c/drywall-installers

Overheard a homeowner in line at the hardware store say they'd never pay for a 'skim coat' again because it's 'just paint'

Just spent 3 hours trying to match a 10-foot cathedral ceiling texture from a 1978 repair patch.

The original mud had some weird plaster mix in it, and my spray gun kept clogging until I thinned it with a bit of water and vinegar, so has anyone else had to deal with a mystery texture blend in an old house?

Heard a guy at the supply house say he uses a 12-inch knife for the final coat on ceilings.

Tried it on a job in Tempe last week and the wider blade really helped keep things flat. Anyone else use a bigger knife for topping?

PSA: That cheap bulk tape from the online marketplace is a total trap

Honestly, I bought a 500 foot roll of 'pro grade' mesh tape from a random seller for half the price of the name brand stuff. Tbh, the adhesive was basically useless and it kept bubbling on a ceiling job in a new build over in the Westgate subdivision. Ngl, I lost a full day redoing it all with proper tape, which cost me about $400 in labor. Has anyone found a decent budget brand that actually holds up, or is it just not worth the risk?

Pro tip: I found a way to fix a bad tape job without redoing the whole seam

I had a seam on a ceiling in a Phoenix remodel that bubbled after the first coat. Instead of cutting it all out, I tried something my uncle mentioned once. I used a utility knife to make a small slit in the bubble, then injected a tiny bit of all-purpose joint compound directly into the gap with a caulk gun. I pressed it flat, let it dry for about 90 minutes, and then sanded and coated like normal. It saved me at least two hours of scraping and retaping. Has anyone else tried a patch method like this on a finished coat?

My old boss said to never use a 6 inch knife on a ceiling. He was dead wrong.

I was doing a big ceiling in a new build in Spokane last fall, trying to finish before the rain. He insisted on a 12 inch blade only, saying a 6 inch would leave ridges. I tried his way for half a day, my shoulder was killing me. Switched to my 6 inch Goldblatt, kept the mud thin, and it came out smooth as glass. Who else finds a smaller knife gives you more control overhead?

TIL about a weird old building code in a town near me

I was working on a remodel in this little town called Millersburg last week, an old house from the 1920s. We pulled down some plaster and lath in a hallway and found the original framing. The studs were spaced at 24 inches on center, which is normal, but every single one of them had a 2 inch notch cut out of the bottom plate, right where it sat on the sill. The homeowner said a local inspector told him once that it was an old fire code thing from that town, something about letting air flow to slow down chimney fires in the walls. I've never seen anything like it in 15 years of doing this. It made me wonder how many other little local quirks are out there, buried in walls nobody's opened in a century. Has anyone else run into a strange building detail that was totally specific to one area?

Shoutout to the old guy who bet me I couldn't hang 50 sheets in a day

He said it at the supply yard last month, and I took it as a challenge on a big residential job. We started at 6 AM with a full crew of three, using a lift on the main floor and just stilts upstairs. We finished the last screw at 4:30 PM, and the count was exactly 52 sheets. It wasn't about the money, it was about proving a point on workflow and hustle. Anyone else ever had a bet like that push them to a new personal best?

Just switched from a 6 inch to a 12 inch taping knife for my final coat

I used to fight with my 6 inch knife for years, thinking it gave me more control. After watching a guy in Spokane finish a whole ceiling in half the time, I tried his 12 inch. It lays down way more mud in one pass and leaves fewer lines. Anyone else make a simple tool switch that saved them a ton of time?

Unpopular opinion: The new quick-set mud is a trap for anyone doing a full ceiling.

I've seen three jobs in the last month where guys used it on a 12x12 foot area and it cracked at every seam within a week. What's your go-to for a big, flat surface that actually stays put?

PSA: I mixed a batch of compound with a cordless drill for a small patch and it came out way too airy.

It was just a quick repair in a bathroom, but the finish was full of tiny bubbles after sanding. I learned my old hand mixer gives a much tighter consistency for taping. Anyone have a good method for small batches with power tools?

Ran into a retired installer at the hardware store who gave me a tip on corner bead

He saw me picking up some standard vinyl bead and said, 'Kid, for outside corners on a rental, you're better off with paper-faced metal. It'll survive a door slam.' I'd never even considered the difference for high-traffic areas. What's your go-to for corners that need to take a beating?

Shoutout to the guy who showed me the right way to load a hawk

I kept getting mud on my wrist and thought it was just part of the job. He saw me at a site in Denver last week and said I was holding the hawk flat instead of tipping it slightly toward me. That one angle change keeps everything cleaner. Anyone else pick up a simple fix that made a huge difference?

My uncle said something about taping that actually made sense for once

He's been doing this for 40 years and was watching me tape a ceiling. He goes, 'Kid, you're fighting the mud. Let the knife do the work, you just guide it.' I was pressing way too hard, trying to force it flat. After he said that, I lightened up and the finish was way smoother. Anyone else have a simple tip that just clicked like that?

My uncle told me to always put a dab of mud on the screw head before driving it...

He swore it stopped the paper from tearing and gave a better finish. I tried it on a whole ceiling in a house near the lake last month... ended up with little hard lumps under every single joint. The homeowner's kid pointed them out and called them 'ceiling zits'. Had to sand the whole thing flat again. Anyone else get some weird old-school tip that just made more work?

Saw a crazy drywall detail at the new library in Bellingham

They had these huge curved soffits in the main reading room, maybe 20 feet long each. The installer told me they had to pre-bend the 5/8 inch board by scoring the back and misting it for two days before hanging. Anyone ever tackle a radius that big without a bunch of seams?

Showerthought: I thought those magnetic corner trowels were just a gimmick

My buddy in Denver lent me his Goldblatt 4 inch model last week for a tricky bathroom ceiling. I was shocked at how much cleaner the inside corners came out on the first pass, with way less buildup. What other tools did you guys think were nonsense until you actually gave them a shot?

I finally switched from a 6-inch to a 12-inch taping knife for the first coat

For years, I stuck with a 6-inch knife for my first coat, thinking it gave me more control. Last week on a big ceiling job in a new build, I tried a 12-inch knife just to see. The difference was huge (I finished the first coat almost 30% faster). The wider blade holds more mud and feathers the edges way smoother with fewer strokes. It felt awkward for about ten minutes, but now I don't think I'll go back. Anyone else make a simple tool switch that saved a bunch of time?

Spent a whole day on a single corner bead in an old house

I was working on a house built in the 1920s and the corner was so far out of plumb it was a joke. The framing was all hand cut and nothing was straight. I thought I could just muscle the bead into place, but that was a bad idea. It took me from 7 AM to almost 5 PM just to get that one corner right, shimming and cutting that metal bead piece by piece. Has anyone else had a corner fight them that hard in an old place?

Saw a hotel lobby in Nashville with a perfect 16-foot ceiling seam

It was a compound curve meeting a flat plane, and I couldn't spot the tape line from 10 feet away. What's the best method you've found for blending those long, tricky transitions?

TIL my tape measure was off by a quarter inch after a whole house job

I was finishing a big house in Springfield, cutting a final piece for a hallway ceiling. I kept marking from my 25-foot Stanley tape, but every piece was just a bit short. After the third bad cut, I checked it against my metal ruler and saw the hook was bent out. I had to re-cut about 15 pieces, which set me back almost two hours. Has anyone else had a tape fail on them like that, and how do you check yours?

My uncle told me to always use a 12 inch knife for taping, and I finally get why.

He's been doing drywall in Phoenix for thirty years and swore by it, but I used a 6 inch for my first few jobs because it felt easier to control. On a big ceiling job last month, I tried his way and it cut my taping time in half on the long seams. The longer blade just glides straighter with fewer stops to reload mud. I still use the smaller knife for inside corners, but now I grab the 12 inch for everything else. Anyone have a favorite brand for those bigger knives that holds up?

Mud setup was way faster in the Arizona heat last summer.

I was taping a basement in Phoenix during July. The compound would skin over before I could even spread it. Ended up using cold water and working early mornings to slow it down. Curious how you all handle quick drying conditions in hot places.

That custom archway I built from drywall is sagging after a month.

I really wanted to add some character to my hallway, so I decided to build a curved archway out of drywall. It took me days to cut the right shapes and get the mud smooth. I used flexible corner bead and figured it would stay put. But now, after just a month, I can see it starting to droop in the middle. It looks bad, and I'm mad at myself for not making it stronger. I got too focused on how it looked and skipped some important steps. Has anyone dealt with this kind of thing before? I will probably have to take it all down and do it again, which stinks.

Appreciation post: Moisture-resistant drywall in basements is catching on fast around here.

Seeing fewer issues with mold and callbacks since more clients ask for it.