Debate: Should we pre-fill screw dimples or let the finisher handle it?

I've been installing drywall in Phoenix for about 8 years now. On a garage job last month I pre-filled every single dimple before the finisher showed up, and he said it saved him 2 hours. But my old foreman always said never touch the mud because finishers have their own system and you'll mess up their process. What do you guys do on commercial jobs where time is money?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.oliver5h ago

Pre-filling for sure, every finisher I've worked with loves it.

quinn3415h ago

and here's the thing nobody wants to talk about - pre-filling changes your whole sanding schedule. @black.oliver i know you've seen guys try to rush through it and end up with dips and swirls that haunt them forever. if you pre-fill right, you can knock your first sanding pass down to 80 grit and actually get flat instead of chasing the wood. the secret is letting it dry completely hard, not just "feels dry" hard, before you touch it with anything. saves you headaches on the final buff when you're not finding little craters.