Drywall News and New Products

What is the biggest difference between the horrific drywall work I did in my first few projects and the work I have done in my latest projects?

It takes me a lot longer to finish my drywall!

That sounds almost contradictory. After all, should one get faster, not slower? Not really.

When I first started, I gobbed the compound on, sculpting the thick layer with my taping knife, leaving it way too thick. Then, I followed with a good sanding. But things did not look right, so I gobbed on some more mud, let it dry, and sanded some more. At this point, I had all the compound I needed, so I just kept sanding. And sanding. And sanding. Finally, as things started to “level out” a bit, I started hitting paper tape and the paper drywall board. Sanded paper = fuzz. Oh well, the paint will cover . . . (wrong again!) I finished my wall in two days but it looked like a 6-year old’s art project.

Now, I put on the mud but take most of it off with a smooth stroke of the wide taping knife. Not two coats, but rather 4 or 5 along with some touch-up mudding. And I don’t touch the sandpaper till ALL coats are on and the surface could almost pass without a sanding. I now “knock” the surface down where needed with a taping knife. So now, it takes me nearly a week to finish a wall. But it looks like it was done by a good professional! (A good professional does not need to cover blemishes with texture). I use all-purpose compound for all coats. I guess if I were doing this for a living, I would use some faster drying compounds for the first coats. But as a DIYer, I am in no hurry.

For a free online 10-step video series on taping and repairing drywall, see Drywall Repair Videos.

Another 1/8" Deformation Since Last Time

It has been 3 months now since I first hung 23.5 pounds on a single Hercules Hook on a 1/2″ drywall panel. And it is still hanging, although the hook continues to deform, slowly but surely. As you can see from the photo, the hook has deformed another 1/8 inch or so since I checked 2 1/2 months ago. So now there is about 1/4″ of total deformation as compared to a new hook.

Also, the hook is starting to dig into the drywall where it hangs, with a total of about 1/8″ so far.

I have placed the weight back on the hook. The next time I post will be when my 23.5 pounds falls out. See you later on this topic!