Bad week.
Two jobs of ceiling water damage. Replace sheetrock, spackle, and paint.
Thinking the finish looks good, all sanded, prime. It doesn’t look right. Paint. Looks absolutely awful. Amateurish. Lots of air bubbles, big humps. Just horrible. Both homeowners see it better than I do.
Also, using Bin shellac-based primer on water spots. Once painted, more spots appear. Again and again. Then, the Bin primed spots show through the finish paint.
But, really, my spackling is sucking. I used to be pretty good. Perhaps it’s more patching than new work that’s the problem.
Unfortunately, I have never had depth perception, and lately I feel my vision may need help. I’m not sure if the lack of depth perception is what’s hurting my work.
I just bought Myron Ferguson’s book and video, so, when I get them, I hope they help.
I was using Dura-Bond and Easy Sand, but I like the way Rapid Coat is spreading better.
I have to try to start fixing these jobs tomorrow. I am not a happy little camper. Frustrated, embarrassed. And, I think I was looking at $/hours worked instead of quality no matter what.
Not a good week.
What’s the saying about if you don’t have time to do it right the first time…..
Glenn
Replies
Unfortunately, I have never had depth perception
Sounds like double vision. Know it well, all I've ever known. Make sure you're properly tested. Usually the test involves a line and a dot, unlike other vision testing. During VietNam, I was draft classified IV-F (which guy do I shoot?).
But that's not reason enough for your work problem.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
In my experience, lighting makes all the difference. Something that looks smooth as glass under one light will look like the Atlantic ocean in a nor'easter when you see it under different lighting conditions. Same thing happened to me last week. Joints looked fine, even after priming, under halogen worklights. Then the overhead cans were installed and I found myself wondering what had rendered me so totally blind when I was finishing the joints.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Light that hits nearly perpendicular to a surface tends to hide the flaws. Light that's close to parallel to the surface reveals them.
-- J.S.
I never found Bin shellac-based prime to work well in covering stains. I always use oil primer for bad stains. I use the shellac based for normal priming that has only minor things that need covering. You can buy the oil based primer in spray cans and spot spray the stains.
Hot mud I only use for my first coats and lately on small jobs I'll use the Sheetrock brand mud that is dustless when sanding. Goes on nice and smooth and the dust falls straight to the ground...also shrinks less and does corner bead easier for that reason.
I agree about the lighting! and glasses couldn't hurt..not that big of a deal so go do it ol' man : )
"What people will notice and remember is the broad brush of how how we act.We can aspire to reach our high ideals, or we can slide down the slippery slope towards the despicable." rjw
http://www.john-lennon.com/imagine-neilyoung.ra
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I guess you mean the Kilz in a spray can?I think I'm not feathering out enough.Also, probably trying to get out to quick. Now I have to go back embarrassed.Ol' man? I'm only 44. That's the new, um...Forget it. I can't seem to remember now.Glenn
yeh..the Kilz in the spray can but be sure it's the OIL. Or just buy a quart of Kilz oil and a few of those China bristle disposable brushes.After you prime the entire spackle job go back with a light and look for ridges....thats when you can really see them...after its primed...then hit em' with some more mud and sand and reprime those spots.
I go around and "lightly" pencil all the areas I think need to be respackled over the primer...then I lightly pencil the area again so I remember where to prime.
The worst that you should have to do is sand more than you'd like to...if you're doing enough spackle jobs it may warrant a new tool...the PC drywall vaccum and orbital sander. I see them on Ebay a lot.
also...go hang out in the drywall area of JLC and read through those posts from time to time.
"What people will notice and remember is the broad brush of how how we act.We can aspire to reach our high ideals, or we can slide down the slippery slope towards the despicable." rjw
http://www.john-lennon.com/imagine-neilyoung.ra
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I'll have to try the spray. Everything else I used to do that way. I think I'm letting $/hr cloud my judgement.I do look at the drywall sections. I look at EVERYTHING. Something is always somewhere to learn.Glenn
Yes, it's good lighting that will reveal your work. In some lighting the work looks perfect- then holding a light from diff angles brings out the problems.
I rigged a lamp on a pole that stands nearly as high as the ceiling I'm working on, then (the light) shoots across the ceiling. It brings out nearly all the flaws and I keep skim coating till they're gone.
For me skim coating is better than sanding because it's harder to go over the sanded work-sanding leaves dust that makes the drywall compound goo up as you apply it.
It's a pain in the behind, but keep going over the work areas with light (in a dark room) from every angle till you smooth out the bad spots.
And there is nothing like a little cold wet mud hitting you in the face to totally blur your vision!Well, Guess I have to learn how to do THAT, now!
go down to the dollar store and buy 10 pair of glasses for .99 a piece and throw them in the truck. at 49 my eyes went from perfect to needing reading glasses in 9 months. i'm still in the 1.00 glasses but another year and i think it's time for real ones. larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
"If you don't have the time to do it right, where will you find the time to do it over?" That may be what you are talking about. Was my signature until it was hijacked. Have a good one.
"If all else fails, read the directions"
That's probably where I saw it. Thought it made great sense then. Living it now.Glenn
The eyes begin to loose ability to focus at around age 40, and it only takes a few years before they become so bad that glasses for close work becomes necessary.
Other stuff starts to go bad around 50.
Let's not go there. I'm already on a special embarrassing drug.Glenn
Two things. Lighting and glasses. The lighting has to be able to be near the ceiling to work. Shinning it up at the ceiling doesn't work as well as shinning it sideways at the area. It shows everything.
I make my own if you are cheap. They telescope up. The 1/2" emt slides inside the 3/4". The cord goes through an eyelet at the bottom in case it gets pulled it won't just pull the light over. All the parts are very available. If you get a 10' stick of the 1/2" and the 3/4" you can make two. Might as well for when you break one.
For glasses I go to the pharmacy and get magnifying glasses that focus about 20" away from your eyes. That is where your work usually is done. Get the ones that are big so you get a big field of vision and they should be magnified throughout the whole lens. That way you don't have to tilt your head back to use them. Especially for overhead work.
Between the lighting and the glasses you will notice a big difference in your work.
Edited 6/29/2007 8:58 pm ET by popawheelie
Edited 6/29/2007 9:02 pm ET by popawheelie
I also need reading glasses at this point in my life, but I never use them to spackle or paint. I rely on lighting to show me shadows, high/low spots, ridges, etc. I don't need perfect focus to detect an area that still needs attention. I have a 1000 watt halogen worklight on a telescoping tripod. I usually set up it up as close the the ceiling as convenient with the light coming from behind me or slightly to the side.
Good lighting goes a long way to compensate for presbyopia ("old" eyes).
I also use my hand to sweep across my drywall repairs. Most areas that still need a little more feathering can be detected this way. Using my hand also removes any excess dust.
Get glasses that are cheap and get several. I couldn't get this uploaded in the othe post so here is a pic of some big cheap magnifiers. They look stupid but they work.
You'd be surprised at how many men don't want to wear glasses. Get over it. They are a tool. Get t-shirts with a pocket and put them there when you talk to someone.