The internet can be a hub for unexpected interests, but this strange fascination online isn’t as niche as you’d think. TikTok is obsessed with drywalling.
Drywalling is a popular construction technique now for houses across the U.S., and thanks to one TikTok account, viewers also recognize it as a surprisingly mesmerizing process. In fact, videos of repairing drywall often make their way to the popular “Oddly Satisfying” Subreddit, amassing thousands of votes at times.
Videos of the technique have been blowing up TikTok, with user @putch8 regularly amassing millions of hits. On June 20, the 21-year-old shared a video, which can also be seen here, of him filling the holes with ‘mud’ during the dry walling process, and has amassed over 37 million views.
The video captures the Montana-based drywall finisher smoothly using joint compound to fill and cover the screws left in during the drywalling process. In recent years, the internet has become fascinated with “satisfying” videos that seem to just hit the spot.
“I could watch this forever,” wrote one viewer.
“I watched this an unhealthy amount of times,” added another.
Other videos by the TikTok user feature him using a nifty tool to complete the task quicker, which has similarly intrigued users, gaining over 11 million views on one clip of it. While some offer a closer look at the skill used by him, including videos of him sweeping the mud around gaps in a mesmerizing circular motion.
@putch8 regularly uploads his highly-requested videos of him scraping paint out of a bucket too. In the clips, he slowly collects the paint from the edges of the bucket using a scraper tool, sometimes adding objects like screws or even sprinkles for added decoration.
While the videos themselves are satisfying enough, they also offer an insight into both the trade and future employment options for the young audience watching.
“See, I want this job but I know I don’t have the appropriate skills nor would I be allowed the time frame I would want. I’d probably take forever,” wrote one user.
@putch8 wouldn’t be the first time construction or manual work has gone viral online for its unique satisfying abilities. A popular TikTok account documenting popcorn ceiling removals regularly racks up views in the millions, as reported by Newsweek in May.
The “oddly satisfying” videos feature Brandon Belliveau, otherwise known as “The Popcorn Killa,” scraping the out-of-fashion decoration into his bucket.
Belliveau was also flooded with warnings amid concerns about asbestos, with some popcorn ceilings having it. He assured, however, that he takes precautions to protect his health, and avoid mesothelioma, by testing the ceiling for asbestos beforehand every time.
Newsweek contacted @putch8 for comment.
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