Old timer taught me the wet sponge trick on a hotel job in Denver

I was working a big hotel renovation in downtown Denver back in 2019. Got paired with a guy who had been hanging board since the 70s. He noticed me struggling with a crooked corner and just walked over, wet his sponge, and ran it along the joint compound. Said "Son, sometimes you gotta fight fire with water, not more mud." That one interaction stuck with me because it showed me the value of simple fixes over brute force. Has anyone else picked up a weird tip from an older installer that actually works better than the modern way?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellyj2325d ago

Hear you @ross.jessica, but the wet sponge trick is legit for smoothing without making a dusty mess. Saves your back too.

ross.jessica25d ago

Wait is joint compound really that serious where you need a special trick for it? I just slap it on and sand it down if it looks jacked up.