can someone tell me which is better and easier to use, premix joint compound or the setting type that you have to mix with water? and how do you estimate how much of this you will need?
thanks
thanks
I own a drywall and interior consultation company. I never add water to my premix compound. Actually, if I am not mistaken, it says never to add water. The only time I mess with the consitency is when I am using an auto taper. And as far as most of the posts have gone in these forums, most finishers are telling the average joe to use durabond or a "setting compound" quick note to newbies make sure the sack mud you buy is the ez sand type. You will hate yourself knowing that the brown bag durabond is a *************** to sand as opposed to the easy sand stuff in the white bag.Actually you need to add water to either type of compound, the premix should be thinned with water to a proper working consistency, depending on what you are doing with it.
I use quick set for the first coat on butt joints and outside corners because of it sets harder than the premixed types. We also use it for prefilling any gaps in the sheets. Setting type compound also can be sanded and recoated within as little as 15 mins, so we also use it for small repair work or patching.
When you get into the premixed types of compounds there are 3 basic types. All-Purpose, Light, & Topping Mix.
The manufacturer's and the industry specs call for All-Purpose to be used for taping, light is used for subsequent fill & finish coats. Topping Mix is strictly for final finish & texture coats.
If you would specify what you're doing I can advise you as to the best product to use for your purposes.
Dude, you just responded to an almost 4 year old thread. :wheelchair:I'm no pro, but am doing quite a bit of drywall, including texture and knockdown, for my home remodel. In the interest of sharing breadth of experience on this (excellent) site, I'd like to mention that I always thin my final, topping coat of all-purpose premixed mud a bit before applying it and using a 12-14" knife for finishing. This seems to work very well for me, and leaves behind a very thin layer that dries about as fast as setting types. I do this in the mud tray, not the bucket, and a little goes a long way. I guess I like the feel of thinned stuff better than un-thinned premix for this final coat. I haven't used topping compound proper yet, so I can't say that this method is better. Also, I'm "down" with the use of the setting compounds for gap filling and embedding, and wish I'd switched to using it years ago -- the crack resistance alone makes it worth buying the separate bag!