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fixizin

Fans of EasySand20 and other drywall mud...

fixizin
12 years ago

Brickeyee (and maybe others) have advocated using drywall joint compound in "off-label" ways, i.e. as plaster for filling gaps and holes of various spans and depths, when the packaging suggests it is only for very thin "schmears", as in taping drywall joints.

Someone, local, live, and on-site, recently recommended the same "mud" for repairing some ancient plaster/drywall around a window frame, ruined by water-intrusion. We're talking a trench 1" deep and 1.5" wide, bounded by sound plaster above, concrete behind, and new wood window frame below.

Anyway, was just wondering what the dimensional limitations are of drywall "mud", when/if you reinforce with MESH, shrinkage/cracking issues when "used thick", etc.

Thanks in advance.

Comments (9)

  • Ron Natalie
    12 years ago

    I'm not sure what this has to do with wiring.

  • fixizin
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Brickeyee mentions it ALL THE TIME in this forum... maybe I should post it in 'Home Repair' instead...? Muh bad.

  • brickeyee
    12 years ago

    If you use just enough water to get a workable mix Easysand and Durabond have very little shrinkage.

    Unlike pre-mixed mud they do not harden by evaporation of the water, but by chemical reaction (like actual plaster).

    If you use just enough water to get a thick but workable mix it will only shrink a few thousandths of an inch in even 1 inch thick (or wide) applications.

    I learned how to repair plaster, using actual plaster and lime putty many years ago.

    It has only been a few months since I last ran plaster molding for a customer.

    For smaller jobs the setting joints compounds are a worthy successor.

  • petey_racer
    12 years ago

    "Brickeyee mentions it ALL THE TIME in this forum... "

    Funny, I have been coming to this forum for over five years and I have never seen him mention it.

  • brickeyee
    12 years ago

    I rarely mention in the electrical forum since it is not very applicable.

    It is useful for filling around boxes to meet the gap rules.

    If you do a careful job cutting but are over 1/8 inch you can often hide the filler behind the device plate.

  • fixizin
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    If you use just enough water to get a workable mix Easysand and Durabond have very little shrinkage.

    Unlike pre-mixed mud they do not harden by evaporation of the water, but by chemical reaction (like actual plaster).

    Ah so... as with Portland cement products, most DIYers tend towards too much water, with the unfortunate shrinkage and crackage to follow. Thanks. Will practice.

    In general, is Plaster (of Paris) better for filling "trenches"?

    What about MESH reinforcement?

    PS: petey's a good egg, but a minute with the 'Search' function might save us all from an attack of retro-80s BOLDing... lol.

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wiring/msg021115478282.html

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wiring/msg031327013649.html

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wiring/msg011845489405.html

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wiring/msg0409104729193.html

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wiring/msg0314085831456.html

    ... stop me before I link again... ;')

  • brickeyee
    12 years ago

    "In general, is Plaster (of Paris) better for filling "trenches"?

    What about MESH reinforcement? "

    Plaster of Paris hardens to fast to be very useful without adding a lot of retarder.

    Setting products do not require significant reinforcement.

    They harden to a non-soluble solid material.

    I use setting compounds to replace plaster grounds (often 3/4 inch thick by 1+ inch wide) with no significant shrinkage if mixed correctly.

    An 1 inch wide x 3/4 thick section will have hairline separation against a door jamb, to small to even slide a piece of paper into.

    The mixture should be as thick as peanut butter, but needs to be thoroughly mixed so it is smooth.

    you can use setting compound to fill the 1/8 inch gap produced with a roto-zip in cutting into drywall without paper or mesh.

    You can open up the wall for access and use the cut out piece as the filler.

    Out one or two 1x strips over the opening, screw the cut out piece in place, then fill the narrow space lost to eh cutter with setting compound.

    Usually I only need a single coat.
    Make sure to push enough compound into the gap to ensure it fills entirely and even extrudes from the back forming a key.

    It also works on two coat plaster (or veneer plaster) over a gypsum substrate.

    Wood lath 3 coat plaster is usually damaged to much during cutting to be repaired as easily, but you can temporarily fasten a section or drywall larger than the hole to over it, then use the Rotozip to cut through the drywall and the plaster barely to the wood lath.
    The edges can then be cleaned out and the wood lath trimmed enough to allow a wooden cross bar (or two) to be fastened in place, the drywall screwed to the cross bars, and then the repair completed by filling the area to flush with the existing plaster surface.

    If you work fast enough using Easysand20 you can usually get more than one layer per hour in.
    Easysand does not have to be dry before the next layer, just hard.

  • fixizin
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Print. Laminate. FRAME!

    'twould be redundant to state that "Brick is The Man"... I do hope he's getting his cut of the ad revenues on this site. ;')

  • brickeyee
    12 years ago

    "I do hope he's getting his cut of the ad revenues on this site."

    Not a penny.

    I view it as a payback for all the customers over the years that I learned things on their jobs, and the old guys I hired that showed me things like how to run plaster molding.