Vent: drywall mudding advice from a guy at the hardware store cost me a weekend of sanding

He told me to skip the primer and just do two thick coats of mud, said it would save time. Now I've got bubbles everywhere and I'm on hour 8 of sanding what should have been a 2 hour job. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from the aisle helpers at Lowes?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_murray1mo ago

Oh man, I've been there. That stuff bubbles up because the mud is too thick and traps air. First thing, get yourself a good stiff putty knife and scrape off any obvious bubbles before they dry. Then for the love of all that is holy, go back and get a small tub of joint compound and a primer specifically for drywall. You really gotta do thin coats, like 1/8 inch max, and let each one dry overnight. That first coat just to fill the gaps, then a second to smooth it out. And yeah, those hardware store guys mean well but they're just guessing half the time.

felix_thomas731mo ago

Sanded mine down with fine grit paper and did two thin coats, worked like a charm.