# drywall vs taping, which trade is harder



## 2buckcanuck

I'm bored









So I thought I would stir the pot up again









Who has it harder, the drywaller or the taper.

I find a lot of people in general believe taping to be a easy or girly type trade. Till you ask them if they had to choose between the two, and to think really hard on it, they tend to choose drywall.

So I know everyone on here does not do both trades, but if they give it honest thought, all the pro's and cons of each trade, the physical and mental drain. Which trade is the hardest to do.


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## Mudshark

*poll sucks*

Well I think your poll sucks

We know that a lot of drywall boarders are built like gorillas and sometimes have about the same amount of brains (sorry if I hit a nerve to any of you boarders). So physically I would say boarding is harder.


Drywall finishers or tapers are often challenged a bit more mentally as well as having to produce a finished product good enough to paint so they also have it hard. Although mentally they still use that thing called the idiot stick. 


I think I will abstain from voting. :whistling2:


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## 2buckcanuck

Mudshark said:


> Well I think you poll sucks
> 
> We know that a lot of drywall boarders are built like gorillas and sometimes have about the same amount of brains (sorry if I hit a nerve to any of you boarders). So physically I would say boarding is harder.
> 
> 
> Drywall finishers or tapers are often challenged a bit more mentally as well as having to produce a finished product good enough to paint so they also have it hard. Although mentally they still use that thing called the idiot stick.
> 
> 
> I think I will abstain from voting. :whistling2:


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## Mudshark

You voted that taping is harder 2buck. When you were boarding were you in better physical shape? :laughing:


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## boco

Boarders dont know what 10 hour sand day feels like. Lets see hang 5/8 ceiling or sand ceilings all day. I will hang anyday over sanding, but I will tape before hanging.


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## mudslingr

boco said:


> Boarders dont know what 10 hour sand day feels like. Lets see hang 5/8 ceiling or sand ceilings all day. I will hang anyday over sanding, but I will tape before hanging.


Bingo ! :thumbup:


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## Mudshark

boco said:


> Boarders dont know what 10 hour sand day feels like. Lets see hang 5/8 ceiling or sand ceilings all day. I will hang anyday over sanding, but I will tape before hanging.


Sure boco, nobody seems to like sanding rather than the rest of the finishing but the same could be said about boarders. Most would rather do walls and the rest rather than ceilings or as we call it here lids.


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## boco

Lids are tougher for sure. We do some sheeetrock jobs but mostly ones that are 8ft stand ups. :thumbsup:


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## Mudshark

I still think hanging lids with 12 foot 5/8ths is tougher than sanding. Sure makes my back sore.:blink:


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## 2buckcanuck

Mudshark said:


> I still think hanging lids with 12 foot 5/8ths is tougher than sanding. Sure makes my back sore.:blink:


I disagree
When I rocked, we use to get the 5/8 board, sure it was heavier, but it was more rigid, once in place, you struggled with it less. Well the 1/2" rock would sag in the middle, meaning you could struggle with it more.

And if your back is sore, here's some advice, don't try lifting the house, just the sheet


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## Kiwiman

Boarding harder, except when compared to sanding :yes:


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## moore

Finishing out a bad hanging job can kill a taper.


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## moore

Mudshark said:


> Well I think your poll sucks
> 
> We know that a lot of drywall boarders are built like gorillas and sometimes have about the same amount of brains (sorry if I hit a nerve to any of you boarders). So physically I would say boarding is harder.
> 
> 
> Drywall finishers or tapers are often challenged a bit more mentally as well as having to produce a finished product good enough to paint so they also have it hard. Although mentally they still use that thing called the idiot stick.
> 
> 
> I think I will abstain from voting. :whistling2:


I hang,,and I weigh a buck 50..with the brain of a gorilla..


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## Jason

No one with half a brain would do either for a living. We're all brothers in stupidity.


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## Kiwiman

Kiwiman said:


> Boarding harder, except when compared to sanding :yes:


Hand taping or auto tools?


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## msd

when i first started 30 yrs ago we would stock the house then start hanging now that really sucked.


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## mudman46

Hmm I do believe taping is the hardest 
as i do both
as taper seems to be the one the g/c makes
and he chooses the hanger mostly on your word if you don't hang it your self = more stress as you end up responsible for both anyway
and taping it is the art of hide and seek[to bad we don't earn an artist's wage]
so even in slow time's a g/c can get his men to hang
like to see them try to fill
never mind i did see they suck
and anyway once you have done something for years
man you mostly don't even have to think your body already knows how to lift that sheet so it goes up in a few second's and on to the next
as taping you know pressure point's on a trowel
or the certain way to hold pump ,flusher whatever :thumbsup:


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## gazman

I am having trouble with this poll. Hanging is physically harder, but taping requires more finesse. 
One hurts, the other presents a challenge.


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## smisner50s

Im say say 50 / 50 split...hanging can be hard if your have to go 100 mph to get it done..
So can taping if every job you start seems like your 2 weeks behind and you have to go 100 mph to get the taping done..
Although some people just make things sceam harder than what they are..
Ill tell you what can be hard .running the zooke..than wiping ..than running corners.than picking 3 points.and spotting fasters...so what im saying is running auto tools all by yourself that can wear you done...its fast paced..and its really a 2 plus man system if you want it to flow from on procedure to the next.


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## Kiwiman

Taping is the easiest job I've ever done but at the end of the day I'm completely knackered, although it's not physically demanding like heavy lifting, it's constant full on without stopping.


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## saskataper

After recently finishing my first boarding job of any size I have gained a new respect for boarders, it kicked the **** out of me. 7000' and I cut and screwed 95% of the sheets only had labour to hold the other end on 6 of the 9 days it took. I figure it took me twice as long as a good boarding crew would have taken and I'm not about to do it again any time soon. That being said I would like to see a boarder whose never done any real taping put in the same situation, I think it would get pretty messy.


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## DETROIT ROCK

Did you ever see highly skilled carpenters mess up a hang job?
Most carpenters don't want to touch mud.
A drywall hanger thinks the finishers job is easy and pays too much and is 
more _Glamorous_ he thinks if he can become a finisher he will get the money.
Then when he gets the money he has the power. Then when he has the power he gets the pussy. 






I would say i am equally skilled in both but finished for years before ever hanging large jobs. A finisher can make more money faster by working by himself. I hear no talk of sanding crews. When we were building new 
homes 100 at a time the drywall contractor had sanders payed 4 cents sf
They could make 200 a day.


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## 2buckcanuck

Kiwiman said:


> Taping is the easiest job I've ever done but at the end of the day I'm completely knackered, although it's not physically demanding like heavy lifting, it's constant full on without stopping.


Holy, you must not get pushed hard my sheep loving kiwi buddy









Thanks for the responses, and keep them coming, I know this is a touchy subject but.......

I will admit their both hard, But since I did both trades, I do get asked the question a lot of, which is harder. I always say drywalling is more like a work out , when lifting weights . While taping is more like a aerobic work out or Marathon if you have not had a day off in awhile. both can drain you if over done.

I also explain (if someone is willing to listen:whistling2 That at the end of the day from drywalling, you were drained, but always found a second wind when you got home to mow the grass or something. Or do what ever your wife was nagging you to do. But with taping, you would hit the couch, and say screw the world, I'm not moving from this spot.

Also, I find tapers get ran over more with time schedules, They say you have x amount of time to get things done. Or they will send the painter, trimmer, spray guy or clean up man in on you before your done. Try starting a house before the rocker is done, they will F'n kill you 1st. you might get that toxic mud on them or their tools

Then lastly, were one of the few trades,,,,, that has to leave things perfect. We can't say "Taper Fix !!!" or screw it, leave it for the next guy. One little pin hole or little ding in the wall,,,,, you Suck.... so the stress load is higher, and things can get real political sometimes. it pays to know how to argue/fight when your a taper. Or they will walk all over you:yes:


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## chris

What he said:yes:


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## moore

Hangers have NO idea what call back means.. They have never seen one!
Wheres my check?? Are there hookers in this town?? oh.. do you have anything coming up soon?


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## saskataper

2buckcanuck said:


> Then lastly, were one of the few trades,,,,, that has to leave things perfect. We can't say "Taper Fix !!!" or screw it, leave it for the next guy. One little pin hole or little ding in the wall,,,,, you Suck.... so the stress load is higher, and things can get real political sometimes. it pays to know how to argue/fight when your a taper. Or they will walk all over you:yes:


I'm agreeing with you there. Today I went back to the chiropractors office i just finished to see if the other side of the demising wall was ready to fire tape, as soon as i walk in the GC goes to me "I'm glad your here there some stuff i wanted to show you" and he proceeds to point out how one of the bead on a 12' long bulk head has a slight waver to it that you can see if you look down it towards the light. This is the same bulkhead that he had framed totally out of square and i had told him that I would do my best to get it straight :furious:
as well apparently there was a bump on a wall that he couldn't see but one of the "Drs" saw in just the right light. :furious: But I seemed to miss the part where he said thanks a lot for busting your ass and getting it done when you said you would.


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## bmitch

exsperienced in boarding and taping ,i have to give it up to taping as being the tougher of the two.i just keep thinking of the 5 rotations i have to do to complete a cathedral ceiling verses the one trip if i was boarding .these larger cathedrals are gettin tougher for me,in the near future i'll be turning them down.it just happens my next house is 4200 sq'ft ,1000sq'ft is cathederal,maybe it'll be my last.


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## Final touch drywall

Tape behind good hangers that lay out the job with the proper size sheets & not just all 12 footers like most guys reluctantly do & a tapers job is a breeze...:thumbsup:
Tape behind guys that only hang 12's & of coarse yer gonna say taping is harder...:whistling2:.Layout is key to an easy finish job.....There is a reason they make sheets in 8,9,10,12,14 & 16 ft lenghts.


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## gazman

Final touch drywall said:


> There is a reason they make sheets in 8,9,10,12,14 & 16 ft lenghts.


And 20ft in Australia.:thumbsup:


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## moore

*Ape brains*

I was was working in basement stairwell this morning ,and kept pushing this wire out of my way ...Then I thought ..what is this wire?? 
It was the garage door opener!:blink: Wrong side boys! 

Evolve ..Don't know where ya been ,,but I could sure use ya down here..:yes:


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## Mudshark

moore said:


> I was was working in basement stairwell this morning ,and kept pushing this wire out of my way ...Then I thought ..what is this wire??
> It was the garage door opener!:blink: Wrong side boys!
> 
> Evolve ..Don't know where ya been ,,but I could sure use ya down here..:yes:


And you think tapers have it harder. You see those poor boarders are faced with tough decisions that require thinking at times. Too bad they screwed up on that one.


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## P.A. ROCKER

I'm glad I didn't answer this thread the other week but if you're a taper stop whining that your jobs sooo hard. I just hung three houses (about 600 sheets total) with another guy, and my body is beat to chit. 14' 5/8 on 11' lids to wrap up the week and every joint in my body freeking hurts. Gimmie my taping tools, I want an EASIER job than hanging drywall:yes:.


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## Rockerchris

I think if your body is used to hanging, then taping is harder and vice versa. Personally though I think that taping is mentally more stressful. Most hangers that have to work over bad framing pass it on to the finisher. The finisher has to make his final product look good regardless of the hang job.


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## moore

Rockerchris said:


> I think if your body is used to hanging, then taping is harder and vice versa. Personally though I think that taping is mentally more stressful. Most hangers that have to work over bad framing pass it on to the finisher. The finisher has to make his final product look good regardless of the hang job.


 AHMEN brother.:thumbsup:


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## cazna

gazman said:


> And 20ft in Australia.:thumbsup:


6 Metres here, I think thats 20f.


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## P.A. ROCKER

*you right!*



Rockerchris said:


> I think if your body is used to hanging, then taping is harder and vice versa. Personally though I think that taping is mentally more stressful. Most hangers that have to work over bad framing pass it on to the finisher. The finisher has to make his final product look good regardless of the hang job.


I agree completely (except for the mental thing) and its still easier than hanging.


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## Tstang

I'm a sheetrocker in manhattan and I can say that taping is by far harder to perfect than rockin. Sheetrock isn't a finish product. The tapers have to make us look good. I'm sure every rocker has heard,"leave it loose, the tape is a deuce". Taping looks easy until you start doing it.


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## Stopper

Depends, I finished a house with 150 butt joints in it, I'd say that was easy as pie to line with drywall. The whole place had archiframes and the builder was too clueless to cut drywall round them, he just cut strips instead, every piece of drywall in the entire house was rectangular, he never bothered to fit it round windows or doors. And the owner was just as clueless.
I was sanding drywall today in the heat, shut up in a room with my mask on and radio earmuffs with a sanding block in one hand and a 500watt light in the other and the sun coming through a large box window, it was dam hot ...

"...The stopper will fix it"
"..... have the got some mud mixed up? throw some in there.."
"...The stopper will fix it"
"...The stopper will fix it"
"...The stopper will fix it"

nar one trade has it easier I reckon


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## moore

The hangers have alot to deal with at times:whistling2:
This was some of the worst framing I've seen..... this year LOL!!
I've seen worst just can't remember when. I got feed up with takin down and triming so I just slapped it up like he did ..and left it for the next guy..the taper [me]


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## gotmud

Before I started taping, we always used to say "nothin a good taper can't fix " LMAO
I don't say that anymore
True story!

At least we know that taper on your job is a pro who can make anything look good :thumbsup:


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## chris

Getready to mix some hotmud....alot of it


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