The trick is to put it on thin so that you don't have to sand...

[Danimal]

Deleted

[Mazin]

But it turns out that tricks are best done by magicians. And when I try "tricks" my wall looks like hammered ass. I understand the principal of sheet rocking and I have done it enough that you would think that I posses the skill set to do it properly and in a timely manner, but you thought wrong just like I did. I am on like layer 50 and there are still areas that need patching.

I think that to do this for a living you need shoulders of a body builder, a steady hand that makes a neurosurgeon jealous, infinite patients, and in general a complete skill set that I do not posses. Respect to those laughing at my situation who are capable of such superhuman feats. Damn I need another beer and I am going to sleep.

Brother I was a commercial painter for 8 years, I can fill, paint, but when It comes to hanging, taping and skim coating SCREW THAT! I feel your pain, the guys that do it for a living have a talent that few have especially when it comes to no texture jobs...

[opie011]

Brother I was a commercial painter for 8 years, I can fill, paint, but when It comes to hanging, taping and skim coating SCREW THAT! I feel your pain, the guys that do it for a living have a talent that few have especially when it comes to no texture jobs...

It's a talent for sure. I'm in the middle of remodeling my house, pretty much a whole gut, and with knocking down walls and forgetting to use drywall shims for the patches, it took several coats and a shit ton of sanding. I'm so glad I did a HEAVY knockdown texture...hid almost all the flaws

[cstone]

I hate texture. I can't get the hang of it and it just makes patching and matching a huge pain.

Give me smooth walls any day. I normally use a damp sponge between coats on the tape and screw holes. Last coat gets a light sand to even it out. Patience is the key, and even the best jobs wind up with a little bit of a seam or ripple if you know what to look for. Some colors can really show off or help hide imperfections.

Now horse hair plaster on 120 year old lath boards... Cracks like an egg shell into a million pieces if you try to cut or drill. Once it's up and cured, leave it alone and it will last forever and be as hard as a rock.

In Colorado, I pay someone to texture and depending on the job, I usually just let them hang the dry wall as well.

[Great-Kazoo]

Drywall rule of thumb

How much and How Long ?

[rockhound]

I was a contractor for nearly 15 years. i do have the talent necessary.

we bought a big fixer upper this last year (3600 sf). After having been out of the business for about 5 years i have hung nearly 45 sheets of drywall as we have fixed up this house, most of it last season in the basement and the kitchen remodel

now in addition to losing 13 pounds (we have been working hard) i have carpal tunnel in my wrists from floating the drywall, nothing like waking up with numb hands every morning

hanging sheetrock is a skill that you should avoid learning if at all possible.

[Wulf202]

Stomp texture is all I like to use anymore because it's easy, hides alot of shit and you can patch it back

I've got 15+ sheets to hang as soon as my electrician is done.

[beast556]

Been doing maintenance for over ten years now once you learn the tricks its not so bad.

[BPTactical]

^^^ what the Beast said-the "tricks" save your keester.
Throw away the 8 & 10" drywall knives, use a trowel after the initial tape embed with a 6" knife.
You can feather it out much easier and save an assload of sanding.
When you look down the edge of a decent drywall knife you will see it has a slight bow to it. You want to always hold the knife so the concave part of the bow faces the wall, it leaves a slight swale to your mud pass. I used to put a notch on the handle so I always knew by feel which side of the knife faced me.
The real trick is the pressure you put on the knife, too much and you squish out your mud, too little and you leave too much.
Inside corners-invest in a butterfly.
Get your knifework nice and tight and it minimizes your sanding.
That's why I learned to use a trowel, you can float out a seam nice and flat to where you don't have to sand.
No sanding? How so?
Once your mud starts to kick and stiffen a bit you can come back with a sharp 8" mud knife and shave ridges off.
Let it kick a bit more to where it is just getting really hard and come back over it with a stiff sponge that is just damp to smooth it out. Rinse the sponge frequently and don't use it too wet.
You will be amazed how much sanding you save between tight knife work and the sponge trick.
Another advantage to the sponge work-you won't need topping compound because the sponging smooths over small imperfections. If you have to use topping compound you really want your knife work tight. The topping compound is harder than hell to sand.
But yes, rock work sucks.

[rockhound]

^^^ what the Beast said-the "tricks" save your keester.

edge of a decent drywall knife you will see it has a slight bow to it. You want to always hold the knife so the concave part of the bow faces the wall, it leaves a slight swale to your mud pass. s.

both sides of the knife have a purpose,

the concave side is good when you are trying to hide tape, or outside corner metal not good when floating an inside corner or a patch,

i actually use the convex side exclusively, i like the way it feathers and it never leaves a knife edge in my finish, and it allows for way more control of the flow of mud, but i also have 15 years of experience doing it so have developed my own style.

texture free finishes are actually no big deal when once you get the hang of it.