Rant: Don't fall for the "premium" drywall mud trap

I spent an extra $200 on that super expensive, pre-mixed topping compound thinking it would save me time on my last bathroom remodel in Albuquerque. Big mistake. That stuff dried way too fast in our dry climate and left rough patches I had to sand twice as much as regular all-purpose mud. Plus it cost me three extra trips to Home Depot after it started cracking in the corners. I ended up tossing half a bucket because it went bad before I even finished the second coat. Save your money and just stick with the basic stuff like the old-timers use. Has anyone else gotten burned by a pricey drywall product that wasn't worth it?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_grace4d ago

Did you try the old trick of adding a little water and praying to the drywall gods?

ellis.leo4d ago

Well that drywall gods trick is a gamble for sure. I remember helping a buddy fix a hole in his garage wall once and we tried that little bit of water thing. It actually made the paper bubble up something awful and we had to cut out a bigger patch than we started with. Ended up just using a mesh patch and joint compound like I should have from the beginning. Honestly I think the praying part works better if you're just hoping the crack doesn't come back through the paint a month later. I've seen more problems come from trying shortcuts than just doing the job right the first time.

dianaanderson4d ago

Yeah but did you at least sacrifice a level to the drywall gods afterwards?