My basement job taught me a harsh lesson about moisture and mud

Last week, I was finishing a basement and thought the drywall would go up easy. I didn't realize how humid it was until the mud just stayed wet for days. It messed up my schedule and I had to run dehumidifiers non-stop. Now I always test the air before I mix any compound. What do you guys do to prevent moisture issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

veramason22h ago

The first time I tried skimming a basement ceiling, I mixed two full buckets before noticing the walls were basically sweating. Honestly felt like an idiot trying to fan dry mud with a piece of cardboard. Now a cheap moisture meter and a dehumidifier running overnight are my non-negotiable first steps.

ben_lopez2513h ago

Hey remember when my buddy Mike tried to patch his basement wall without checking for dampness? He skim coated a whole section before the tape just started peeling off like old wallpaper. Turns out there was a tiny crack letting in groundwater the whole time. He had to run a dehumidifier for like three days straight before the new mud would even stick.