7 Drywall Finishers’ Job Secrets You Didn’t Know

Drywall is one of the most common types of construction material, and it’s probably surrounding you right now if you’re living in a modern or remodeled home or office building.  Drywall finishers know the job secrets that help make every drywall finishing project a success, and we’ve decided to share a few of these tidbits with you.

1. The key is for drywall to be invisible.  As we mentioned in the first paragraph of this post, you’re probably in buildings with drywall almost every day of your life.  However, drywall should never be visible.  Its place is to work in the background, not be the foreground.
2. It takes a special touch to be an incredible drywall finisher.  You have to have great hand-eye coordination to finish drywall.  You also have to spend time caring about the details.  Drywall finishing isn’t something you can rush through and expect to get amazing results.  The expert union workers from IUPAT who are drywall finishers know that well!
3. You have to work with a lot of drywall before you get the master touch.  “How hard can it be to hang and dress drywall?”  That’s a question many DIYers ask.  They soon find out that it takes plenty of experience before you can do it correctly and efficiently.  A master’s touch begins with training as an apprentice.  It’s not something you pick up in a weekend. It’s a career, not a hobby.
4. Drywall finishers follow a specific finishing order.  There’s definitely a method to drywall hanging and finishing.  It’s not something you do in a haphazard manner.  By following a proven process, a drywall finishing expert can ensure that the end product is going to be exactly what the project needs.
5. Getting drywall perfectly smooth takes knowledge of sanding.  Drywall finishers aren’t just skilled at hanging drywall.  They also know how to exactly sand away all the edges of mud/sealant/compound so the finished drywall is sleek and ready for primer and paint.  If you’ve never tried to work with a high-power sander, you may not realize that it’s like any other tool: You have to use it a lot before you get accustomed to its rhythm.
6. There is a rhythm to drywall finishing.  If you watch drywall finishers at work, you’ll see that as they add compound/sealant/mud to the drywall, there’s a rhythm to their actions.  This rhythm develops over time, and is the sign of a confident drywall finisher.
7. Drywall isn’t all the same.  There are different manufacturers of drywall, which is made from gypsum and other additives/materials.  Just as everything else in this world varies in quality, so do drywall panels.  Don’t expect to get a five-star result from a one-star drywall panel.  It’s a great reminder that you really do get what you pay for.

Want to learn more about becoming a drywall finisher yourself? Thinking about switching careers so you can get involved in a trade?  Contact one of our representatives at the IUPAT in Toronto, Ontario, for more information on apprenticeships.