Finally figured out the tape and float trick that was killing my speed

I've been hanging board for about 4 years now, mostly doing basements and garages around Portland. Last week I was on a job with a guy who's been doing this since the 80s and he showed me something about pre-wetting my compound before taping. Sounds basic but I always just mixed it dry and went straight to work. He told me to add a splash of water and stir until it was like thick pancake batter, not the stiff paste I was using. Man, the tape laid down so much smoother, no bubbles or wrinkles, and I didn't have to go back over half my joints the next day. Cut my time on a 12x14 room by almost 2 hours, and I only had to do one coat of mud instead of the usual two. Has anyone else messed with their compound consistency that much or am I late to this party?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesm381mo ago

You ever feel like you been doing something the hard way for years and then some old timer just walks up and ruins your whole world? @james_campbell12 I think you got it flipped though, pre-wetting the mud is like giving the sun a little extra water to grow the plant faster. But yeah I tried the pancake batter trick after reading this and my tape actually stuck flat instead of looking like a wavy potato chip. Felt pretty dumb standing there with my mixing paddle wondering why I never tried it before. My back hurt less the next day too which is a bonus cause I'm not 22 anymore.

verawhite1mo ago

Funny how the smallest tweaks in life unlock the biggest results, just like a little water changes everything.

james_campbell121mo ago

A little water doesn't change everything though, plants still need sunlight too.