Vent: I stick with magnesium floats over plastic for a smoother coat.

Plastic floats leave too many marks in the surface.

4 comments

4 Comments

But is the finish from a plastic float actually bad enough to vent about? Most times those little marks fade or get worked out with later passes. It sounds like a minor detail that gets blown out of proportion.

abby_price371mo ago

Well, it drags the compound differently than a metal trowel and sets those ridges deeper. You can spend twice as long sanding them out later if you don't catch it. For a small patch it's fine, but on a big wall it becomes a real time sink.

anna_ward1mo ago

Because who doesn't love extra sanding time?

dakota_garcia661mo ago

Does a plastic float really set ridges that deep?