Realized I was sanding drywall wrong for 8 years after a contractor watched me for 30 seconds in Denver

I was finishing a bathroom remodel at my own place and this old timer contractor walked through to give a quote on the kitchen. He watched me sand for like half a minute then asked why I was using a circular motion instead of straight lines. I told him nobody ever told me different and he just laughed and showed me how holding the pole at a 45 degree angle cuts the time in half. Have you ever had some random pro call you out on a basic habit you never questioned?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_williams21d ago

@jasonallen wild how the simplest tricks skip right by us for years...

markh8521d ago

Man, that painter tip hits home because I used to think more paint meant better coverage. Always dunked that roller like I was baptizing it. Took way too long to realize a light load and even spread saves time and looks way cleaner.

jasonallen21d ago

Man, I had a similar thing happen with a trim carpenter watching me caulk a bathtub. Dude just stood there for a minute, then goes "you're pushing the bead instead of pulling it" and handed me a different caulk gun. Changed my whole life. Also found out from a random painter at Home Depot that you shouldn't dip your roller back into the paint tray like a madman, just load it once and roll it out. These guys must get a kick out of watching us struggle. Probably reminds them of themselves 20 years ago.