# I hate doing drywall



## Static Design (Nov 30, 2008)

The reason is im slow with it, I sand on it to much, and it's never like the guys on new construction. I've done a lot of drywall work but im not efficient with it, I want to become better. 

Is there any books or tips you season veterans can offer me? Im usually the guy at the very beginning design phases or the guy at the very end of the projects so I can't rubber neck to much on the pros. 

Help me get better, its something that I think I might like to do more of if I was better.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Spend some time watching a PRO. Work with him if you can. Watch closely then it's mostly a matter of doing it enough so your good at it.
It will be tough to be as good as a guy who makes his living at it, hanging or taping. Although often done by the same guy they are two different trades that involves more finesse than you think.


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## JonM (Nov 1, 2007)

I've found if I sub that kind of work out I become extremely fast....:clap:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I'm pretty slow myself, I can't stop playing with the mud trying to get it perfectly smooth.


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## Carpenter Wayne (Dec 21, 2009)

Unfortunately the ONLY thing that will help in your quest is for you to do more of it and more often, and then more of it and more often again - there is no "quick fix" in learning how to finish (watching someone isn't going to help much). It's something you *personally* have to do repetitively for yrs to get good/fast at. That's why it's called a "skilled trade" and they (finishers) make more than many carpenters, and other tradesmen (less than some but more than others). In my state/area - journeyman finishers make on avg. about $2 more per hr than journeyman carpenters do (in the commercial world anyway) - I'm sure it carries into residential also.


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## SC sawdaddy (Oct 15, 2008)

Hang it for the finisher, then watch him and stay out of his way.


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## IHI (Dec 25, 2004)

I used to be "that guy" that put on 5 gallons and sanded off 4. Frustrating and I hated it, now I look forward to doing mudwork like i look forward to doing finish trim, to test myself into how quickly/effeicently I can get it done vs the previous time.

THE biggest thing, is knife pressure and learning how to apply pressure to one side of the knife blade and not so much on the other. Say your doing your first coat (all knife applied vs bazooka's), the bedding coat it's impairative you get as many ridges out of the first coat as possible. Having pock marks and such is no big deal, but getting a decently flat first coat helps speed up the 2nd/3rd coat. When it comes time to do the second coat....you should NOT have to sand the 1st coat at all. Use your knife and go around and just "chisel off" any ridges/knife marks and use the knife to scrape down any higher points....this is MUCH faster than sanding and creates zero dust.

Now if your using premixed mud for your 2nd/3rd coat....do yourself a big favor, add a lil water and mix it up. The stuff straight outta the bag or bucket is too thick to effeicently spread. Thinning it a tiny bit so the material is workable is a key point in making life easier. So now that your applying your second coat, this is where knife manipulation becomes critical to keep the sander in the truck. Your second coat will be filling any voids/pock marks from the first coat, then there will be a step from the edge of the first coat down to the paper of the drywall....to blend this step and feather the 2nd coat edge of the mud into the drywall paper, you trowel on your thinned mud along that transition line but you put alot of pressure on the paper part of the drywall and not soo much pressure on the 1st coat step line. Your essentially "screeding and blending" all in one shot. This will blend in/hide that step from where the first coat mud stopped and drywall paper is, and since your putting quite a bit of pressure on the knife blade (my knife blade will always be in a bent position from the pressure) it ensures where the 2nd coat ends and the drywall paper begins that this step in the mud to paper is super thin.

With the thinner mud, workability is MUCH better, so it reverts back to knife manipulation to achieve a perfectly smooth 2nd coat...to the point where you could actually just paiint right over it with no sanding at all. The 3rd and final coat is nothing but a further feathering/blending into nothing so the only sanding you should have to do is the very edge of the drywall to paper transition just to make it invisible come paint time.

thinner mud and knife pressure are the keys to hardly any sanding what so ever. I had a drywall buddy come over to my house years and years ago to teach me some tricks and it revolutionized how i approached drywall, now it's actually fun to see how little effort I can put into the job and have it come out sweet.:thumbsup:


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

I been subbing this work out all the time, nobody can compete with this guys :thumbsup:


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## BuildersII (Dec 20, 2009)

Drywall is an art. A very boring, repetative, mind-numbing, back-breaking, soul-draining art. The guys who are lightning fast finishers are usually grossly underpaid too, which is sad since it's a skill that takes years to become truly efficient at.

I've been told by several mudders that it takes a minimum of two years of day-in day-out work to become "good", and even more time to become great. When I say good, I mean reasonably efficient and seamless.

I'm "alright" at patchwork, and I'm "sh*tty" at new construction, therefor, instead of trying to learn to learn this difficult art, I just call up my drywall sub to take on big drywall projects and stick to what I'm good at.


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## roomrenovators (Sep 20, 2007)

SC sawdaddy said:


> Hang it for the finisher, then watch him and stay out of his way.


I did this for years and realized I was putting too much thought into finishing, it is so simple and fast when you stop trying to make it look like the 3rd coat after sanding is complete ..lol


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## Static Design (Nov 30, 2008)

I sub out large jobs when I get them but its mostly hanging bath rooms, patch work, additions, etc. I don't think people in my area would want to teach me side by side since I would be consider a competitor or stepping on there toes since im not forwarding them more work. I like to do everything by myself, I want to learn as much as I can, and this is one skill im liking on the efficiently scale. 

I buy the buckets a lowes with the green top, should I thin it out on the first coat? or just 2nd and 3rd?


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

*Pratice, Pratice, Pratice:thumbsup:*


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## d's (Mar 16, 2008)

Myron Ferguson has a great book out on the technical aspects of the trade - but the workmanship can only come from practice. There are videos on youtube showing guys doing various types of knife work that will start you off on the right foot.

Always asking yourself the questions "how can I sand less?" and "will this matter after I've sanded?" will make you more efficient

Enjoy!


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## stp57 (Dec 12, 2007)

I do alot of drywall repairs & I used to have the same problem. If you try to use too much mud on the first coat then it will make it harder & you will try too hard to make it "perfect". I go light on the first coat, just to enough "cement" the patch. The rest will go easy.
Steve



Inner10 said:


> I'm pretty slow myself, I can't stop playing with the mud trying to get it perfectly smooth.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Static.............you will learn, just remember....thin....thin.....thin.!!! 1st coat just enough mud to cover tape,no more than that. The rest will be easier. Good luck! arty:


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## samccard (Aug 17, 2007)

I got plenty of practice this week. I sanded off a stippled ceiling and some of the rooms had been painted over. I gave up on them and skimmed them, sanded and skimmed again gave me lots of practice. I belive you just have to do until you learn what works best for you.


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