Appreciation post: The guy at the Milwaukee tool demo who showed me a better way to mark studs

I was at a demo event in Columbus and saw a guy just run a strip of blue painter's tape down the wall over the studs, then mark his cut lines right on the tape. I mean, it sounds simple, but I'd been using a pencil on the drywall for years. It leaves no marks to clean up after. Anyone have other little tricks like that for keeping a job site clean?

4 comments

4 Comments

lee5822mo ago

That tape trick is a game changer for quick clean up. I started using a small magnet to find drywall screws instead of a stud finder, and it leaves zero damage. Little changes like that really add up at the end of the day.

torres.riley3d ago

Oh man, I have to say that magnet trick for drywall screws is something I wish I'd figured out years ago. Stud finders have given me false readings more times than I can count, and it's always when I'm already frustrated. I've been using a simple rare earth magnet I picked up at a hardware store, and it's way more reliable in my experience. The fact that it doesn't leave any holes or marks is the real selling point for me, especially when I'm working in a finished room.

the_jessica2mo ago

That magnet trick is pretty smart, I'll have to try that. It reminds me of when I was helping my dad redo his kitchen and we kept losing the little metal clips for the cabinet doors. We ended up sweeping a big magnet over the drop cloths to find them all instead of picking through the sawdust by hand. Those little frustrations can really slow you down.

the_max2mo ago

Used to think magnets were just for the fridge. Now I keep one in my tool bag all the time.