Drywall taping/mudding guns (Bazooka, Level5, etc) – worth it?
Bdgray
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hello all,
Like most sane people, I hate taping and mudding. However, I’ve seen videos of products that combine the taping & mudding process and then quickly apply finish coats. Big brands appear to be Bazooka and Level5. At least on these videos, the product looks amazing.
My situation is this. I need to tape/mud & finish:
- ~ 1,500 square feet in our recently remodeled basement
- a Master Bedroom addition (500 sqft) requiring both walls and ceiling.
- a 800 sqft play room above a detached garage
My options:
- Hire someone and outsource the whole headache. I’ve no clue how much this would cost but I have to think this is going to run me several thousand dollars.
- Invest in one of these products and sell them on CL for 1/2 price when I’m done. ($1500 new, sell at $750; net cost $750). Or if I love it, I might even keep the thing.
I’m just curious if these products make taping/mudding as easy as it looks. Certainly leaning toward making the investment vs outsourcing but I’m cautious of believing the products are good as advertised.
Also curious how many of the accessories are truly necessary.
Thank you,
Brian
Replies
I remember watching a guy use one of these things probably 35 years ago, and he made it seem effortless. I kinda have this vision of the guy doing it in a suit and tie, though I know that's not what it was. (I know he seemed old at the time -- must have been 50.)
About 10 years back I saw a guy using a different (no doubt cheaper) tool -- it had the tape on a sort of giant Scotch Tape dispenser with a cup built in that you would load with mud. It was a lot sloppier, but went amazingly fast.
Of course I'm sure there's a significant learning curve to either.
As you've noted, it's usually easy to sell something like this on Craig's List after you've used it. I did the same with a (rather less expensive) tile saw and got half of the new price in 24 hours.
LOL
lotsa luck or lagh out loud.
If you think you can work one of them there contraptions like the videos show on your first 1500 sq ft ? Save your $$.
lime Dan said -- 'learning curve'..
Heck, I'd put up paneling to avoid finish taping.
Or hand finish, then buy a $20 texture gun and go that route, looks better than flat DW anyway.
If you think mudding with a knife and pan is hard just try a bazooka! The guys you see using them have thousands of hours of practice. For the few thousand you'll spend hiring a pro I can't imagine why you'd even consider doing it yourself with no experience. A good finishing job will be the first thing you see, or don't see, in a home.
Hire It Out
There's a reason it's called a 'skilled trade.' A pro will do the job better, faster, cleaner, and maybe even cheaper.
The biggest difference will be in the amount of cleaning and sanding needed when the mud dries.
As for buying used equipment, much taping equipment is rented ONLY, and will never be legally sold. The gear is so marked- yet it still turns up in pawn shops and internet markets.
Probably the best thing you can do to make for a perfect job is to 'skim coat' the entire job. This is a two man job, so you can pitch in and help here.
To apply a skim coat, one person rolls on a diluted mud mix (half mud, half water) on the entire face, while the other immediately smooths it with a very wide (16" maybe) knife. Later, it all is very lightly sanded. The result is a very smooth wall, with a uniform texture.
I would expect the helper to mix the mud and to roll it on. Mud is best mixed using one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-speed-paint-and-mortar-mixer-69856.html
Think of it this way, a bazooka will cost you $1500.00, your try it mess with it for several days, realize your botching it and hire someone to come finish the job,
if your sheetrock is already hung, then finishing it will cost you what? 2k? hiring someone not only saved you the headache, it also saved you an extra 1.5k