Can anyone tell me why I have tiny bubbles that appear on the drywall mud after I have spread it on the joints? It seems they bubble up and then when it is dry, they leave little pits in the surface that is a *%$& to try to fill. Has any one had this happen, and how do you fix it?
-Tom
Replies
What type of mud are ya using? Probably, you didn't mix it well. Get La Farge Rapid Coat - no pinholes and you will never go back to what you are using now.
I tend to agree with Zano on the mixing problems. Too little, too much/fast. Is this a pre-mix or dry-mix compound?
Is this happening on your tape coat or subsequent top coats? New sheetrock?
I have encountered this problem a few times when skim coating large areas especially when the the sheetrock butts into old plaster. The only thing I found that worked (very marginally) was to hold the knife parallel to the surface and slap the offending area pretty hard (sort of beat the bubbles into submission), then smooth it all out again. Pain in the butt but it worked, eventually.
I assume your mixing your own mud. Whether you do or not, it's crucial to cut the batch with one of the taping blades. Essencially you tamp the air out of it by folding the batch over and over for several seconds. I use a palette or SS metal bin and taping knife to fold the mud after mixing and I always see imperfections, (bubbles and dry mix), when doing so. Take the time to properly prepare the mud and you save a multiple of that time in prepainting prep.
I dont care what mud your using......use a mud mixing paddle in your drill and mix the stuff. Stay on a low rpm.....add a hint of water and liquid soap.
Be mixed up@#%#$#$@????? lol
Namaste
andy
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Well I was going over finished and primered joints that had been coated previously by another crew that did such a horrible job in the corners so I was tring to feather them out a bit. I started with the 90 min bagged stuff, mixing with a large paddle (6") at less than 750rpm (according to my drill) then I went to the bucket of pre-mixed lightweight all purpose compound and it was worse even after mixing the bucket of goo. I found today that I can cut down on alot of them by wiping them down with a soaking rag. I used water but I was ready for some gasoline (or anything remotely flammable) on the rag if they came back again, then I'd fix the problem for sure.
I wonder if the problem doesn't stem from the fact that the walls had been primered. The only time I have had this problem is on painted or primered walls.
Did the soaked rag technique work?
Liquid soap?
Never heard of that, but I'm not really a taper either?
What does the soap do? Lube?View ImageGo Jayhawks..............Next Year and daaa. Blues View Image
Liquid soap containts surfactants (surface active agents), that change the surface tension of water, lowering it, and helps the air to escape easier. We used to use some of the same surfactants in the paint buisness that they use in soap. It was really important in industrial baked on finishes to maintain a low surface tension and not trap air bubbles in the film when it was cured. Pebble finishes on appliances were developed as a "work off" product to hide bad batches of paint that had bubbles in it.
Dave
Your not supposed to use liquid soap in mud as it destroys the binding capacity of the mud. I tell ya, get the La Farge Rapid Coat and end your bubbling problems. Lowe's sells it or ask your drywall distributor to get it - it's simply the best mud out there with no bubbling nor pinholes. It's the easy remedy!
Andy's got your answer, rumor has it he even taped joints in his tepee!
There was a longwinded discussion on this topic before, try the search function.Everybody has a different explanation,go to other forums and you can find still more.You mixed it too much,or not enough,too much water,too much pressure on the knife,or not enough,or wrong angle,wrong mud,etc.It happens to me too,just end up filling them in time consuming extra steps.Annoying.
On the ready mix stuff, do what Andy says. Add liberal dose of liquide dishwashing detergent. Works especialy well when going over previously panited surfaces. I tried it several years ago after Jeff buck mentioned on this forum. It works.
Used to happen to me all the time although that was 5 years ago. I used to bang the bucket of mud on the floor and watch the air bubbles pop at the surface. I'd work the mud a little on the hod to get out the remaining air. Worked well enough for me.
Turtleneck
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