Mudding Drywall

No doubt about it that we often under estimate the work involved with taking on a new home remodeling project. That’s usually because most people hire a professional to do the job, and other than popping in to see if the guys would like a cup of coffee while they work, we tend to leave them to it. That may be why if you ask the average person about the steps involved in hanging drywall they will probably forget about all the details that come after it is up, perhaps the most important of which is mudding.

It’s a dirty old chore that is enough to drive the average do it yourself lover to drink, but if you are strong enough to steer clear of the bottle, then there are a few trade tips that may help you do a better job of mudding drywall.

There are a couple of different ways to drywall mud, and those are as pre-mix, or as a dry compound that will require you to add water in order to get the correct consistency. If you are planning on doing the mudding without any kind of skilled help, then it’s advised that you go with the pre-mixed variety as it leaves no margin for error.

While you will be sanding after the application, you can help make that process go far more smoothly if you try to apply the mud as evenly as possible. This can be tricky, especially in corners and tight areas where a little manual dexterity is needed to keep the application as uniform as possible. Before you can get to the sanding and priming part of the process there are three distinct steps that you will need to follow before you pick up that sander and paint brush.

Types of mudding

There are three basic types of drywall mudding; lightweight joint compound, all purpose joint compound and quick set joint compound. The three have different pros and cons, for example, the quick set allows for better control of drying time, but has to be mixed with water, while the lightweight compound comes ready-mixed and allows for easy sanding, and the all purpose tends to hold up better as drywall texture.

Personally, for the typical drywall job, I recommend a lightweight joint compound. The fact that it applies easy along with quick sanding makes it the best option.

Applying the mudding

The first step is to apply a very thin drywall tape coat which will allow for drywall tape to be put on. That will then be covered with a second coat which is known as a fill coat. This is usually applied with a wider putty knife and is essential as the mud is prone to shrinking after it has dried. You want to make sure to get deep into any slims and apply your coats as evenly as possible all while holding your blade at a sharp angle. For the final application, or finish coat as it is known, you will have to wait until the previous coat has dried, at which point you will apply that final layer using a very wide putty knife to do so.

Once that has been done, and the final coat has dried, you can then lightly sand down any rough or uneven spots that may look unsightly if left alone.

Mudding can be a time consuming, delicate process that requires a steady hand, but if you can haul it off on your own you can save a good amount of money, and feel a great deal of pride every time you look at the walls in your home. Perhaps best of all, you can earn yourself a drink rather than being driven to it.