Roger Waters, once a member of Pink Floyd, and always a lyri(musi)cal genius, in 1987 wrote “The Tide Is Turning,” a song heavy with sentiments of war, nuclear holocaust, media malevolence, and political malfeasance.

No doubt, a construction career can be tough, with daily dour developments broadcast by media and word of mouth.

Recently, in my continued attempts at vocation diversification, I interviewed a New Oxford, Pa.-based homebuilder for an article to appear in our local newspaper, The Evening Sun.

Two weeks ago, I rode to the hospital, ridden with a painful, inoperable shoulder, ready for an operation to fix 16 years of drywall rigor and an inane insistence to defer a necessary surgical procedure. 

Recently, my father (majority owner, with my mother, of our family run drywall company) and I spent an afternoon skim coating a house, a feat considerable only because of its regularity

Owed to a busy workload that didn’t afford a day off for over six weeks, I submitted this blog well past my intended deadline. And, ostensibly, this crush of homebuilding (and our adroit drywalling) activity in our work area of southern Pennsylvania was owed to the looming end of the Federal Government’s tax credit for first time homebuyers.

As the homebuilding industry continues to plod through this necessary correction, the number of “experts” and their thoughtful antidotes to overcome the pallid economy seemingly outpace the number of monthly housing starts. Yet, amidst this deluge of directives, a simple yet salient business practice garners scant exhortations. Until now, that is.

I’m referencing the gleaming and glamorous entertainment offered by several home improvement programs, especially those displaying the craft of drywall. Or more appropriately, the foils of drywall.

Adherence to a few tips can assist in easing the burden of “buttering”, a texture applied to ceilings, and quickening the pace in which it’s done.

How a small family-owned drywall company nailed down familial strife and life to ensure a successful transition of ownership.