That warehouse job where the GC said joint compound is joint compound

Ngl, I used to think all mud was the same until I got stuck on a 50,000 square foot warehouse in Portland last summer. The GC made us use this cheap pre-mix that crumbled on the second coat. Has anyone else run into a job where the spec sheet screwed you over?

2 comments

2 Comments

corac912d ago

Pay attention to the temp and humidity when you're using that cheap stuff. I worked a job in Seattle where the GC insisted on this bargain bin pre-mix and it was fine in the morning but by afternoon it was cracking like old asphalt. Turns out it had no plasticizer or whatever was supposed to be in there to handle the moisture swings. The spec sheet said it was "all purpose" but it was really just for a perfectly climate controlled house, not a drafty warehouse with the bay doors open. That's the thing nobody talks about, the conditions where you're applying it matter more than the brand.

abby3082d ago

Used to think that whole "you gotta watch the weather" thing was just old timers being dramatic. Then I patched a ceiling in my own house last summer with some mid-range stuff from the big box store. Mixed it up on a 90 degree day with the AC off and it went from wet to crumbly in like 10 minutes. Had to scrape it all out and start over. Now I check the forecast before I even open the bag. Your Seattle story lines up with that completely, the cheap stuff just can't handle real world conditions.