Ten years of drywall and I just figured out mudding

I always mixed my joint compound way too thick. Like peanut butter thick. Thought that's how you fill gaps fast. Last month a old timer watched me work and just laughed. Said try it like pancake batter. Less sanding, less cracking, and I cut my time by like 20 percent. Who else learned basic stuff way later than they should have?

2 comments

2 Comments

theagarcia17d ago

Doubt it's that serious honestly. Joint compound thickness is pretty forgiving once you get the feel for it. I've seen guys use everything from toothpaste thick to watery soup and they still get smooth walls. The real trick is just feathering your edges right, not the consistency. Pancake batter sounds way too thin for me, would probably run everywhere and make a mess. Plus if you're getting cracking and sanding issues after ten years maybe check your technique instead of blaming the mud. Not saying the old timer's wrong, but there's a hundred ways to do drywall right.

viola_cooper6217d ago

I've been doing drywall for almost 15 years now and I gotta disagree a bit on the thickness thing. I've seen way too many guys try that pancake batter mix and end up with sagging on vertical seams or bubbles showing up the next day. The old timer might be onto something about a happy medium between toothpaste and soup.