I have 6 guys that work for me. I have noticed a trend with 2 of the guys and am about to dispurse some corrective discussion. But………….there is always a butt, I really believe in allowing guys to work in the manner they wish as long as the product quality is good and the time taken is basically the same.
All that being said here is the issue. When I finish drywall I take a spot light bulb in a portable lamp with the aluminum guard on it and shine it across the wall to check my finish when I am completely done sanding. I prime and then do it again with any corrections handled at each check. I rarely if ever have a miss during the paint coat using this method.
Because I believe in and use this method I have taught it to my son, brother (who each work for me) and one other employee we have. I also equip each truck with the said light. Last year I hired a couple of experienced new guys from different areas and backgrounds. Both tend to finish the drywall, prime and paint and then fix anything that shows.
I think this is a big time waste as sanding the touch up mud down on relatively fresh paint gums up the paper, scars the paint and I think it is difficult to get to a good finished product in a timely fashion. But………….there is always a butt, maybe I am wrong as I always do my finish the same way. What say ye o breaktime pro’s? Speak and I will adhere to the masses advice. DanT
Replies
Although I am by no means a finishing or painting pro, I agree that 'it is difficult to get to a good finished product that way in a timely fashion.'
The company I'm working for just did a commercial job with a long hallway that had florescent lights shining down upon the walls. I continually urged the drywall finisher to bring in a light to shine along the walls while he was doing the finishing (the electricians didn't have the florescent lights installed yet) to ensure a quality finish. Although he owned such lights, he was confident in his ability to work without them and refused.
Well, I'm just learning how to finish drywall (I usually only hang it), and I was only the carpenter on the job. However, after the job was all painted, and the florescent lights were installed, you could see irregularities everywhere. Since the finisher was also the painter on the job, he had to correct the irregularities and re-paint the hallway walls seven times before they appeared satisfactory.
Perhaps it was either his finishing or painting skills, but somehow I doubt it would've taken him that long if he had good lighting and finished it right the first time.
-T
Dan - I'm a carpenter that has been doing his own finishin' since 1984.
I do mine like you do. Sometimes a spot needs more mud, sometimes a light sanding with 100 grit takes care of it.
Once you've painted, sanding anything out is 3x harder.
Do you sponge the walls before you paint? I do and find it makes a world of difference how the paint finish turns out.
Just curious what others do too...buic
Actually I put an old bath towel over a broom and dust the whole thing down before priming. Never sponged before although it would be a thought. DanT
I've been doing taping, when I have to, since the late 60s. I'm with you on all the methods you've described, with one addition. Passing a big damp sponge over my work with the work light on it makes every little imperfection easy to see. Having a hawk nearby makes quick work of it. The sponge can also be used to do fine tapering and to remove excess dust from sanding.
Sponging removes the dust too. I use a large clamshell sponge and a new sponge mop.
It also turns the water bucket into very diluted mud.
This coats the paper with a very thin wash of mud.
It balances out the difference (somewhat) between the way paper and compound absorb the first coat of paint.
Primer and two coats always look good after this. Works for me...buic
Agreed, thats the right way...I am always amazed when I see people sanding finish paint on anything. Huge waste of time and money, and the job ends up worse.
Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
I'm with you. As far as I'm concerned, the only way to get a good job is to apply the final finish coat to the entire wall. You can mess up the rock, spackle, sand, prime, and repaint, but, unless you repaint the entire wall for the last coat, it won't look right.
your way works and it's your company ...
but ... being the diplomat that I am ...
I'd think about this.
OK ... everyone does it my way ...
and U can opt out but any fixes me or the customer demand are done as soon as I schedule them ... pretty much night right after 5 ... and done for free ... by U ...
or U are instantly fired.
Don't care of gramdma died at 4:55 ... thems the odds U choose to play.
I'd also take a look at stocking that thicker primer ...
USG First Coat is one brand. Think Sheetrock has one too.
never used it myself but had a great drywall guy tell me his company started using it ... and even the biggest hack in the company ... who every else hated working with ... had way less callbacks.
basically said if it could make this guys aork acceptable ... it'll work wonders for the rest of the world.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I have a T-pole made of 2x2s just a smidge taller than the ceiling height, with three clamp lights spaced on it, all plugged into a single extenion cord. It's easily repositionable along the wall at a low angle and i can turn the top light to shine along the ceiling plane, so i use it while both mudding and sanding instead of checking after the fact. I've occasionally filled a pinhole that i missed after painting, but this method doesn't leave much room for error by that stage.
Edited 9/6/2007 1:13 am by splintergroupie
Touch up when the paint is still not perfectly dry is a big nono. You can check your finishing with a light while sanding, but that won't catch pin holes in the mud. I always check after the first prime coat, touch up and then prime again with Sheetrock First Coat. The two coats of primer act as a skim coat.
One only needs to sponge if the paint will be sprayed; if it will be rolled, no need to. Instead of a sponge, cut a fluffy rug piece about 1" wide on each side of your sanding pole, dip it in a bucket of water and wipe it around all your seams, butts, screws and angles. It removes the dust for paint spraying real fast. If the water drips over any finishing, don't touch it, just let it dry out.
Sponging over a seam, etc. I would never do as it leaves line marks on the mud.
I do very little sanding, no need, then run just a dampened sponge over the work to get dust, prime, then I do the angled light, touch up, spot prime and paint 2 coats. The heavier primer is good stuff.
I use your technique during sanding and after priming. See tag line.
If something shows up after the priming, I touch up and sand again then spot prime - BM Fresh Start - sandable primer for initial prime and spot - no paper gum, just fine dust.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
"I really believe in allowing guys to work in the manner they wish as long as the product quality is good and the time taken is basically the same. "
Regardless of what you or anybody else thinks is the best way with this or just about any other technique, all this is secondary to how you treat your employees. If a worker's production is generally good, you have to be careful how you handle criticism of their work. This doesn't mean that you don't criticize but that you do it in a diplomatic and respectful way. I think that is what your statement above means and I would encourage you to keep thinking along those lines.
I have found one of the most interesting things about working with other competent people is that you learn different ways of achieving the same results. Hopefully your employees will learn from you and vice versa. I have found that the best way to get an employee to improve their techniques is to have them redo work to meet your standards. Although they are getting paid to redo the work, most people will not be happy to do so and will take steps in the future to avoid this. I have never had anybody insist (to me) that there work was good enough.