4 ms·

Framing is the easy part. Some 5-story apartments by me got framed in a month but took 8 months to be ready for move-in. I can’t think of an air nailer equival

Framing is the easy part. Some 5-story apartments by me got framed in a month but took 8 months to be ready for move-in. I can’t think of an air nailer equivalent for wiring, drywall, insulation, sprinklers, flooring, trim, and so on. Painting has gotten easier with sprayers but that’s about it. And there is one startup with a drywall robot for commercial installations.

DubiousPusher 4y ago
> Framing is the easy part. That's kind of my point. > flooring, trim, and so on Hardwood floor installation is sped by flooring staplers. Though the real time saver has been carpet, linoleum and lately vinyl plank. Trim is largely installed with finish nailers. Siding and roofing nailers exist and are ubiquitous in those tasks. Drywall itself is a time saving innovation over lathe and plaster. Equipment installation though, generally hasn't gotten much faster and people want more of it to boot.
- aidos 4y ago
  This conversation has reminded me of Larry Huan’s “efficient carpenter”. There’s a comment on one of these videos along the lines of “before carpenters had nail guns slowing them down” that made me chuckle. Watching these guys setting and driving nails in 2 hits is a pretty humbling experience. https://youtu.be/IQmt27qN6AI https://youtu.be/IQmt27qN6AI
  - HeyLaughingBoy 4y ago
    I'm old enough to remember when nail guns got cheap enough for the average carpenter to afford one. I remember my friend telling me that it wasn't much faster than a hammer, but at least he wouldn't blow out his elbow by the time he was 40. That counts for a lot.
amluto 4y ago
Wiring: NM-B (Romex, etc) is somewhat faster than metallic conduit. Drywall: Roto Zip or similar tools. DeWalt makes a tool that installs collated drywall screws, but I’ve never seen one in use. Insulation: older houses generally have extremely poor insulation, so a labor comparison is a bit odd. But there are several spray-applied insulation products on the market. In a moderate climate, a whole house can be insulated in a day or two. (Spray foam is very expensive, so mineral wool or fiberglass can be less expensive despite potentially higher labor costs.). In cold climates, exterior insulation may be needed, which is a whole different process. Sprinklers: PEX fire sprinklers are a thing. I’m not sure they are widely used.
- galdosdi 4y ago
  You mention PEX, which along with PVC has made plumbing easier than in the days of copper and cast iron. Pink insulation board is also extremely easy to work with. Better insulation has created long run cost savings, even if they don't apply initially.

DubiousPusher 4y ago

> Framing is the easy part. That's kind of my point. > flooring, trim, and so on Hardwood floor installation is sped by flooring staplers. Though the real time saver has been carpet, linoleum and lately vinyl plank. Trim is largely installed with finish nailers. Siding and roofing nailers exist and are ubiquitous in those tasks. Drywall itself is a time saving innovation over lathe and plaster. Equipment installation though, generally hasn't gotten much faster and people want more of it to boot.

aidos 4y ago
This conversation has reminded me of Larry Huan’s “efficient carpenter”. There’s a comment on one of these videos along the lines of “before carpenters had nail guns slowing them down” that made me chuckle. Watching these guys setting and driving nails in 2 hits is a pretty humbling experience. https://youtu.be/IQmt27qN6AI https://youtu.be/IQmt27qN6AI
- HeyLaughingBoy 4y ago
  I'm old enough to remember when nail guns got cheap enough for the average carpenter to afford one. I remember my friend telling me that it wasn't much faster than a hammer, but at least he wouldn't blow out his elbow by the time he was 40. That counts for a lot.

amluto 4y ago

Wiring: NM-B (Romex, etc) is somewhat faster than metallic conduit. Drywall: Roto Zip or similar tools. DeWalt makes a tool that installs collated drywall screws, but I’ve never seen one in use. Insulation: older houses generally have extremely poor insulation, so a labor comparison is a bit odd. But there are several spray-applied insulation products on the market. In a moderate climate, a whole house can be insulated in a day or two. (Spray foam is very expensive, so mineral wool or fiberglass can be less expensive despite potentially higher labor costs.). In cold climates, exterior insulation may be needed, which is a whole different process. Sprinklers: PEX fire sprinklers are a thing. I’m not sure they are widely used.

galdosdi 4y ago
You mention PEX, which along with PVC has made plumbing easier than in the days of copper and cast iron. Pink insulation board is also extremely easy to work with. Better insulation has created long run cost savings, even if they don't apply initially.