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Trying to teach my nephew drywall basics without making a mess
My 12-year-old nephew is staying with us for the summer and he's super interested in learning how to hang drywall. I've got a small bathroom remodel going on, and he wants to help. But every time I let him try taping or mudding, it ends up everywhere except the seams, lol. I don't want to discourage him, but I also can't afford to redo the work. Have any of you dealt with teaching kids or relatives the trade? What are some good beginner tasks to start with? Maybe just measuring or cutting with supervision? I'm worried about safety too, with tools and dust. Any advice would be great.
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dakota_miller937mo ago
My first drywall job looked like a mud wrestling match.
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the_eva7mo ago
Teaching taping and mudding to a kid right off the bat is asking for a mess, like what @dakota_miller93 described. Start with letting him measure walls and mark cut lines, that's way less chaotic. Once he gets the hang of using a T-square and utility knife under your watch, then move on to hanging the sheets themselves. Safety goggles and a dust mask are non-negotiable, drywall dust is no joke. The mudding part can come later, after he sees how the pieces fit together cleanly. It keeps him involved without turning your bathroom into a disaster zone.
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derek_stone987mo ago
God, that takes me back. My dad let me hold the flashlight for everything, but once I almost sawed through a live wire thinking it was a pipe. He never let me forget that one.
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