Had a real mess with a patch job in a cold garage last month

I was fixing a hole in a garage wall in Denver, and it was about 40 degrees in there. I mixed my mud like normal and slapped it on, but after two hours it was still wet and sagging. I realized the cold was stopping it from setting right, so I grabbed a small space heater and aimed it at the patch from a few feet away. After another hour it finally started to firm up, and I could do the second coat. Have you guys ever had to use a heater to help mud dry, and what's your trick to keep it from cracking?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese5501mo ago

Ever try a hair dryer on low heat? I had a patch in my basement that wouldn't set, so I gently warmed it with a hair dryer from about a foot away, moving it around for maybe ten minutes. It firmed up enough for a second coat without cracking because I didn't overheat one spot.

karen2751mo ago

Used to avoid heat on fresh concrete entirely, worried it would cause more problems. Your method actually makes sense though, keeping it moving on low avoids the shock of a sudden temperature change. Might try that next time I'm dealing with a stubborn corner in cool weather. The key seems to be patience and not rushing it with high heat. A slow dry beats a cracked patch any day.