Watched an older guy tape a whole room in 20 minutes and it changed my mind about using prefill

I used to think prefill was just extra work and you could get away with taping over gaps if they were small enough. Then last month I was on a job in Cleveland and this guy in his 60s showed up to fix a mess I left. He mixed up some hot mud and filled every gap and butt joint before even cutting tape. I stood there thinking he was wasting time until I saw how flat his finish came out after one coat. Meanwhile my walls still had that wavy look on the butt joints even after three coats. He told me prefill is the difference between looking like a pro and looking like a handyman hack. Has anyone else been stubborn about prefill and then realized it actually saves time in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sean3d ago

Man, prefilling is a total game changer once you actually do it right. It's amazing what a difference that extra step makes.

the_henry3d ago

Wait is prefilling really that big of a deal? I've tried it a few times and honestly didn't see that much difference in how my stuff turned out. Maybe I'm doing it wrong but it just feels like an extra step that doesn't always pay off. I get that some people swear by it for certain things like painting or drywall but for regular stuff around the house? Seems like overkill to me. How much time are you really saving in the long run?