Drywall mud hell

simonb

Hey, im doing my first drywall mud job and everything was going good till today. The new box of mud im using was a little dry so i transfered just a little to a smaller pale and added water and mixed it up. The mud looks fine and seems to be just the perfect consistency. Problem is im putting my third coat on the corners and the corner itself is not makign a smooth finish, it looks a lil wet and flaky like the mud dried off.

Im guessing either its some drywall dust in the corner thats mixing with the mud and its drying out as im using my trowel, i tried to wipe the corner with a dry cloth first to try to remove any dust, but its doing the same. Should I use a damp cloth and pass over it real quick first? Any hints or tips would be really appreciated.

Thanks

AtlanticWBConst.

The corners are still wet. Corners take the most time to dry. Give it another day or 2 to fully dry.

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simonb

Are you sure? I havent touched it all long weekend, i would of thought it would be dry by now.

I tried to wipe it down with a damn rag and it seems to have worked a lil. What is the best technique to apply to a corner usign a 6" knife? What is a good angle to have the knife against the wall and should i have it straight or on a little twist angle so the excess mud goes away from the corner?

AtlanticWBConst.

What you described sounds exactly like wet corners.

If the area is in a basement, or the weather has been damp and wet, I have seen wet corners on a Monday, that were coated on a Friday....

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AtlanticWBConst.

Scoop the compound so that it is on the side of your 6" knife that will be closest to the corner.
Apply your compound in an even, smooth, and consistent manner. Hopefully you mix your compound to get it to a workable state.

Apply the compound.
Feather the edge.
Smooth it out.
Be carefull to not over wipe it.

It's a little hard to describe it over the internet. It's best to have someone show you. Check this link out:

http://www.drywallschool.com/coatangle.htm

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simonb

Thanks for the link! When i was taking off some mud i was going at about a 45 deg angle, from that link i can see its more of a 20 to 30 deg angle. Ill leave this coat dry and try some more again tomorrow. I guess this is why mud isnt everyones favorite job

AtlanticWBConst.

Yes, it is really not as easy as many people think, or are led to think....unless you like doing alot of sanding...

Good Luck on your project.

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yummy mummy

I can relate to that......... and I still haven't tackled the walls yet.........

sevver

Corners are hardest anyhow. Especially the tri corners at the ceiling, I can get them but it takes me a bit of messing around. walls are easy, but joints are tricky due to needing to feather them out farther.

One trick I use is to follow along with a shop light on the final coat and during sanding. Keep changing the angle of the light on the wall as you work and all the imperfections will shadow and you can see what needs to be done.

simonb

Well i went over that website (www.drywallschool.com) a few times and have learnt a great deal about the technique to use for every style of corners and joint there is. Most of my mistake was that I wasnt feathering before the final pass and i dont recall if i was even using my finger in the center, nevermind the left or right for feathering. This would leave me a nice big gob of mud on the outside edge that i would try to remove after my final pass. Might as well been throwing mud all over the walls

In either case, this is a great read for whoever wants to tackle drywall mud and isnt sure how to start or is new to it. Ill keep everyone posted.

Thanks again, love this forum!

comp1911

The drywallschool site was a big help for me.

After I finish a coat of mud I start a dehmidifier in the room I'm working in. It helps get things dried out for the next days coat.

AtlanticWBConst.

FWIW: An AC unit also can do the same thing (if the weather is co-operative).

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Sir MixAlot

A fan can even help speed up the drying process.

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yummy mummy

Another site for drywall mudding is www.drywallinfo.com for a do it yourselfer. I found it quite helpful.