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PSA: I see too many guys using the wrong mud for the first coat on tapered joints
I mean, you need something with a bit more glue and less shrink, like a setting compound or at least a heavy all-purpose. Using a lightweight topping mud here just means you're gonna get more cracks later, especially around those factory edges. I learned this the hard way on a big apartment job in Tacoma where we had to redo a whole hallway. What's your go-to first coat mix?
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jordank525mo ago
Ever try to skim coat with just topping mud? Did that on a ceiling repair and the cracks came back in like six months, it was so bad. Now I just grab the bucket of hot mud for anything that needs to hold.
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nathan_thompson623mo ago
Yeah I was just watching a video the other day where a guy was talking about how topping mud just doesn't have enough bond strength for anything structural. @rowan389 is totally right about the hot mud for fill coats, that stuff grabs way better and you don't end up with those hairline cracks showing up later.
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rowan3895mo ago
Hot mud every time. That lightweight stuff just doesn't stick right on the first pass. I use a 45 or 90 minute setting compound for the fill coat. It bonds way better and shrinks less, so you get a solid base. Saves a ton of headaches down the road.
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