Old timer told me I was using too much mud on my butt joints

Guy with 30 years experience watched me tape a ceiling and just said 'son, you're feeding the drywall not finishing it.' Cut my mud usage by half and my sanding time dropped way down, anyone else get roasted by a veteran and actually learn something?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah_williams1mo ago

Kept loading the mud on thick for years thinking it'd save me trips across the room... then a commercial guy watched me work and asked if I was trying to fix the studs with joint compound. Felt like an idiot at first but he showed me how a tight coat actually floats better and doesn't leave those hard ridges you always gotta sand down. Now I spread it thin and let the tape do its job, sanding went from half an hour per seam to maybe ten minutes tops. Wish I'd listened sooner, that old dried mud falling in my hair was no joke.

taraw161mo ago

It's funny how that same principle shows up everywhere once you start looking for it. People think more is better, whether it's mud on a drywall seam, sauce on a taco, or even information in a meeting. You just pile it on because it feels safer and like you're being thorough, but it ends up making a huge mess. All that extra weight just causes problems you have to fix later, especially the hard ridges you mentioned. The real skill is knowing exactly how little you can get away with while still getting the job done right. It's like that old saying about doing less to achieve more, but nobody wants to believe it until they get shown by someone who actually knows.

taylor_fox1mo ago

Yep that commercial guy sounds like he knew his stuff. I had a similar wake up call when a painter told me I was leaving more mud on the wall than I was actually smoothing out. It's like with tacos - you think loading it up with sour cream and salsa means more flavor, but really you just end up with a soggy mess that falls apart before you even get a bite. Now I spread my mud thinner on the first coat and let the tape hold the weight, just like with tacos I use a light hand on the wet stuff and let the dry ingredients do their thing. Those half hour sanding sessions turned into quick touch ups after I stopped trying to fill every little gap all at once.