4 ms·

While it's not rocket science, I always find it to be super annoying to do. Getting things smooth/flat when you're done (generally, I think I wind up doing 4-5

While it's not rocket science, I always find it to be super annoying to do. Getting things smooth/flat when you're done (generally, I think I wind up doing 4-5 layers of mud) takes a fair amount of time. Plus sanding it down without getting the powder everywhere is difficult; I use a wet sander / sand "sponge", but even then I wind up with some of it spreading around.

bombcar 4y ago
Drywall is one of those things I've found it is highly worth hiring out. Even if you hang the drywall, hiring someone to tape and mud and sand can be entirely worth it - they do it day in, day out, can use five minute mud, and can get done in a few hours what would take you days or even a week. Doing small repairs is easy enough that everyone should at least know the concepts involved.
- lazide 4y ago
  Concrete finishing is another, IMO. It takes a lot of practice to be smooth enough at doing it to have a nice result over any large area before the concrete sets. It’s not the type of thing that benefits from going ‘hmm, maybe I should do it this way’ after you’ve started. Also, it’s much, much easier to do as a small crew - easily 3-5x more productivity per person. Same as drywall. It’s not easy to do as a solo worker, even if you know the tricks.
latchkey 4y ago
My house already has the "Santa Fe" texture on the walls... it is supposed to be not perfect. Going with smooth, seems like a mistake to me.
- robocat 4y ago
  I’m guessing what people are saying is that they have seen plenty of home jobs where the surface is left with an obvious bulge, hollow, or an hideous line. Some people are very sensitive to surface unevenness, and really notice slight surface imperfections, and some people don’t notice gross errors. In my very limited experience, many textures are often harder to make look right than flat surfaces. I think I am sensitive to texture variation, because with textures I notice mistakes and I often notice where alterations have been made. Either way, your Santa Fe look is irrelevant to the topic of fixing problems in walls when they are not textured like yours.

bombcar 4y ago

Drywall is one of those things I've found it is highly worth hiring out. Even if you hang the drywall, hiring someone to tape and mud and sand can be entirely worth it - they do it day in, day out, can use five minute mud, and can get done in a few hours what would take you days or even a week. Doing small repairs is easy enough that everyone should at least know the concepts involved.

lazide 4y ago
Concrete finishing is another, IMO. It takes a lot of practice to be smooth enough at doing it to have a nice result over any large area before the concrete sets. It’s not the type of thing that benefits from going ‘hmm, maybe I should do it this way’ after you’ve started. Also, it’s much, much easier to do as a small crew - easily 3-5x more productivity per person. Same as drywall. It’s not easy to do as a solo worker, even if you know the tricks.

latchkey 4y ago

My house already has the "Santa Fe" texture on the walls... it is supposed to be not perfect. Going with smooth, seems like a mistake to me.

robocat 4y ago
I’m guessing what people are saying is that they have seen plenty of home jobs where the surface is left with an obvious bulge, hollow, or an hideous line. Some people are very sensitive to surface unevenness, and really notice slight surface imperfections, and some people don’t notice gross errors. In my very limited experience, many textures are often harder to make look right than flat surfaces. I think I am sensitive to texture variation, because with textures I notice mistakes and I often notice where alterations have been made. Either way, your Santa Fe look is irrelevant to the topic of fixing problems in walls when they are not textured like yours.