Had a brutal week with mud cracking on me in Phoenix

I mean, it was like 110 degrees out and I was finishing a ceiling in a garage with no AC. The mud was drying before I could even get it on the tape, cracking like crazy. Has anyone else dealt with that heat drying out your mix way too fast?

2 comments

2 Comments

smith.blair6d ago

A buddy of mine tried the dish soap trick in Vegas and said his mud turned into a slippery mess that wouldn't stick to anything. Guess he added a whole squirt instead of a drop. I've had luck with ice water in a bucket for mixing up small batches at a time, keeps the pan cool for about 20 minutes before it starts to sweat like me in that garage. The all purpose tip sounds solid too, I switched to it for summer work and noticed it doesn't skin over as fast as lightweight does.

nathanb716d ago

Read a tip somewhere from a drywall crew out in Vegas that deals with this all the time. They said to mix in some ice water instead of room temp water, keeps the mud cooler longer so it doesn't set up as fast. Also heard you can add a tiny splash of dish soap to slow down the drying time, just a drop or two per pan though or it gets too slippery. Phoenix heat is no joke for mud work, I bet the garage was like an oven. Might be worth trying a bag of all purpose instead of lightweight too, I heard it holds moisture better in dry climates.