DRYWALL FINISHING TIP

[timestandingstill]

I usally use a sponge, but the brush is good, maybe better.

I have been in construction since 1986. I have also invented some things, had most of them stolen from me, I still have a few on the drawing board.

Take care,

Jim

[redflower801]

thanx again bob, u got a ohio shirt on...?

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@redflower801  Ohio university. +++Bob

[strumpeteer]

There's a reason this vid got 179K+ views: This is a GREAT TIP even the vets never thought of.

[LuisAlcocer10]

All tht is not really necessary . I never clean my lids and all i do i grab a spone and clean the inside of my bucket and bam finished . You dont need a scrubber...

[london1817]

really liked the video! I need to quit wasting mud!...usually I just toss it when I have this problem.....thanks for saving me some money my friend!!!

[lilwopaho]

Ohio University. (Athens)

[MrJoemono]

Hey Bob, next time don't flush that dirty water on the grass. take my tip for a change.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@MrJoemono Good advise, or at least rinse it generously with a hose! Thanks +++Bob

[ROBWILLRAY]

Great tip. I h8 crumbleys in the mud. 

[springing]

Thanks.  Great tip.

[Darla745]

I want to tape and float the drywall in my bedroom but have never done anything like this before, so I am looking for all the help and instructions I can get before tackleing this project. Thank you for the information, it is a wonderful place for me to start so I am able to save money as well. Oh by the way, I am a woman, but very determined to do what I can. Thanks again.

[khaliducsi]

thanks Sir its really nice advice and keeps away form problems

[mshisha007]

you hope I apreciate this tip ? I BET

because that's what I call a good Tip

Thank you

[OriginalJami]

Keep your lid clean and put a wet or damp towel on top and clean edges when done.

[TheLumbernator1]

Great advice! Make more videos like this!!

[Chilll07]

Like stated above by Dans0607" Honestly, this may have been one of the best pieces of overlooked advice I have ever gotten" I agree Very good tip. Great job

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@Chilll07 Thanks now chill! LOL +++Bob

[DJdrummins]

@Chilll07 Bob - we're "rookies" redoing our sons room. Your tip saved us alot of headache & money! Thanks for sharing!

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@DJdrummins Glad to hear that! In this economy no-one can afford to waste money. Thanks for watching +++Bob

[mslorain]

Thanks Bob, this is "Great" information. Saves a lot of headaches.

[zipperneck1321]

I don't use water... I just cut a round piece of plastic and push it down to mud level. Makes a nice seal.

[blthetube1]

Soooooo...... True!!

[TropicalBeauty1]

Wow, the cleanest carpenter ever, lol love this tip

[jamo387]

I've heard that for prolonged storage in a basement, you can put a little bleach in the water to prevent mold.

[brexander1]

Excellent information and instruction...thanks!

[wallsleee]

Bob, I've been a DIYer for many years now and truly enjoy your videos as much (actually more) as anyones with one big Kudos to you. You go so far as to explain the what if's, tricks, and details of the small things. One example is your video of explaining why the tip of a tape measure slides to compensate for that 1/16 inch in measurement. It's the little things that mean as much as the big. You always deliver a fantastic message. Video whats reasonable for gaps between joints when rockin.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@wallsleee In the 15 years of hanging drywall we never allowed any gap. Not sure what the gypsom handbook has to say about that but I cannot remember a time we had any more problems than normally happens with home settlement and stress cracks. That being said if I were hanging drywall in my own home(And I have) I would keep sheetrock tight+++Bob

[chrisbraveheart]

thanks man



[gollumthedog]

Bob, that was a great tip. Wish I saw it much earlier, I have thrown away so many used buckets due to the crumbles.....

[dans0607]

Honestly, this may have been one of the best pieces of overlooked advice I have ever gotten. As a veteran DIYer, I have gone through more than my fair share of mud buckets, and I have always struggled with crusties. Using this tip, I just finished my entire basement, 2 five gallon buckets of mud worth of mud, and not one crusty, not one dry nub in my work. Seriously, thank you.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@dans0607 You are very welcome, Even if this seems like common knowledge to some until someone gives you the heads up! Thanks for watching! +++Bob

[MrHarborFreight]

Great Advice Bob! I have been remodeling for alotta' years, and NEVER thought about these tips! U da' bomb Bob! (tee he hee). Thanks for taking the time to make vids. You help even us old guys!

[Waterman117]

Thanks man, those crumbles were pissin me off.

[PilatusPorterPC6]

Thank you.

[1marceltony]

good tip ...I am always too busy for these things so my drywall finish has many grooves in it..From now on though ,I will do what bob suggests...thanks Bob

[jb1wohrrcom1]

this guy's awesome!!

[kevale222]

weve been doing this in scotland for past 25 years, DOH

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@kevale222 Always did like the Scotts--- GO HIGHLANDERS! +++Bob

[kevale222]

@HomeRemodelWorkshop yes thksBob

[Hollrobb]

Yes great tip indeed,A few min's of time at the end of the day to keep from having to fight with chunky mud the next is an "great" tip in my book for sure. Thanks Bob and have a nice holiday season,,, -Rob

[jwrenn29]

That's what we do too, Bob. Except we use a sponge to wipe off the bucket, but your method looks good, too!

[IsDaBlues]

This tip works like a charm. I just went thru 4 pails of compound and used this method at the end of every day...zero dried bits of compound falling into the good compounded. The top layer does get a bit soupy when it sits for a couple of days with the water barrier on top. Drain well and then stir up the compound. Great tip, thanks.

[vivitar45]

im nosey on the mold thing a am alergic to mold it just be easyer to toss the bucket in the job stte dumster and get a fresh bucket then risk getting sick and looseing work over it the company suplys the mud annway

[cwaj]

GREAT tip! I have had the nightmare before.....

Wish I knew this tip....(I do now!)

Thank You.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@cwaj  Sometimes it is the small things that make the difference! Thanks for watching! +++Bob

[Kimosabe126]

Another way to create a barrier over spackle or paint is to cover the surface with plastic wrap, like Saran wrap. When doing it with paint, the pieces have to be long enough to go up the sides and wrap over the lip of the can. This insures that it won't sink in the paint.

[jailbird61]

very helpful! 

[w4rm4ch1n31770]

@shouldibehere:

Don't keep mud long enough to grow mold, and if you see it, ditch the mud. It's cheaper to get a new bucket than to pay hospital bills for a respiratory infection or worse, an allergic reaction to mold spores that you've inhaled or gotten on your skin.

I made that mistake last year. . . I underestimated the toxicity of the Green / Red mold, mixed it in and used it anyway. I ended up getting very sick from it and wound-up missing 5-days of work. It's a miserable suffering

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@w4rm4ch1n31770 Luckily, I have been exposed to many nasties on jobs in my life from raccoon nests to mold and old material inhalation to one degree or another and,knock on wood,have not gotten seriously ill due to it. Glad to hear you recovered sure it could have been much worse+++Bob

[InShatteredMolds]

definitley good tips i've always done things like this to make any soon future work easier but most guys, bosses mainly dont care, they just want it done quickly but THEN i explain why doing something like this saves time and they just dont wanna hear it..such a pain in the ass haha

[english8687]

im about to do a big drywall job, this will help alot, thanks for the tip!

[zartan9]

EXCELLENT TIP THANKXXXXX

[U2PLUS]

Very nice tips good job Bob

[DustyDaveRocks]

@gcdcjccc.... I have to ask, as I am a taper, if you have never used a hawk or a pan in 29 years.... what do you use? I have sat here and thought about it and cannot figure out your secret....

[gcdcjccc]

@DustyDaveRocks i simply scoop the mud right out of the bucket with my putty knife and place it on my trowel as i go. a hawk will leave you with only one hand to work with. but really, it's how you've been trained or whatever you're used to because speed is the name of the game

[mordeth141]

Nice tip

[GypsyKing7]

Awzum tip! Thanks

[Ambushcrysis]

Pretty g0od advice for beginners as myself, thanks for your knewledge on the matter.

[dphelp]

fantastic, thanks mate this really works well.

[norb1937]

Great idea. The guy's right.

[tradz618]

WOW! Great tip! Much appreciated.

[alowhit]

if u were a good spakler u would b using a hawk not a pan.PANS ARE FOR ROOKIES

[gcdcjccc]

@alowhit i'm a taper with 29 years experience and i've never used a hawk, OR a pan for that matter. every taper has their own system

[googo151]

Wow what a smart tip. Thanks man!

[RainbowRanchFarms]

I am so glad u posted this, so many people just don't do this and waste so much money in the long run! excellent post.

[crosbye48]

I found this tip extremely helpful; Thank you for sharing!

[shamickgaworski]

:-) I find that so obvious that never though about this being a 'tip' ... I though everyone did this! naturally ... :-)

[shouldibehere]

Has anyone ever opened a partially used bucket of ready mix compound and seen mold or mildew on the surface of the mud? How do you keep that from happening?

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Anyone that does'nt use their compound quickly enough has experienced this exact thing.The best advice is to try to get as close to the amount you plan to use as possible. If you have a significant amount of compound left,and no plans to use it again for months, then offering it to friends,family,and neighbors who could make use of it would be a consideration+++Bob "Waste not Want not"

[shouldibehere]

Thanks

Good suggestion.

[brofun]

@HomeRemodelWorkshop another tip..put a little dish soap in the water..it will help keep mold from growing..and when mixed with the mud, makes it a little easier to work with

[rhblakeman]

Take a sheet of plastic such as Saran Wrap or some plastic dropcloth and after you clean the inside walls of the bucket push some plastic down on top of the mud surface and around the edges - keeps air out better than having the excess water on top. Also many premix buckets have an oily liquid in them to retard mold and freezing (it will still freeze, just slows it). Also try not to get a 5 gal bucket if you're fixing cracks, get the 1 or 2 lb instead and you won't have it moldy

[rustler540]

you cant,its kind of like it sours.If its not bad you can mix it up with a drill and paddle,if it has set for a long time it seperates and becomes useless and stinky.

[datzfast]

yep i have seen it , i scape it off and use the mud, because when it is dry it will never mold again unless it gets wet and if that can happen something else needs fixed. Now how can you stop it? i herd a rumor you can add aspirin to the water i really dont know if that is true.

[googo151]

@shouldibehere I have just tossed a bucket out

[jizzmonger]

@shouldibehere Put a few drops of bleach in it before you close it up.

[BATMEX44]

@shouldibehere  put a cup of white vinegar on top and close

[lovesomecujo]

@shouldibehere A brand new bucket of mud can sit on the self for a long long time and never have this happen. But once you mix water into the compound you have only a short amount of time before it will start to go bad. One thing you can do is if you have an empty bucket with a lid, seperate as much of the compound as you intend to use. Place the lid tightly back on the bucket of compound you dont intend to use and you can store it for a long time.

[Jabbakahut]

Buckets must be cheaper than boxes, I never have a problem with box mud.

[rhblakeman]

Box mud generally has to be dumped into a bucket and the mixture watered to consistency though - if you left it the mold would come and part on the walls above the mud would dry. Box mud is like buying frozen orange juice - you have to empty it and water it down from concentrate to a usable mixture. You can get bag joint compound too (dry) and mix all at once or just what you need and water it to the needed consistency.

[milo555a]

i use a grout spounge to clean the inside of the bucket down to the mud thats left.tools to.

[eric09wea579kar02]

We do a little drywall in our remodel business. The first thing I do with a new bucket of mud is mix the compound, adding water until I get a good working consistency. "Working consistency" does not come in a new bucket. We always clean the bucket but usually use a plastic bag - have lots from the local grocery - to create an air barrier. Otherwise the mud will dry in the bucket. And always use a new bag after exposing the mud for new work.

[JMM338]

If you do not have a brush us a piece of tape use as rag it works

[chicanofire1989]

lol thats so true\

[OAKTOWN61]

Man, I wish I worked for you. Patient Teachers are hard to come by. I love learning the tricks of the trades. Amazing. Thanks for the great tips.

[spacklepro]

I use the bucket so quick I dont even have this problem. But this is a good tip for storage. They also make mud bucket scoops.

[rhblakeman]

Those plastic squeegees for Bondo body filler work good as scrapers for the inside too, as long as you dont lose them. Also good for small fills for homeowners patching all the nails from pictures before painting.

[shayn5255]

THAT IS AN AWESOME TIP - i wish ppl out there gave more like it - A+++++

[MRSketch09]

I have only done a few DIY projects, and always tried to just get as much as I needed. Nothing more nothing less.

So I never experienced a problem with dried mud or anything.

My point is, this is very useful advice. I will definitely remember this.

[jimmyfuckinmusic]

Amen!

[rushangus]

Thanks so much! I've been fighting the crumbs and curds that make mudding even more of a pain in the ass! Your knowlegde is much appreciated!!

[shoestosmall]

The way you present your infomation is OUTSTANDING! As for me, I've never worked with drywall before and this week will be my first so all tips and tricks are really appreciated. Thank you taking the time to pass on these small ... but very helpful tidbits. Many, many tks!

P.S. Now, do you have any tricks on how to complete "drywall mud designs" -swirls and so forth - on a new ceiling?

[Cessnacaptain]

I have been a drywall finisher since 1992 and this is what we do on the job every single day. This is great advice and the mud will be just fine and ready to mix up when you need it. Although as Bob said try to buy only as much as you need because if the mud sits for to many weeks it turns grey rots and stinks. Oh, if you use some sort of plastic to cover the mud it still gets crusties around the edges and you have to scrape them out to make the mud usable, just a little water works best!

[Slyrods]

thanks for your comment - I was wondering if a little saran wrap over the top would be easier than the scraping and water; guess not though, hey?

[rhblakeman]

I use those cheapo "drop cloths" they sell in paint stores and Walmart that are dry cleaner bag thickness and do the same - air barrier. I've had a few buckets with a tool tray in top come with a plastic circle on top of the mud too since it had air where the tray came. I can make a ton of barriers from one drop cloth for about a buck - when you open the bucket pull it off easy and toss it and put in a new one after you clean the bucket.

[BosnianWarLord1]

wouldn't you think this is common sense.

DONT RUSH

[thehumble1]

This is nothing close to common and it doesn't even make sense, unless you know what you are doing. Adding water to mud? not sensible. scrubbing the sides of a bucket that's half full? not sensible. It says on the side: ready mix. I appreciate these tips a lot because I'm not doing this enough to have this be common sense.

[R42464]

Good tip Bob, Keep the tips coming it helps alot!

[brandfoley]

great vids we need more lol

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Who was it that said "always leave them wanting more" ?+++Bob lol

[kurisutefuru]

thanks, I thought it was common sense to do these things, and remembered alot of people don't take the time to do these things.

[gluvsu]

Great tip! love the ohio shirt!

[carols1950]

After washing down the sides - Wouldn't it work just to put some plastic wrap on the top of the drywall paste? This would exclude the air, and keep it fresh until next time..

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

After listening to you guys apparently alot of people do it that way Thanks+++Bob

[5150hs]

Thanks again Bob for these very helpful tips>

[WaterbugDesign]

Good tip. I've always just cleaned the sides with the knife, but you're right, cleaning more would be a good idea. Covering with plastic would work but water is always handy.

[davidqxo]

This tip exemplifies a big part of what Green remodeling and building is about, using materials and tools in a thoughtful manner to reduce waste. Great tip.

[clintcarter]

Awesome, thanks.

Keep up the good work.

[CanadianToolGuy416]

Thats a really good tip

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Read the user comments.a really good tip there also+++Bob

[kurydebarcelona]

great tips as always!

[clintcarter]

If you were not going to use the mud for say 1-2 months would you still leave that much water on top?

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

I do my best to only purchase as much compound as I need,do not usually have to store for that long ,have gone 4-6 weeks with no adverse effects. That being said if I open compound and smell any vinegar like smell I discard unused compound and purchase new+++Bob p.s there is a viewer who claims with wipe down and covering tightly with thin plastic he said it would keep for months.

[datzfast]

water will absolutely not hurt the product, i most cases a little water is needed to re-temper the product anyway, what does re-temper mean, it means mix up and smooth out the consistency so it smears better on the wall. even if you add no water mixing improves the temper of the product.

[staciepaul]

another nice tip thanks bob please keep them coming.

[robinhoodlives]

I have used the same method of covering it with a thin surface plastic for years. It can keep mud fresh for months

[tubeseantube]

actually Bob, you can combine this with my method which is only differs from the pouring water... I flatten the top then I put a circular cutout of thin plastic (from a garbage bag for example) over top the flattened surface, gently getting the air out. Works Excellent and no water to dump the next day.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Makes sense,I will definitely give this a try+++Bob

[PennyDropper]

Thank You!

[dav1099]

Good tip Bob, I try to keep my bucket of mud clean on the sides all the time, while using and after done for day . like your web site and your videos very much. thanks for posting

[zakzak000]

Excellent thanks for that Bob. This tip can be used for any tub adhesives too so great tip.

[BBQkrewe]

this is the "thinking man's" remodeler!!

awesome tip!!

[tiagofonseca777]

thanks..

thats why my mud is only good for 1 day..

its ful of crums..

[BourneAccident]

Been doing this EXACT anal type clean up for years. Works great by the way and well worth the extra 3 to 4 minutes of your time.

[mogando25]

Agreed, almost common sense but still a great tip nonetheless!

[ringbolt9]

nice idea

[threeque]

Great tips! Thanks.