TIL a drywaller at Home Depot told me to stop using pre-mixed mud for taping

I was grabbing supplies for a small bedroom job last Wednesday and this older guy in the aisle just straight-up said, 'You're making it harder on yourself.' He showed me how a bag of hot mud sets faster and sands cleaner. Anyone else switch from pre-mix and never look back?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_torres701d agoMost Upvoted

Four years ago a painter buddy told me the exact same thing in the parking lot of Lowe's. I bought a 45 minute hot mud bag and never touched pre-mix again. It sands way smoother and you don't have to wait forever for it to dry between coats. Just mix small batches so it doesn't set up on you.

joseph_green131d agoMost Upvoted

I read somewhere that the reason hot mud sands better is because the chemical drying process creates a harder surface than air drying. Something about the crystalline structure or whatever, but it definitely feels different on the knife too.

parker_hall51d ago

Yeah, that bit about mixing small batches so it doesn't set up is key. I've had a few messy learning experiences with that.