Have you ever walked into a room and realized that the walls looked uneven beneath the coat of paint? Did you realize that the drywall was showing through? This is a sign of a very poor drywall finishing job, and that’s not indicative of drywall finishing that’s been done correctly by a trained professional. Though many websites will tell you that drywall finishing is something that can be easily done by the DIYer over a weekend, it takes more than watching a few videos to perfect the technique. In fact, it takes the proper type of classroom and hands-on knowledge to be able to finish drywall so beautifully that it never shows through paint, wallpaper or any other wall covering.
The professional drywall finishers who are members of the IUPAT recognize that drywall finishing is a job that requires the following elements to ensure that the outcome is perfect in every way:
- The correct tools, equipment and products have to be used. Drywall finishers who have been doing their line of work for a while understand which tools to use for different aspects of the project. They also can recognize when materials, such as certain types of compound, are subpar and should not be used. Novice drywall finishers simply do not have the expertise to make these types of judgments.
- Precision governs every step in the process. The drywall finishing process can be broken into numerous smaller steps, and every step must be precise. There’s no room for error, and no room to simply skip a step or gloss over it. Drywall finishing pros who take their work seriously will not allow themselves to move onto the next step until the previous step is accomplished acceptably.
- Personal safety needs to be considered. This is another area where so many DIYers fail in their attempts to do drywall finishing at home. Safety gear is essential for any kind of drywall finishing project, and that includes the right type of headgear, eye protection, respiratory protection, etc. Union drywall finishers have this type of equipment on hand, and use it to ensure their own safety, as well as the safety of others.
The next time you go into a space, look for signs of drywall finishing. If you can’t see any, you know that the job was probably done by an expert union drywall finisher!
Is drywall finishing a career path you’re interested in pursuing? Then we want to talk to you! Call the IUPAT and speak with one of our union representatives right away.
