cracking when you layer it on too quick?
I was working a commercial build in Phoenix last August, and this guy in his 60s comes over while I'm mudding. He watched me for a minute, then said "you're working too hard on those butt joints." He showed me how to pre-fill the gap with a thin layer of hot mud before taping, let it set for 10 minutes, then tape over it. Cuts down on bubbles and air pockets way better than any technique I'd seen before. I tried it on the next joint and the finish was way smoother with less sanding needed. Anyone else use this pre-fill method or do you just tape and mud like normal?
The finishers were using 20 minute mud right out of the bucket without mixing it, and now the homeowner is gonna see those craters through the paint in 6 months, has anyone else run into crews skipping the mix step just to save 5 bucks?
I picked up a bunch of sheets from the big blue store in Tacoma last week and the edges are all chipped and crumbly. Every other board has a corner that just flakes off when I try to hang it. Anyone else noticing a drop in quality from the big box suppliers or did I just get a bad pallet?
I used a 50-pack of those 89-cent ones on a garage job last month and 12 of them started rusting through the paint after just 2 weeks - has anyone else had this happen or did I just get a bad batch?
I was on a job in Austin last month and this older guy, maybe 65, was finishing a ceiling in the next room. He stopped for a smoke and we got talking. He said he never uses a taping knife wider than 10 inches for the first coat, just lets the mud do the work instead of forcing it. I always thought wider was better to save time, but he showed me how his corners came out with almost no sanding needed. Has anyone else tried sticking to a smaller knife for the first pass?
I was struggling with butt joints looking bad after sanding for years. Then about 2 months ago I tried pre-filling the joint with hot mud before taping on a big job in Spokane. The difference before and after was huge, no more ridges or bubbles showing through. I used to spend 30 minutes per joint just sanding them flat, now it takes maybe 10. The key was letting that first coat of hot mud set up for 20 minutes before running the tape. Has anyone else tried this method or do you stick with all-purpose for everything?
I tried using that $25 bag of Mapei self-leveler from Home Depot on a 12x14 bedroom floor. Thought I could just mix it up and pour it out, no big deal. Took me 3 tries over three days because the mix was too thick, then too thin, and then I didn't seal the subfloor right and it bubbled up. Has anyone else had to scrape off a whole batch of leveler when it went wrong?
Been doing ceilings alone for years using a T-brace and swearing a lot. Last week I found a used Liftmaster for $60 from a guy in Toledo who was cleaning out his garage. Set it up in 10 minutes and finished my 12x14 basement ceiling in under 4 hours without needing my wife to hold anything. Has anyone else found a good deal on used gear that actually worked out?
Been doing drywall for about 8 years now. Always hated cleaning out my mud pan between jobs. Scraping dried crud off the corners takes forever. Last week I tried spraying the inside with cooking spray before loading it up. Just a light coat of Pam or whatever. Figured it was worth a shot. Mud slides right off when I'm done. Takes me maybe 30 seconds to wipe clean now instead of 5 minutes with a putty knife. Has anyone else tried something weird like that that actually worked?
I was finishing a ceiling job on Tuesday and the hot mud was setting up before I could even get it smoothed out. Had to scrape off a whole bucket and start over with a slower set mix. Anyone else deal with this in summer temps?
I bought a pair of $80 aluminum stilts off eBay last spring and they lasted exactly 4 jobs before the leg extension broke. I was hanging ceiling board in a garage in Phoenix and one stilt just gave out under me. Lucky I only twisted my ankle, but I lost 2 days of work and had to pay $50 for a rental while I waited for a real pair. The cheap ones saved money upfront but cost me way more in time and pain. Anyone else had bad luck with budget stilts?
I was on a job in Tulsa last month and this older guy watched me mud for a minute and just said 'son, your mix is like soup.' He showed me how a proper peanut butter consistency actually cuts your second coat time in half. Has anyone else had that moment where someone just watching you work out of the blue fixed something you were doing wrong the whole time?
Spent an hour setting it up only to have the arm sag under a 4x10 sheet. Returned it and just wrestled it up with a buddy, which took half the time. Anybody else find these things more trouble than they're worth?
I used to fight with my T-square for years on big jobs in Fresno before I borrowed a buddy's 48-inch drywall square with a stop fence last month, and now I'm cutting sheets in half the time with way less waste - has anyone else made that switch and seen the same difference?
Was grabbing some compound last Tuesday and this guy in his 60s sees me grabbing a big pan. He goes 'you're making more work for yourself kid'. Said he only uses a 6 inch pan for almost everything except big flat walls. Told me smaller pans = less cleaning, less waste, faster work. Been trying it for a week and I swear I'm not going through as much mud. Anyone else run small pans like that?
Bought one of those big panel lifts from a rental place in Denver thinking I'd save time on my basement job. Used it twice and spent more time adjusting the damn thing than just lifting sheets with a buddy. Who else has a tool they bought thinking it'd be a game changer but ended up being a paperweight?
I was helping a buddy with a basement remodel near Tacoma last week and this older guy shows up to do the drywall. He had this corner that was way out of square, like a good 3/4 inch gap at the top. Instead of fighting it with shims or extra mud, he just cut the board at a slight angle and worked it in with a 6 inch knife. Took him maybe 5 minutes total and it looked perfect after the tape went on. I've been doing this for about 2 years now and I would have spent an hour trying to float that out with compound. Has anyone else seen tricks like that for weird framing that just save you a ton of time?
Spent 20 extra minutes feathering out that ridge because the smaller blade couldn't reach far enough, has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way?
I always thought taping with mesh was faster, no contest. My coworker showed me his finished corner from a job last week and I couldn't find the seam at all. He used paper tape and a 6 inch knife, took him maybe 4 minutes. The difference after the mud dried was night and day, no bubbles or ridges. I tried paper on my next closet and the finish was way smoother. Anyone else find paper tape just looks better after the third coat?
Used to just tape and mud everything in one pass like everybody else. Tried filling the gap first with hot mud and letting it dry before taping on a big basement job last week, cut my finishing time by almost 2 hours. Anyone else do this or am I just slow for not figuring it out sooner?
I’ve been hanging drywall for 5 years now. Butta joints always trip me up. Last week on a job in Cleveland, I did 3 sheets in a hallway. Every single tape seam bubbled overnight. I use all-purpose mud, press it down firm with a 6-inch knife. Still happens. I’ve watched guys on site who just flick their wrist and it lays flat. What’s the trick? Do you pre-wet the tape? Or am I using too much mud under it? My foreman just shrugs. Anyone else deal with this?
I used to think my corner bead was good enough with a manual roller but after a buddy let me try his automatic banjo on a big basement job in Cleveland last month I got perfect mud application in half the time so has anyone else made the switch and regretted not doing it sooner?
Saw a guy across the hall bury his knife into the corner crease first instead of feathering out, and suddenly all my wrinkled tapes made sense. Anybody else have that moment where you watch someone do one move and it all clicks?
I always thought those panel carriers that clip onto a standard lift were a waste of money. Then last week I had a 14-foot ceiling job with 5/8 board and my helper called in sick. Bought the Lift-A-Panel attachment for $43 at the supply house. Kept me from wrestling boards overhead alone. Has anyone else used one of these on solo jobs?