I can't imagine using hot mud all the time. It sets up nice and quick but with a whole room it's really not necessary. Hot Mud also contains glues and such that make it harder to sand -- yea I know they all say easy sand on them. Your going to be spending so much time cleaning your pans and knives that any time saving by using hot mud will be easily wasted. Another thing that many people don't consider is that using different muds will create sanding problems, for example you went around the room with premix and set/imbed your tape. You come in the next day and put a second coat with a hot mud. When you go to sand any premix will sand right off before the hot will- You'll have lines that won't sand out- only getting worse and lots of other issues. So keep using the same type of mud. Keep the hot for patching and stuff and use the premix for your bigger projects. One other little thing , try using gold bond mud- it dries realy quick and smooth without the issues that hot mud has.

 

I use only setting compounds (hot mud). For a whole house, I doubt I would, for a room, no problem. 90 min mud for the 1st coat and I use mesh for everything but the corners. Some people will tell you that you can't use mesh on the ceiling, but you can as long as you are using setting compounds because they dry harder then drying compounds. I don't know where the thoughts that setting compounds are harder to sand, they are just the opposite, they are easier to sand. Far easier.

For a whole room I mix in a 5 gallon bucket and transfer to a pan, you will have to discover how much to mix, but for me it is usually 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket. After I go around the entire room with the first coat I set up my little blower in the middle of the room and come back 1 hr later to knock down any ridges (usually don't need to do any sanding on the first coat) Repeat the steps I did in for the 1st coat, set up the fan, 1 hr later come back and put on the 3rd coat. This coat I will sand.

 

Easysand is good for a couple of things....heavy fills and quick setting. Unless you texture everything, you are not going to tape, finish, and sand a room in one day without it looking like you did just that. If you're doing a whole house save yourself a huge headache, tape with all purpose and finish with lightweight compound. Keep the easysand for major prefills prior to taping if needed and your first beadcoat.

 

Unless you texture everything, you are not going to tape, finish, and sand a room in one day without it looking like you did just that.

I disagree, but what do I know, we do it all the time.

If it's good enough for Myron Ferguson, I assume it's good enough for me.

 

I just purchased Myron's video a few days ago to get some helpful hints, etc. In the video, he states he uses the hot mud only for the first coat (taping) and the pre-mix for the next two coats. He does a light sanding after the first coat.
I have to agree that the hot mud is tougher to sand.

 

I only use hot mud and boat tools like orbital and inline sanders. It's good to have dual purpose tools.

 

Well sure, for small projects and patch work it's hot mud and finish coated with topping like Greg Di. I wouldn't dream of doing a whole house this way but for small jobs it wouldn't make sense to make 4 trips and spend $100 in gas for a $400 job.

 

Steve you can turn 90 minute mud into 45 minute mud by mixing it with warm water. A little tip there.

 

I read this somewhere... maybe here on the forums. Thanks for the info.:thumbsup: I'm trying to locate some 90 minute mud in my area. I'm gonna use this on my next project. If I can't apply a pan full in 90 minutes, I better stay out of the drywall business!!

steve

 

my family has been in drywall for over 50 years. A lot has changed but it,s nothing unusaual for us to mesh tape and then bed with 45 min. The whole house. The trick is t6o skim with regular mud then it sands nice and easy.

 

The HD in my area has only 20 minute. I discovered that Lowes handles the 90. SW don't carry it at all anymore.

steve

 

I have perfected this since 1985, I use all 90 Durabond to do whole houses. I mix the mud up in 5 gallon buckets, I will mix a half a bag at a time and tape all joints and corners, we only use paper tape cause if the house exspands the cracks don't show up, were if you use mesh tape you'll end up with cracks with little checker board affect. I have used hot mud to make crown mouldings. When we do whole rooms we tape and mud then we mix up a bucket of 90 and start with the ceiling and pull it about 1/8" thick then work down the walls, we let it set up then shave the lines down with a 6" knief then we use topping compound and skimcoat let it sit over night and then set up our dust collector and sand it all out to a smooth finish, after we prime with block filler then spot out the room with M&H ready patch, then we sand the spackling then prime with Benjamin Moore's Freshstart. then we paint two finish coats of Benjamin Moore's top of their line of paints. I have used Durabond for 27 years doing basecoat and skimcoat. I have used it to restore historical Homes and Buildings cause I know this stuff will be there for over 100 years. you can take a bag of this stuff and throw it in a pool of water and wait it will get hard as a rock. I contacted USG about using it in place of Plaster and was told that it's harder and will not shrink so you don't have to worry about cracks if a house moves on you.
I have filled gaps in corners 3" wide you just have to learn what you can do with this stuff, just make sure you keep it off your hands, cause if you don't it will cause your finger tips to split like paper cuts and they are a ***** to heal. also make sure that you use a dust mask when mixing it cause if you don't you will taste it and it tastes like metal also it will mess with any fillings in your teeth. Good Luck and just think what your doing.

 

.............after we prime with block filler then spot out the room with M&H ready patch, then we sand the spackling then prime ........

Hi, Im new here. Frankawitz, where do you buy M&H ready patch!!??

I used this stuff once before and really really liked the results for the job I was doing! Where I bought it previously, no longer carrys it.
In fact, I found this web site by searching the web for this stuff!

HELP! Do you have an old can or something to look at the producer? I cant find anything on the web....manufacturer, etc.

Anybody else see this stuff, or know where to buy it? Black and yellow can with a lid like a paint can. I believe it stated something about being a latex type patching compound.

Thanks! Great site!
Rob

 

You can get rid of that metal taste in your mouth with a nice tall glass of latex primer, yum :thumbsup: !!!

I'm a little confused (most of the time) but most of you are stating that setting compound when dry is hard as a rock and others like Mike stated they are easier to sand than premix lightweight compound. Personally, I find it quite hard to sand a rock.

I use setting compounds all the time. Usually patching, prefilling, and complete taping small rooms (bathrooms and bedrooms). I do find it a tougher sand, and as I've said on previous threads, even though the setting compounds harden fast they still have moisture in them. I'm guessing you guys who can finish tape a room in one day are using corner trowels (which coat both sides at once) because using a six inch knife to coat one side on first application and the other side on second application is not happening (because of the moisture still in the corner you just make a mess because the mud is still a little soft).

As far as using a combination of setting and drying muds, it's true, they don't sand the same and can also make a mess of your work. The key to it is to have a very smooth coat done before your final application of mud (and make sure you completely cover your previous coat with your final application). Might have to go a little heavier than usual but will help prevent sanding through the finish and into the setting compound which won't sand off at the same rate the finish coat does... It takes talent, so Kudos to you Mike for having the gentle touch to accomplish what you do in a day!!!

 

None of the drywall contractors I know of will use hot mud for an entire job. They will bed with it, but always use regular mud on the finish coats. I know from personal experience that although the lightweight hot muds are "sandable" the don't sand anywhere as easily as regular mud, gumming up the sanding pad very quickly. Unless you are good with a mud knife, stay away from the old "Durabond" type mud. This stuff is like trying to sand plaster.

 

Smooth finish work: We only use it for 1st and second coat. Light weight ready mix for last coat. Comes out better. Easier to sand.

Textured finish: Use all hot mud.

-That's how we do it now, after 21 years of doing drywall.

 

I use 90 and 45 for whole houses. (Blue/white bags) But it takes time for the guys to really learn how to use it.

Much lies in how you mix it. Mix thick for filling holes and gaps, medium for taping and blocking at the same time, and thin for skimming.

Once it mostly sets up, run a knife over it to remove any ridges. Once it't dry, it sands like any other mud, when dry, in my opinion. The time you save with it equals $$$ at the end of the job.

Due to time saves, my guys take a room, and do all three coats one after another until they are done that room. Drop a fan, move to the next area. Next day all is dry and ready to sand.

I'll never go back to wet, slow, crumbly, shrinking, cracking, money-sucking ready-mix. Just my opinion, of course.

-TH

 

I use all Durabond 20,45,90 in the brown bags that easy sand is crap to soft, as for doing whole rooms have been doing them for 21 years:thumbup: . And as for corners your telling me you can't pull both sides:laughing: one after the other, well you need to practice more I do both sides and I only use a 6" taping knife, Oh I have a couple of those corner trowels for my beginners:w00t: who can't do corners, but I think I used them one time and then threw them in my tool bag and they have been there ever since. I finish all my ceilings and walls with topping compound it's so much easier to sand, I can use my hand to sand with. I tape and bedcoat then my second coat is with a second batch of 90 then skimcoat with topping compound. let it set up over night and as long as the humidity is below 60% it drys nice and hard. if the humidity is up above 65% we will put a fan in the room to move the air.

 

Like GregDi, I use it in bathrooms all the time. You have to if you want to make any money on the in and out ones.

 

I use brown bag dura-bond for first coat on my corner beads. With corners nailed and dura-bonded they will take a beating. Try peeling ultra-flex off when it is applied with brown bag. Impossible. Easy Sand, it peels right off. To make brown bag sand a little easier, start the batch with 1/3 Easy Sand (light wieght). I alway finish with a creamy bucket of USG green lid.

 

After reading this tread, I used hotmud for the first time. I used mesh, easysand 90 first two coats, finished with blue lid premixed, then wet sanded it the next day. Very happy with the results thanks guys.

 

I can't begin to tell you how much $$$ hot mud has made me .....I made it myself years ago by adding plaster of paris to ready mix in a pinch when I didn't have any . Adding concrete setting activater will turn ready mix into hot mud also....the more you add the quicker the set. I LOVE HOT MUD.:clap:

 

Love hotmud... Hot mud for the first two coats... NO SANDING! Just a quick scrape with a knife, and it's ready to top. Then sand and go...:clap:

 

Reading this thread I just want to comment, I worked for a company some years ago. When taping one guy was relegated to mixing hotmud while 2 or 3 others were busy applying it. The 'mixer' was set up with a couple of buckets of clean water, a bucket for dumping rinse water and a couple of clean buckets for the compound (20, 45, whatever at the time). We flew through taping like you wouldn't believe. The nice thing is the ones applying the mud wouldn't have to breake stride till lunch time or quitin time.

Also, we sponged it smooth. NO DUST! :clap:

 

We use 45 and 90 on everything........

Traditionally a drywall finisher using machine tools would tape 1 day, bed the second,skim the third and so on.......
With 45 or 90 we always mesh everything than hand feed the mud box and bed the entire job the first day. I let the taper fall behind and tape angles by himself with the taping tube.....so at the end of day 1 we are always finished with the bed coat. When we skim, we use plus 3 and just pull it skin tight and it needs almost no sanding. On jobs where its less than 50 sheets, we just got 1 guy steady mixing 20 minute pan by pan with a mini mixer..............45 and 90 makes me money.......I love those 2 guys.:thumbsup:

 

Watch out for those cuts. Hot mud will tear up your skin something fierce if you use it on the regular. Still love the stuff- it's a great product.

 

Rob
You can pick up M&H Reday Patch in the Black and Orange can at most Home Depots and Lowes in the paint dept or check out SW or BM paint stores also carry it.

As for the cuts on your hands the Durabond will dry out your hands because of the Mica in the mix this is what makes it dry out it will remove all moisture from board mud and your skin, I use vasaline on my hands when they get really bad also have started wearing leather gloves or those new machinc type gloves that are nylon keep the hands out of the mud, ends of my fingers don't split, like having a deep paper cut more of a pain in the but. Then it hurts.

 

Wow...I posted on this thread last October and it's still going....:laughing:

 

hot mud on first coat of butt joints and corner bead is all needed... then skim wit regular mud then touch up and spray... very easy process