Skip to main content

From Experience Joint Compound

21 March, 2019

Q: There are so many joint compounds and mud products these days. How do we know which to use for a typical drywall tape repair and skim coating scenario?

A: For patching I like either self-sticking fiberglass mesh or FibaFuse (fiberglass mat) drywall tape.

Pro Tip: Be sure to put a screw the base around the perimeter of the old drywall patch to solidify the area and avoid future cracks!

For making the initial skim coat strong, and also to speed up the drying time, I like to use setting type compounds (5-, 20- or 45-minute mud). Which one to use usually depends on how big the patch is.

Here is an idea of square foot coverages to help choose:

  • Small: 5-minute mud (1/2 a sheet of drywall max)
  • Medium: 20-minute mud (up to 1 sheet of drywall)
  • Large: 45-minute mud (more than 1 sheet of drywall)

When using fiberglass mesh tape in a repair, you should always use setting compound for the first coat, as most manufacturers will state in their instructions.

For the second skim coat, I like to use the setting compound so that a third coat can be applied more quickly. However, premixed joint compound is fine for this coat as well. Just note that it will have a longer drying time than the setting compound.

Lastly, for the third coat I always use a pre-mixed all-purpose joint compound. I slightly thin it with water to skim over all of the two previous coats of mud. Believe it or not, if you put a floor fan on that skim coat it will be dry in an hour or so.

Have a question? Need an expert opinion? APC can help. In each issue we’ll aim to answer a handful of your technical question by reaching out directly to the product experts. Let’s all learn together how to improve the quality of our painting and manage the everevolving range of products coming into the marketplace.

Send your questions to editorial@paintmag.com, subject: From Experience.

Then you are ready to final sand, prime and feather the patch. Sometimes it is necessary to put a full coat of paint on the wall or ceiling, if your feather-in coats don’t match and blend well enough. Answer: courtesy of Florida-based drywall pro Paul Peck of Peck Drywall/Painting and Drywall Tube:

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

If cost and liability were not an issue, what's your one must-have at the company picnic?

Paintball Feld
39%
Axe Throwing
30%
10-Foot Nacho Trough
12%
Potato Salad
19%

Dang it's hot! Does your work vehicle have an orange water cooler?

Yes
22%
No
43%
It's not orange
35%

Did you work for a painting contractor prior to owning your company?

Choices

Why haven't you hired a business coach?

Not worth the money
30%
Too difficult to find a good one
19%
I don't need one
30%
I did hire one!
22%

Has OSHA ever inspected your jobsite?

Choices

Who Buys the Paint Brushes?

Choices

What's the most paint you've ever spilled?

Choices

Did you take a week-long (or longer) vacation this summer?

Choices

If you had to rename your company one of the following, which would it be?

Choices

You meet someone new, and they ask what you do. What do you say?

Choices

On the job site, my painters mostly listen to...

Choices
Post

Tipping App

The first SMS-based platform built for the home service industry,…

Read Now
Post

Water Tower Typos

Read Now
Post

Jobsite of the Week: Hurricane Winds

Read Now
Post

Paint Polls Results: Quality Guarantee

Check out the results and some comment

Read Now
^