Finishing drywall isn’t just a job — it’s a skilled craft that takes time to master. And even when you’re a master, there are always going to be new tools and techniques you can pick up to up your game. Whether you’re a drywall wizard or a weekend warrior, the New Year is a perfect opportunity to set up some goalposts to become the best finisher you can be. These are just three great New Year’s Goals for finishers that you can use as a springboard to grow in your craft and your business this year.
1. Pick Up Some New Tech
Finishing is a hands-on craft that doesn’t jive well with shortcuts or gimmicks, so finishers would be forgiven for assuming an app can’t make their jobs any easier. And when it comes to the physical process of taping and mudding, they’d usually be right.
But there are some great tools to pick up for the business side of the finishing trade. For instance, there’s a pretty simple, free app called Drywall Calculator Pro that makes it easy to tally up material costs for your next job. Something like Joist (pictured) goes even further, promising to be a kind of all-in-one contractor service that includes estimating, invoicing and even logo branding tools. For teams of subcontractors, we’ve also heard positive things about Plexxis’ ability to put your whole crew on the same page and streamline your business.
Even if you’re not the most tech-savvy person, there’s a ton of value to be found this year by looking into tech that works for you.
2. Go Beyond Your Basic Corners
We’ve made our name from making corner bead: straightforward, vinyl 90-degree angles that stand up to impact and everyday wear-and-tear. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and setting New Year’s goals for finishers should mean committing to pushing further.
For you, maybe this means finishing a corner decoratively — say, with the rounded edge of a Bullnose Bead or the eye-catching detail of a Reveal Corner Bead (pictured). Finishes like these can take a job from the conventional to “drywall art,” without requiring a huge budget.
Or maybe for you this might mean looking for new solutions to some common problems you face on the job. For instance, we waded into the waters of code compliance because we heard from too many finishers that fire sealants — short-lived, tricky to apply and requiring added backing materials — were a constant pain in their sides. If you’re tired of traditional firestopping methods too, learn everything you need to about the solutions we’ve introduced here.
3. Learn From Your Peers
The drywall finishing craft is experiencing a bit of a golden age of appreciation from outside the industry, all thanks to social media. There are a number of drywallers and finishers out there making names for themselves on Instagram and Facebook, showcasing their work for all to see, and are attracting a ton of attention to our trade.
One of our favorites, who puts out high-quality videos all the time (with killer soundtracks) is PRC Taping. We’ve worked with them before and have always loved any time he posts something new.
Our friends at Drywall Nation also always post interesting content and helpful instructional videos, and are definitely worth a follow.
One more we love to follow is Scott Montgomery from Drywall by Design — he’s a true pro who even seasoned drywaller veterans could probably learn a thing or two from.
Of course, we feature all these drywall masters and many more on our own social media channels, so if you really want to learn from your peers this year, do yourself a favor and follow Trim-Tex on Instagram here!
Whether you pursue these New Year’s goals for finishers this year or a few of your own, we hope you’ll have one of the best years of your drywalling career this year! For more tips, techniques and news all year, don’t forget to subscribe to Trim-Tex’s monthly e-newsletter.