A homeowner in Everett watched me mud a seam and asked why I didn't just use more tape

I was finishing a basement rec room, running a 6-inch knife over a butt joint. The guy stood there for five minutes, then said, 'Wouldn't it be faster if you just slapped a whole bunch of tape on there first?' I had to explain that too much tape creates a ridge you can't sand out, and the right amount of mud underneath is what makes it disappear. He just shrugged and walked off, but it stuck with me how little people know about the basics. Anyone ever have a client question your most routine move like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.kevin3mo ago

My buddy Jake had a client ask him why he was putting down tar paper before the shingles on a roof in Tacoma. The guy thought it was just a waste of time and money. Jake spent ten minutes explaining how it's the backup layer that keeps the house dry if a shingle fails.

robin_wright3mo ago

Man, that reminds me of a guy who asked why I bother sanding between paint coats.

taylor_flores2mo ago

That exact thing happens all the time. People don't get that sanding between coats is what makes the paint stick and look smooth. @king.kevin's story about tar paper is the same deal - it's one of those invisible steps that saves you from a nightmare later. I had a buddy who skipped sanding once and the paint peeled off in sheets within a year. It's just one of those things you have to trust the process on.