Still fix drywall patches different now than 5 years ago

Used to just slap joint compound on thick with a 6 inch knife. Took forever to dry. Had to sand like crazy. Now I do thin layers with a 12 inch knife. Three coats max. Let each one dry 24 hours. Sand way less. My buddy showed me this trick after I complained about my last patch job taking 3 days. Has anyone else switched up their mudding technique and seen better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_david13h ago

Hot mud changes the game though @theawest. 20 minutes and you're good to go.

theawest14d ago

Hard disagree on this one. Thick mud with a 6 inch knife dries just fine if you know what you're doing, you just have to use the right kind of compound. Hot mud sets in like 20 minutes no matter how thick you put it on, so you're not waiting around all day. Plus thick layers mean fewer total coats if you get the technique down, and I way prefer one big sanding session over multiple days of thin coats.