I used to patch drywall with spackle from a tub but now I mix my own mud

For years I was team pre-mixed spackle (you know, the pink stuff that dries white) for every nail hole and crack. Then my buddy Tom in Akron showed me his mix of 20-minute hot mud with a little water and it feathers way better on bigger patches. Now I'm torn between convenience and a smoother finish. Which side are you on for small repairs around the house?

3 comments

3 Comments

seanjohnson23d ago

My first real drywall patch was about 8 inches across in my old place in Columbus... I used the pink pre-mixed stuff and ended up sanding for what felt like two days straight. After that I switched to 20-minute mud with a little extra water and a splash of dish soap actually helps it spread nice and thin. Now I keep a bucket of the pre-mixed for quick nail holes but for anything bigger than a golf ball I'm mixing my own every time. It just sets up faster and I can get a second coat on in under an hour instead of waiting all day.

mark_cooper22d ago

Yeah that dish soap trick is something I gotta try... I've been using the 20-minute hot mud for anything bigger than a screw hole and it just works better for me too. Had this one spot in my hallway where a doorknob punched through the drywall, maybe 4 inches across, and I tried the pink stuff first. Ended up with this ugly bump I sanded down three times before giving up and scraping it all off. Mixed up some 20-minute mud with just a splash more water than the bag says and it feathered out like butter, no joke. One coat filled it, second coat smoothed it, done in an hour and a half. Now I keep a little tub of pre-mixed for the tiny nail pops but for anything bigger than my thumb I'm mixing my own.

adam_hernandez23d ago

Stick with the hot mud for bigger patches, man. I've been exactly where you are and went back and forth for years. The pre-mixed stuff is fine for tiny nail holes but as soon as you're dealing with anything bigger than a quarter, it just doesn't set up right and you end up sanding forever. I still keep a small tub of the pink stuff around for quick touch ups but for anything that needs to look smooth, I'm mixing my own now too.

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