Changed my mind about using a certain type of joint compound on a big office job

I always used the standard 90-minute setting type for taping, but a sub on our Phoenix project last month said to try the 45-minute stuff for the first two coats. I thought it would be a mess, but it set so fast we cut a full day off the schedule. The finish was just as smooth. Anyone else switch up their mud timing on a big job and see a real change?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant_hart1mo ago

So you're telling me I've been wasting a whole day just because I was scared of the fast stuff? Why do we always assume the slower way is the better way? I guess it takes someone else coming in to show you the obvious fix. Now I feel like I need to go back and bill all my old clients for that extra day.

margaret_kelly551mo ago

The 45-minute mud is great for speed, but it's not a full day saved on a big office floor. You still need the 90-minute for the final coat to get that hard, sandable finish. The fast stuff can get a little crumbly if you try to sand it too fine. So you swap back for the last pass, but you still save a lot of time on the first two coats.

leelewis1mo ago

Wait, you cut a full day? That's insane. I've been stuck on the 90-minute stuff forever because I was sure the fast set would dry weird or crack. You're saying the finish was exactly the same? Man, I need to try this next week.