Usg Mud Light Wieght Versus General Purpose!

tlfettled

How many people use USG brand mud! And whats your opinion on the light weight mud versus the general purpose USG mud! I use the light weight mud on most jobs for everything , except i use USG 45 setting mud for first coat on outside corners and gaps !

Mud Master

I use the general All Purpose for taping(green lid) on all joints and outside corners, any gaps I use the setting type(lightweight blue lid). For blocking I use USG Midweight(purple lid) on everything. And when it comes time to skim I use either the Midweight or Lightweight..however I have been using the Lightweight for skimming more so than the Midweight lately, I believe it works out better that way.

I also mix all my mud with Easysand and a little soap, I have been doing this for the last 5 or 6 years and it works out great.

I won't use Easysand for point up or patches though, it serves no purpose in that respect..Durabond all the way.

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drywallet

I agree with Mud all though I've have'nt tried the soap trick yet.

Mud Master

You should. In my experience it makes it more workable, makes it fluffier, and just better's the whole process in general.

I do not always use soap, I started doing it because a buddy of mine uses it with it auto's and he told me to try it with the hand taping..it worked great! I would recommend trying a 1 to 1 ratio if you ever try it.

I like to mix all purpose lightwieght with a lil set 45 or 90..and than a 1 to 1 ratio of water n dish soap..it always works out perfect in our applications.

I rarely use flat boxes and auto tapers..even though I have them, so I am not sure how it would fair with them, however I have heard nothing but good reviews

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1KingOfDrywall

green label has far more glues and is designed to shrink and not sand easily.blue label shrinks very little and has very little glue and sands extremely easy. They are not packaged differently as a marketing strategy, they actually have a intentional use. Ever go to a repair and the paper seems to have poped loose and when you pull it--it comes down in one long strip? Thats cuz they used blue label -Blue has no glue. The glue from the green label will adhere to the drywall when you tape and they will become inseperable and when you pull at it--it'll just tear every inch or so....it doesn't come off easy at all. So remember--it's not a matter of preference . You can't use blue to tape or green to bed with.....they weren't made to be used like that.

BoB The Fixer

Mud Master will u please explain what do u do with soap ! i never tried or heard about it but today , thanks , like what do u do in detail with soup ,

thanks again in advance

Tradesman

I have been using the USG blue-lid lightweight ready-mix for about the last 8 (?) years pretty much exclusively, except when I need a setting type, in which case I use the EasySand.

In all that time, I've never had a callback or known joint failure. I started using it on the recommendation of a USG rep that I talked to at a JLC Live trade show. I find the lightweight easier to work with and was sold the first bucket I tried. I did have some questions for the rep regarding performance. I wondered if there were some applications where the green lid would be recommended over the blue, and he said no, it was simply a matter of preference on the part of the user.

On the USG website, in the literature for the blue-lid, it says, "Sands with the ease of a topping compound; bonds like a taping compound" and, "Eliminates need for taping and topping compounds." Works for me!

Have any of you guys run into actual problems with performance of the lightweight?

Greg Di

My main gripe with blue lid is that it is very, very soft after it's dried. If you look at it wrong, it will ding and scratch without primer on it.

I am putting together a comparative article of the regular blue lid versus the lower dust formula blue lid for JLC. I am trying to do it scientifically sort of to see what the value of the low-dust formula might be. I want to make sure that there is no "placebo" effect.

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A W Smith

you got a point there, i can sand it with the fingerprint ridges. drag your fingernail through it and you have a sizable groove. I allways have to go back and touch up the tiny dings and scratches from furniture or equipment.

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Al Smith
http://www.awsmith.com

Big Bison Tools

I use the green lid mud for taping, due to the fact that is have glue in it. I then use the blue lid for second and third coat because it is lighter and sands easier. Sanding the green lid mud is way to difficult.

I also use green lid mud for installing no-coat. Still use blue lid mud for second and third coat.

When taping a garage, I use ez sand for taping and then second and third coat with green mud. This seems to hold up best, with the vast temperature changes in a garage.

ApgarNJ

king of drywal and big bison i agree with what you guys are saying.
i am not a drywaller by trade but i have done enough of it on smaller jobs when my drywall sub won't get there. i was always told from day one, green to tape and blue to second and third or even fourth in some cases. my drywall guy even told me not to use BLUE to tape. i did an addition, my first one, about 7-8 years ago, sun room with lots of windows, cathedral ceiling etc. i used blue for the whole thing because it was easier to work with and I thought it would be ok. I got called back about 6 months ago because the tape was starting to crack in spots, not really come off in strips but it wasn't even sticking great to the corner beads around the skylight openings. that is the only call back though i have gotten to fix my drywall. That was one of the only times i used blue to tape and it has failed. I spent all day fixing that addition.

i never tried the purple lid or the other color lids that are out now.

i also hear that some guys like to mix with the bags. i don't do enough to try that but it looks like the smart thing to do. if it dries fast and you can second coat in one trip.

72chevy4x4

does anyone else have info on installations in non-heated spaces such as a garage?

I've been doing some work in a garage apartment and nearly 25% of all the seams are pulling up-seems obvious the HO that did the install was using the blue mud for setting the tape.

Brockster

Pray it doesn't freeze and use mesh tape on all seams and use durabond over the mesh and coat the seams (light or mid-weight) all in the same day and let it set until it dries. Just use all purpose for taping angles. Unless you are a good handtaper I would recommend not using durabond to tape angles!
Set up a couple of fans to speed the drying process...

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NJPainter

I use setting-type for most repairs and top with light weight if needed.
The lightweight is ok, but I feel like I'm cheating when I use it.

I mean, what's the point of doing a corner bead with a product that has the tensile strength of foot powder?

jakester

I've been reading alot of these articles and I think you guys in the U.S. have a lot of choices of mud to use, up here in toronto we have a few but generally there all purpose muds, i just tried a new one from geogia pacific (G.P. Light) fantastic mud very creamy and no fish eyes when you apply it, great for all 3 coats and easy to apply, another good one is machine mud, I find if you put a little soap in it, works good. If anyone knows of a supplier in Buffalo I wouldn't mind, going down there to get some of the stuff you guys are refering to.

NFMudder

jakester,

Try Gui's Lumber on Porter Road or Home Depot. Both are Niagara Falls locations and easy to get to if you take the 190 from the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge.

jakester

Thanks NFMudder, I will look them up and talk to them.

ctpcorp

I make my workers use food coloring in thier mud so I can keep track of who does what. That way I know where to point the finger when something is not right. I have over 40,000 sheets of 4x12 5/8 to hang and finish. Know any good hangers and finishers that travel?

theworx

Wow ctpcorp, you're a tough boss!! Dammit, I'm Red dye #2 and left a heavy edge on that seam. guess I'm fired!! ..

40,000 sheets? That's one million and ninety two hundred thousand square feet of board. Hope you don't have a tight deadline on that job. I would come and help - I can hang and tape 20,000 sheets a week. But, I'm really busy right now!!