Post by mnnorthstars on Aug 17, 2017 12:52:40 GMT
I've been doing some remodeling in my basement and last week got to a new step that I had not done before, and surprisingly I enjoyed it more than I thought that I would. On two past projects I have hung Sheetrock and I've painted it several times, but I'd never done the middle step of mudding, taping, and sanding the surface to a clean finish. It further complicated matters that some of the wall was finished and anchored to the studs but the new drywall was put in below that on the wall and some of the joints had gaps or didn't line up flush so I had to build up some of it quite a bit.
So how did it go? Well, before I started I had no confidence that it would look anything like what I have seen on other jobs. I didn't think I could get the surface smooth or level. Having not done this before, I asked a buddy for some help but we ended up needing to hang drywall instead because I didn't have that finished in time. He said to just look it up on the web and I should be good. Well, I did that and tested out a section to see what it would look like. He came back by the next day to get some tools and I asked him what he thought of what I had done so far and he gave me a little lesson, which didn't help my technique but gave me a bit more confidence that I was doing it right. So, I finished the first coat and the next day looked up a video of how to do the second coat, discovering that I had applied the mud without watering it down and that it needed thinned out a bit. Thinner mud made It a lot easier to apply and I did the second coat in 1/4 of the time and the third was even faster. I sanded it and that section of the project is basically complete. To my delight, the walls look pretty good.
What surprised me about mudding is that it was an enjoyable experience for me, despite taking a very long time to do less than half of the basement. It was kind of zen to apply the mud, put the tape on, and wipe it clean and smooth. I enjoyed the later coats even more. Sanding has been a little less enjoyable but still a little fun.
So for those of you who aren't construction professionals, what was your experience with mudding? Did you enjoy it as well? Were you surprised or happy with your results?
So how did it go? Well, before I started I had no confidence that it would look anything like what I have seen on other jobs. I didn't think I could get the surface smooth or level. Having not done this before, I asked a buddy for some help but we ended up needing to hang drywall instead because I didn't have that finished in time. He said to just look it up on the web and I should be good. Well, I did that and tested out a section to see what it would look like. He came back by the next day to get some tools and I asked him what he thought of what I had done so far and he gave me a little lesson, which didn't help my technique but gave me a bit more confidence that I was doing it right. So, I finished the first coat and the next day looked up a video of how to do the second coat, discovering that I had applied the mud without watering it down and that it needed thinned out a bit. Thinner mud made It a lot easier to apply and I did the second coat in 1/4 of the time and the third was even faster. I sanded it and that section of the project is basically complete. To my delight, the walls look pretty good.
What surprised me about mudding is that it was an enjoyable experience for me, despite taking a very long time to do less than half of the basement. It was kind of zen to apply the mud, put the tape on, and wipe it clean and smooth. I enjoyed the later coats even more. Sanding has been a little less enjoyable but still a little fun.
So for those of you who aren't construction professionals, what was your experience with mudding? Did you enjoy it as well? Were you surprised or happy with your results?
