Keeping the connection to the plastering past by “make-work” processes, or “How to get 3 men to do the work of one to triple the cost.”
Drywall is a system of finish that was designed to replace the old, labor intensive and time consuming finish system of plastering. While finishing interior walls with mud by using hand tools was once the only way to do it, the plastering method gave way to installing 4 foot wide X 12 foot long gypsum panels, over a century ago.
The labor-intense system of plastering gave way to a better idea of installing large panels, and simply taping and finishing over the joints, fasteners, and outside corner trim with a joint compound, also called mud. But, the system of finishing drywall, compared to the labor-intensive system of plastering, is like comparing a snail to a thorough-bred race-horse. The two systems are almost complete opposites in time/cost efficiency.
Even the best effort of the dying plastering industry was made during the 1960’s with a similar panel, known as Imperial board, it still fell quite short of competitive, cost-wise, as a full coverage coating of veneer plaster was required to finish it.
A manpower requirement of 4-1 man hours could not, and did not, save the system, since it was like painting your house with a 2 inch brush. A slow, tedious, adventure in make-work.
While even taping and finishing just the joints, fasteners, and corner trim with hand tools could be compared to painting your house with a 9 inch roller, instead of a 2 inch brush.
As history repeats, opportunity continues to knock …
Throughout the 70’s drywall finishers discovered that they could double production, and their rate of pay by using automatic taping tools to finish drywall in a very cost efficient and systematic manner, while maintaining the highest standards of finish quality.
Instituting modern standards of quality and production that fully ushered in an end to the “plastering” era of labor intense operations, for better interior finish and production.
While pay rate was mostly based on an hourly rate of $15.00, competent “tool” finishers could double that productivity, working at a “piecework” rate that revolved around $2 dollars per 12′ foot sheet of drywall. Many earning $25 – $30 per hour for their time, taping and finishing drywall with automatic taping tools, creating a very cost efficient system of finishing drywall.
At the same time, minimum wage was established at about $2 dollars per hour, and the average college graduate would look forward to a starting salary around $13,000 per year. While the drywall industry was capable of delivering a “Level 5” quality of finish for a very competitive cost of $3 dollars per 12′ foot sheet of drywall, the professional tradesmen that earned $30 per hour, for their time doing it, were not received well down at the bank when they came in to cash their paychecks of $600 – $1,200 dollars.
Since they had worked for, and earned every dime of it, they were nowhere near humble enough, for most of the management types that were much less self-propelled.