OK, a sheetrock prep question for the floor prep crowd

[highup]

I have Googled a lot and found no answers to my question. The topic of prefilling drywall joints is like asking wood floor professionals if nails are better than staples............ 100 pros and half say staples, 1/2 say nails.

I have read that prefilling the joints is recommended by many drywall guys. Not taping, just prefilling the side gaps and wall joints prior to taping. For doing this, the drywall guys like "hot mud" instead of regular joint compound partly because it sets up harder which makes the joints stronger. Well, Fixall is pretty much "hot mud" on steroids in my opinion, and there is a bag at the job that I can use.
Why not? I did this in a friends sewing room using Vitex and even taped the seams with it. That worked great.

This home owner has me doing a lot of odds and ends, and hanging 4 sheets of drywall on the side and one end of a hall was one of those things. There will only be two horizontal joints and one butt joint.
So, will Fixall be good for prefilling the joints? I'm not concerned about how fast it sets up since there is so little to do.

 

[Floorist]

Not an expert, but I have hung quite a bit of drywall. I have always just used regular joint compound under the tape. That's the way my father taught me.

 

[highup]

Not an expert, but I have hung quite a bit of drywall. I have always just used regular joint compound under the tape. That's the way my father taught me.

Home was built in '23 and has plaster/lath walls. He wants the walls to be smooth and it would be a lot of work to trowel the plasrter smooth enough for semi-gloss paint.
Prefilling the seams would make the joint stronger if a harder setting filler was used to ooze between the sheets. I plan on prefilling, so I am really looking for reasons why Fixall wouldn't work for this. Yes, I'm way too picky........... ya can't stop me.

 

[Floorist]

Hope that wasn't built like my house. The studs are all walnut. (built 1908) You cannot drive a nail in them. Everything must be drilled and that's not easy. All houses around here, that were built more than about 60 years ago were built with native lumber. when it cured, it became as hard as concrete.

 

[Nick]

Mix a pint of water in the pail of mud . you'll get it smooth .

Damp sponge the edges . less sanding.

 

[Floorist]

Mix a pint of water in the pail of mud . you'll get it smooth .

Damp sponge the edges . less sanding.

My dad never used sandpaper. He always used a sponge.

 

[Ken]

Nothing a little Ardex wont fix, haha.

 

[Incognito]

Like rusty I've also done my share of drywall. I prefer the pre-mixed mud in a box. That goes thick on the joints and corners with the tape being pressed in and then immediately, if not sooner covered over with more mud.

Yeah, Fixall, hot mud (Smooth Set 20), Vitex.......Dash Patch.....it's all just gypsum powder and works fine once you learn the correct water ratio and then how much time to work with it an allow it to set up.

To be honest I really don't understand what your question was.

 

[highup]

Just trying to make the joint as strong as it can be. I do everything overkill. I'm just wanting to make these two joints stronger by prefilling with Fixall. I have read a lot on the internet discussions that the better drywall guys prefill the joints, and most use hot mud because of the strength it adds.
They, of course don't use Fixall because for one, it sets to fast for their purposes.................. I was just wondering why it wouldn't work as well as the "hot muds" that they use. I'd have no need for a nearly full bag of hot type drywall powder. Like I said, there just a few joints, plus some corners.
The customer has a bag of Fixall at the job site, so I figure why not use some of it? I think he bought the Fixall to do some plaster repairs prior to smoothing out the plaster walls. I told him that covering the plaster with 1/2" drywall would make a quicker and better surface with the semi-gloss paint they plan to use. No texture will go on the walls..........they want em smooooth and flat)

I guess I'm just asking why Fixall wouldn't work well for this. Time and speed of application are a non issue.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I used Dependable with latex once to repair some drywall or I should say plaster. Paint didn't want to stick to it very well. Sometimes even plaster has hot spots that paint don't like to stick to. Fixall might be to hot. I don't know the product nor have heard of it.

Daris

 

[highup]

I used Dependable with latex once to repair some drywall or I should say plaster. Paint didn't want to stick to it very well. Sometimes even plaster has hot spots that paint don't like to stick to. Fixall might be to hot. I don't know the product nor have heard of it.

Daris

Haven't heard of Dowman's Fixall? It's been around since the stone age ..........surely you remember.
It's similar I suppose to Rock hard water putty but comes in a green and yellow bag.

 

[FloorMaven]

I used Dependable with latex once to repair some drywall or I should say plaster. Paint didn't want to stick to it very well. Sometimes even plaster has hot spots that paint don't like to stick to. Fixall might be to hot. I don't know the product nor have heard of it.

I've often used it for drywall repair and use it with water as it is porous when dry. Thinking latex would be the bond breaker - why paint doesn't stick to it.

 

[FloorMaven]

Just trying to make the joint as strong as it can be. I do everything overkill. I'm just wanting to make these two joints stronger by prefilling with Fixall.

Fixall has plaster which has a higher compression strength compared to joint compound. Joint compound is designed to finish modern drywall and plaster is not designed for this type of application due to bond or compatibility limitations. You should always do a bond test to determine if your idea will work.

 

[Ernesto]

I only use hot mud when patching or in a hurry. I use the box'd joint compound mixed up with a little water in my 12" mud pan, under the paper tape. or else it wont stick.

 

[Incognito]

Fixall as mentioned is quite a bit more solid than the standard pre-mixed joint compound or the quick setting bags they buy especially for rush jobs.

I see it all the time on smaller scale "Main Street" commercial jobs where they're patching all around over all kinds of existing messes. That's usually laborers or carpenter who work direct for the GC. The drywall guys would rarely want to use Fixall I assume because of the limited working time and also it's quite a bit less workable.

When we go do cove sheet goods and the walls are severely jacked up I'll snag a bag of the contractors Fixall to...........fix........all.........the issues.

I would never go buy patch for the walls if there was material laying about. It's all the same to me.

 

[highup]

Fixall has plaster which has a higher compression strength compared to joint compound. Joint compound is designed to finish modern drywall and plaster is not designed for this type of application due to bond or compatibility limitations. You should always do a bond test to determine if your idea will work.

Try to scrape Fixall off of paper. Fixall sticks to virtually anything porous that is not cement based.
I planned to use it because it is stronger than joint compound, the same reason why the drywall guys use higher strength hot mud for filling the joints.
Personally I don't see the difference between hot mud and Fixall, with the exception that it hardens too fast for drywall guys and cleanup can be disastrous time wise if you are doing more than a tiny job like I am doing. Money and time are not an issue. I just don't want to buy a 25lkb bag of hot mud and have 24 1/2 lbs left over.
Again, I don't figure it for taping, only prefilling the joints or gaps to making the initial joint structure stronger.
The home is 1923 era, and a lot of additional weight was added to the second story of the home a year and a half ago. There has been som cracking and settling in the plaster, but it has come to a stop.
I figure a few minutes going overboard making the joints stronger might help control any future joint issues. IE: the entire wall will split and buckle instead of my seams splitting or cracking.
Old timers mixed Fixall and joint compound to make hot mud, but I figured using it full strength and only for filling.

I do appreciate all the comments.

 

[highup]

Fixall as mentioned is quite a bit more solid than the standard pre-mixed joint compound or the quick setting bags they buy especially for rush jobs.

I see it all the time on smaller scale "Main Street" commercial jobs where they're patching all around over all kinds of existing messes. That's usually laborers or carpenter who work direct for the GC. The drywall guys would rarely want to use Fixall I assume because of the limited working time and also it's quite a bit less workable.

When we go do cove sheet goods and the walls are severely jacked up I'll snag a bag of the contractors Fixall to...........fix........all.........the issues.

I would never go buy patch for the walls if there was material laying about. It's all the same to me.

About 10 or more years ago, I started using only cement based patch materials. I needed a calcium based patch for compatability reasons on a job, and everyone was out of Vitex. I was only able to find a bag of Fixall locally. Once I used this stuff for the first time in 20 years, I instantly recalled why I quit using it and switched to Vitex.
I used what I needed of that bag of Fixall, and gave the rest of the bag away. It has it's good qualities, but it's not nearly as user friendly as Vitex, especially when smoothing it.

 

[Incognito]

About 10 or more years ago, I started using only cement based patch materials. I needed a calcium based patch for compatability reasons on a job, and everyone was out of Vitex. I was only able to find a bag of Fixall locally. Once I used this stuff for the first time in 20 years, I instantly recalled why I quit using it and switched to Vitex.
I used what I needed of that bag of Fixall, and gave the rest of the bag away. It has it's good qualities, but it's not nearly as user friendly as Vitex, especially when smoothing it.

When I moved out here in '87 hard surface guys would still use Fixall with latex liquid additive for VCT, vinyl and lino regularly. I never liked it so I convinced our shop owner to use cement materials. I had to use the Fixall and "milk" plenty of times. The latex makes a much better mix to work with and from experience demoing out zillions of square feet where moisture isn't a factor the white patch with latex additive is very strong.

 

[Floorist]

When I moved out here in '87 hard surface guys would still use Fixall with latex liquid additive for VCT, vinyl and lino regularly. I never liked it so I convinced our shop owner to use cement materials. I had to use the Fixall and "milk" plenty of times. The latex makes a much better mix to work with and from experience demoing out zillions of square feet where moisture isn't a factor the white patch with latex additive is very strong.

I agree, everyone used latex here for years. Never saw a problem if it was mixed right.

 

[Incognito]

I agree, everyone used latex here for years. Never saw a problem if it was mixed right.

As long as you use it above grade or on slabs that are very secure from moisture issues white patch isn't a problem for LIGHT commercial or residential. You just need to be aware of the limits on what kind of conditions and abuse the floor will be subject to.