How to Mix Drywall Mud PROPERLY!!!

[@manuelvalenzuela1180]

i was union carpenter drywaller for 10 years i own my own company now empire drywall group inc and ive learned how to be a taper from you and now im doing remodels from framing to knockdown thanks ive learn alot from you

[@moroniccolonic3959]

So you didn't learn much from your union experience 🤔 😅

[@JA-ut8fi]

Thank you bro, your the reason I'm good at mudding and drywall for my own business. It seems painters and carpenters consider drywall and Mudd as its own trade. But I prefer to do everything! Thank you again.

[@DJMeCa]

As a homeowner who has some extra time to do some home projects (thanks Covid), I discovered your channel, and love the tips and tricks, and you’ve helped me out! Also love your sense of humor. Thanks for putting these out!

[@NEDERLAM]

I always wondered why pro’s were able to spread mud so thin and without much effort. You made my basement finishing job so much easier now. Thank you!

[@themonkeydrunken]

Buddy, you've answered dozens of my drywall questions on several homegamer projects. Thank you for putting your knowledge out there!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Glad to help

[@bigjoe9350]

He’s not your buddy, guy!

[@WilliamDenman]

@@bigjoe9350 He's not your guy, friend

[@paulgrape1501]

@@WilliamDenman he ain't your friend pal!

[@andrewnayl]

@paul grape He’s not your pal, bro

[@mikesch7672]

I found the easiest way to mix mud without making a mess or working myself too hard, is to hire someone to do all my drywall work. That frees up time for me to drink a beer while supervising the progress.

[@Goose619]

This guys knows how to do it hahaha

[@mikesch7672]

@@jackhandyy yes, thats exactly what I said.

[@multi_rosa]

sounds nice but ain't ready to throw down 6k

[@Limit5482]

True professional right here. Sub it out and drink beer

[@mikesch7672]

@@Limit5482 beer is the most important ingredient of any home improvement project

[@michaelbezos2969]

Not very religious my friend but bless you. Your have saved me from going over to the dark side with drywall joint work, compound mixing and all the other helpful information you've taking the time to share. I'm just in old fart remodeling a inexpensive house & God himself plugs his ears whenever he sees me getting ready to mud. Thank you so much,

[@NMranchhand]

Great help. You’re right on about the small things you have to see. Please, please, do a side-by-side comparison (in bucket, on hawk, on a sheet of wall board) of the correct consistency for the various tasks (skim, beads, framing, etc). That’s the hardest to grasp. Thanks. I love your presentations.

[@XsoloXela1989]

This. Please

[@aaron74]

So I just learned that you need to use a drill like Ben has in this video for mixing, he's happens to be using a DeWalt model DW130V. This is a high-torque low-speed drill suitable for mixing. If you use a common 1/2 drill you could burn it out! "Ask me how I know." 🤔😆

[@EricLS]

Yeah, I have a full size, Milwaukee fuel brushless 18v and it just BARELY handles it with the 9AH battery. Have to keep my hands off the vents and give it little breaks or it’ll get hot.

[@moroniccolonic3959]

As long as it's 110 you should be good. I use an old ass makita for mixing everything from drywall mud to thinset, concrete in a pinch lol

[@Ariccio123]

Years ago I bought the cheapest black and Decker matrix corded drill Although for the past few of the years I've been using mostly better tools for everything, the corded drill has been soldiering on despite having let the smoke out of it about a dozen times 😂😂😂😂

[@ericforeman5466]

Love how clean this guy is..I work construction and this guy here would be my best friend. Productive,quality,safety all in one

[@bobdarin3546]

I've been following you for a couple of years now and I always learn new tricks and techniques from your videos. I've been basically a framing and decking carpenter for about 40 years and my biggest weakness has been spackling. I cant tell you how much my abilities have improved by watching your videos. Keep up the good work and thank-you!

[@richardburguillos3118]

There’s something therapeutic about watching mud being mixed. Ahhh i feel so much better and enlightened. Thanks.

[@sandwickconsulting]

I drywalled in college 20yrs ago and learned lots and have moved into my professional career as an HR guy. Knowing the skills/art of finishing drywall is a blessing and a curse! Great I can do everything I need to do for myself and family. A curse when your friends know you can do this. Like owning a pickup and your friends don’t!

[@sandwickconsulting]

Also - my wife walked by and asked me why am I watching all of these drywall videos!

[@letsgochavo161]

Vancouver Carpenter: "The only other bucket I have is this yellow one." Orange Bucket Right Behind You: "Am I joke to you?"

[@thejoshthat]

I think it was on purpose for the comments

[@jonnyb1438]

We sometimes add dish soap to the skim coat. It really helps smooth out the mud. * bonus* it smells good too!! It’s Nice to smell something different than farts and sweaty armpits.

[@WaynesWorldStudioVancouver]

Will you be getting small pin bubbles!

[@jonnyb1438]

@ Waynes World Studio surprisingly it does not add bubbles. It just makes the mud easier to work with. I believe USG adds soap to their mix to begin with, and I’m sure the other companies do as well.

[@WaynesWorldStudioVancouver]

Jonny B thank you, I wonder what Ben think about the dish soap technique? Does he apply any on as I don’t recall any his video I seem. A secret lol

[@tvsma-e5h]

How much dish soap for a bucket of mud?

[@cre8tivity06]

@@shelzmike how much soap do you add? Are we talking a quick squirt or a few squirts of soap into the mud? Thanks!

[@robertosalazarjr1205]

I just want to say thank you so much I watch so many of your videos. And I was amazed on the quality of my work but I got great training thanks to you. You don’t leave any useful details out nor do you just talking my ear off.

[@scottwisniewski7372]

To comment on a previous video, that I can no longer find but I watched because like all your videos, bloopers and all, I find them very helpful. I was mixing quickset with well water and found out just how fast that actually sets. I was so used to using city water that I wasn't thinking, so I realized too late that in little less then 30 minutes I turned 45-minute mud into a solid brick...

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Yup!! I have never used well water but have heard of that.

[@mybleachhouse]

I just got into this world of mudding and am thankful for these kinds of tips. I have tried the buckets of pre mixed, the dry 90 min, and now the boxes which are my favorite...but don't like how they dry with a yellow tinge. Only tip I can give so far is to make sure to mix with pure clean water or you might accidentally add an accelerator into the mix. I have had buckets turn into 10 min drying mud from what I think was a rusty trowel and a bag I draped my salty wetsuit over.

[@stephaniegreer1746]

Thanks

[@Twinsell1256]

Thanks for uploading this man! It was very helpful seeing someone else go about this process when I’m doing this for the first time.

[@mattc8347]

I watched your skating videos before I knew you did this channel both are great channels! Also I’m a painter at a hospital and all we do is fix drywall and paint and I skate aswell.

[@thoi412]

I just finished my first box of mud yesterday spooning the mud out with my knife into my mud pan to mix in water there. Bought by next box today and this video is going to save me SOO much time and effort. Thank You!

[@JohnComeOnMan]

Pretty cavalier with that cord dangling across the mixing paddle there. I saw, and heard, a guy break his wrist when the cord got wrapped up. I love how you live dangerously.

[@justinmiller5130]

It definitely had me cringing.

[@michaelmolter8828]

When I set a block wall for the first time, I was surprised to learn that the most skill based thing of the whole process was getting the right amount of water in the mortar and getting it mixed thoroughly. I’d thought the fancy tricks with slapping the mortar on a block with the side of the towel would be the tough part, but it really was just getting the right mortar consistency. And that really was the factor that made a course go easy and look good or difficult and not come out great. No surprise it matters a lot with drywall too

[@garychandler4296]

I have the same drill; drops the tool every time if i don't use a key...I prefer the masonry type mixer with the um, 4x5? cage of 3/8" bars. It can actually be used in a 1 gallon bucket if it's already wet and say, you forgot a spot...and in a 5, you can tilt it up to 45 degrees to pull the bottom mud up, top mud down, while you just stand there!

[@hazenkomraus]

Same here. Except my drill is a Ridgid. 100% with you on the whip style, much better IMO and less torque on the tool and bucket, easier bucket and drill holding.

[@budsatawny]

The presentation of your videos is amazing. To the point, let mistakes flow, and keep right on rolling with the instruction. Being in a real world application helps, at least me, understand the how'/why's of what you are saying. Keep up the excellent presentations!

[@GT-43]

If you'll take a bucket lid and cut a hole in it big enough for the shaft on the mixing paddle to go through you can mix it with the lid on.

[@martymcglame7781]

Can you please clarify the difference between a finish coat and a skim coat? My understanding is that if you have an area with repaired sections plus intact, previously painted surfaces, then in order to have the new paint job for the whole room not look different on the two different surfaces, that doing the whole room with a SKIM coat before you paint, helps even out the appearance. Is that correct?

[@jessjimenez3313]

Thank you Ben for sharing your knowledge and experience to us do it yourselfers. Greatly appreciated from a novice such as me.....JJ

[@danielmcphee6061]

Gotta say I love your videos. You’ve set me straight more then once. Keep them coming

[@Grizzleback07]

8:38 What I feel like after a night of drinking Schlitz and eating street tacos and the boss is beating on the bathroom door telling me to hurry up.

[@geneduclos4003]

Is Schlitz still brewed?! Haven't heard of that bear in years.

[@madbarber1670]

@@geneduclos4003 can get it in cincinnati still.....

[@studentsb6296]

MUHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@bobninemire5154]

This is helpful but take some out and put on a hawk. Like what you use for final coat, corners etc. Need to see what the consistency is of each type and how it moves around on the hawk would be even more helpful

[@eukaryon]

"I only use this color" Makes sense. I get different color buckets for different purposes, quick identification - white food, orange tools, dark mixing. Darker colors for mixing to make it easier to clean, see the leftover bits.

[@route5discgolf]

Yeah man you got me with the box first bag 2nd. It’s relaxing after a hard days work watching someone take the same keen eye, I approach the job site too.

[@slicergears657]

Keeping your work area clean and organized along with basic housekeeping is a lost concept to new trades persons. Thank you.

[@DNALawyer]

I do what appears to be nearly perfect drywall work, and I learned great stuff from this! Wow....

[@mansfieldcarpentry805]

I think you need to switch to building cabinets with how much you have shoulder issues and such. I'm not a fan of drywall but youve been amazingly helpful, thank you!

[@ealdeleon23]

thanks for the video! I'm procrastinating some home projects and I didn't know how to mix mud. If I get this step wrong, it only makes the job more difficult.

[@johns6768]

Definitely the best drywall er on youtube!! And i bet there aint too many people that can out do him!!!!

[@neilwolfe3324]

Thank you for your videos they are a big help trying to restore this 120 year old house.

[@f.robert7301]

You always working pretty well, and I learning something new always from you!

[@shegocrazy]

Could you do a dedicated video on mixing glue with mud for different applications? Thanks.

[@johnb9051]

Started out great, but you fail to describe the consistency you're looking for. Can't use this info without that!

[@tigahshark]

Tip for mixing, mix the mud first before you add the water, doesnt matter how hard the mud is, that way you dont have nearly as much splashing and the mixing process goes MUCH faster.

[@brianglade848]

Getting the perfect mix is when the guy that mixed it hands you the bucket

[@rickyhusaini6184]

Loved the tip about moving the mixer up and down to get the proper consistency across the board! I have a question: Am keen on wallpapering one of the exposed board concrete walls i have at home, and wanted to apply drywall to even out the surface. 1. How many coats should suffice? 2. Is sanding needed at the end? 3. Should I mix some wood glue into the drywall to improve adhesiveness? 4. Any tip to further prevent moisture from the concrete to spoil my wallpaper down the road? Thanks a ton!

[@edover50]

Always so look forward to your videos Ben. I generally mix smaller batches but everything you said still applies thank you. Do you ever mix more than you need and try to save it for the next job? Sometimes I’ve kept mixed mud for weeks and add a little more water and make it work, but Im usually just patching small jobs no bigger than a few sheets. Do you just toss the extra and begin again??

[@EricLS]

I found topping mud has some sort of lubricant that gets sloppier, but other mud is fine. But after a while I always get mold. $15 a box, not really worth it if it’ll be a long time.

[@tsellan]

What's the difference between mud, joint compound, and plaster?

[@clutch5sp989]

Bought myself a new mud whooper. It had 4-hoops on it, so I cut 2 of them off. Works great and easier to clean.

[@MashaJ0608]

@Vancouver Carpenter - what do if I accidentally allowed those bubbles to dry? I sanded and now left with small craters throughout. Can I just skim over it one more time to fill the holes? Thank you in advance.

[@lisawatson1254]

Ben - We're doing our biggest renovation project yet on our 100 year old house, and your videos have been a huge help! Seems like you've got one for every problem we have to address (which are many!). How about one on how to estimate quantities when mixing compound? I always end up mixing waaaaaaaay too much!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Better too much than too little :)

[@survivalmethod8224]

Thanks for the tips bro .p.s your Dry drywall jokes are halarious 🤣 you remind me of my cousin Dale!

[@joeredman8161]

What's your tip for that 1/2 bucket of mud that's always leftover? I always just put a lid on it and save it for the next job but of course I get some crusties.

[@michaelford2120]

You have the best videos on drywall! I seem to get air bubbles in my plus 3 mix. And when I slap it on the wall I'm troweling and troweling to push the bubbles out. Do you remix your mud everytime even the next day, when it still looks great. Thanks

[@geneduclos4003]

Hey Ben, Thanks for another great video. I'm not in the profession, just a simple home owner DIY'er. I bought a large bucket of mud a while back to do some significant rework around the house. I didn't use it as fast as I thought I would, and some mold started to grow on the mud. There wasn't much so I simply scraped it off. I need to thin it out a bit and I was wondering, would it hurt to add a small amount of bleach in the mix to prevent the mold to from growing on the mud again? Thanks

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I have no idea what bleach might do.

[@DiscoFang]

For years I've been spraying mould-killer into buckets of mud that I know won't be used for a while. Just a couple of trigger pulls before putting the lid on. Never any problems.

[@geneduclos4003]

@@DiscoFang Thank you.

[@geneduclos4003]

@@DiscoFang Maybe you can help me out with this issue. I have paint cracking along one edge of the tape on an inside corner. It is the whole length of the corner. What is the best way to fix something like that... thanks.

[@DiscoFang]

Gene DuClos Sounds like you have movement between the tape & the drywall which likely means the tape wasn’t bedded well enough. I think the only real solution is to cut out but you could try setting a run of tape & plaster right down the crack.

[@stevenmcfarlane8831]

Another great video . Can I ask what you reckon is the best paddle ( brand and model ) for mixing mud ? Cheers

[@TheOriginalMeek]

That bag pull was satisfying ☺️

[@pinkfrog3922]

Thank you very much for your videos; they are incredible useful. I have to build a wall starting from an outside corner. How do I make sure that the new wall is flush with the old one? Would you tear out the corner bead? Would you rip out that one face of the old wall (it's not a long section of wall) and just install a continuous piece? To further complicate things, the studs might be metal studs (I hate those, I always have trouble with those; I'm able to screw my drywall into them, even with fine threaded screws). I was planning on just using wood studs to extend. I might use 2x3 instead of 2x4 to match the rest of the walls; TBD.

[@jamespetz3122]

I use a paint mixer and just mix it in the box saves the extra steps and doesn't tear the plastic

[@JohnSmith-vr3xr]

Thanks for all the tips. So much I don't know

[@jerseyjim9092]

Even after mixing good, I sometimes get small dough balls in my mud. They smooth out if pressed and worked but theyre a pita and I'm curious why I get them. Is the mud too stiff or drying out?

[@1hiphopnow]

Great question and something I been experiencing

[@GB-we4cy]

Hey VC, kinda off topic, but do you have any tips on priming/painting pre-primed MDF baseboards? Should I still prime if it’s pre-primed, and what kind of paint to use? Should I sand, etc. Thanks.

[@vanstromi7810]

Are your buckets 5 gallon? We can only get 4.5 gallon premixed buckets in the US.

[@Rae-lh7ex]

If I am doing a textured ceiling with a fancy patterned roller, would this be the product to use?

[@LawnFlamingoPoop]

Yo I just stumbled across this channel and knew I recognized you from somewhere but couldn't find skate videos on this channel and was questioning my entire life before I found your other channel

[@Shelly98012]

Hahahaha "questioning my whole life...." love that! What's the other channel? 🤔 I'm down for watching some skating!

[@LawnFlamingoPoop]

@@Shelly98012 kzbin.info/door/P94Q0ypuPdhl-NupoAbcoQvideos He's actually really good too

[@peabarter_3074]

I love how particular he is about his gray buckets while there is an orange Home Depot bucket behind him. LOL

[@gme10955]

That blue box of lightweight mud looks much larger than the USG light weight mud sold here in the U.S. Interesting.

[@eric22flat]

Hi Ben. I love your videos! Is there a way to fix a short crooked wall? I have a 2 feet long wall between a corner and closet molding. It's crooked like a banana. Floor molding makes it look terrible. I'd like to avoid fixing the wall all the way to the ceiling, just want it to blend better with the molding. I would appreciate your advice. Thank you

[@mattcollins973]

I am adding joint compound to fill grooves in wood paneling to appear as though it’s drywall. Then painting over. Any suggestions for consistency?

[@ethanclapper6042]

You've helped me so much so thank you! Do I need a big paddle style to mix or will the "spiral mixing arm" work fine?

[@Zyo117]

My specific question when I came across this video, is whether it's possible to remix cgc all purpose beige after a bucket has gotten dry or frozen. After your demonstration with the buckets though, I think it should be fine.

[@d7k33]

what about for a DIY patch repair on ceiling..no way I'm buying those fancy mixers...any tips?

[@Freestila]

Is it allways premixed with water? Here in Germany these Products in most cases dry powder where you add all the water. We also have premixed / premade, but thats mostly for small jobs and people who use this verry irregular.

[@EdgeMasterPro]

Hi Ben would be great if you could mix a few different buckets up. Like this is good for taping flats and butt joints, this for corners, this first coast this skim coat this for outside angles metal beads quickest etc to show the right consistency.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Great idea!

[@EdgeMasterPro]

Vancouver Carpenter I tried making up your slip box 📦 taping machine and the made did really need to be thinned down. Working with mud the right consistency is hard to judge it’s one of those things you need to learn but how it sits on a knife or doesn’t really makes a difference.

[@ccadama]

@Vancouver Carpenter. Thanks for making this video. Learning alot from you. Question. What is the reason for cutting around the outside of electrical boxes when using a rotary drywall router or RotoZip? Why not adjust the bit and cut along the inside of the boxes? Hope you and your family stay safe and well.

[@edover50]

The outside of the box , especially the screw tabs won’t clear if you just do the inside and you’ll bust up your clean drywall job when you push to make it flush.

[@patchi_8066]

Hello I am wondering what is the best compound / mud for automatic taping tools (Level 5) in Canada ?

[@bud-qg2un]

Multi - purpose mud is best for taping. Green or Black lid. It has more glue "or so I'm told" It will shrink more to pull the tape tighter into the flats. I use the mid-grade mud, which is either Red or Purple lid. It's still tries fairly hard and is still durable and easy to sand. Green and Black lid dry hard as a rock and is way harder to sand. But much more durable. Light Blue mud is very easy to sand and much less durable than the other colored lids. General rule of thumb, The heavier the bucket the harder it is to sand.

[@adlerbrent]

Hi. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for doing them. I like the cardboard boxes you have in Canada. Here in the states we have nothing but buckets of the equivalent. Seems wasteful. Also. I have always wondered why you use the electric drill. They make really good cordless stuff now and Milwaukee has a hole hawg that would save you all those extension chords. Any reason why you still use corded. Thanks Ben

[@aelfswith]

Interesting, we have boxes in TN.

[@lelandchalmers1658]

I installed a new tub and surround and would like to know if I should put the factory edge of the sheet rock towards the tub and covering the flange

[@5315batman]

Might seem strange.....removed a double vanity, of course some bad dry wall, more so there’s a pvc clean out that sticks out from the drywall by 3/8”, and exposing inside the wall from both sides, how can I fix this disaster???

[@gxb5008]

Thanks for all of these videos. I’ve learned a lot and ready to put some of this to practice in my own house. I was hoping you might be able to offer some advice. I have a window without any trim molding, and there are cracks in the drywall along side and top. Would I use tape on these areas and if so how do I handle not being able to center the tape based on position of the crack?

[@EM-fi2qg]

7:05 I was waiting for that cord to catch around the mixer and pull 100 feet of extension cord into the bucket.

[@shurikturan8594]

How do you wash the mixer properly? What’s the model number of the brush you use?

[@tykellerman6384]

Hey Ben you have a bucket mojo I thought I was the only one... perfect🤠👍🔨

[@kenc6602]

So what is the difference between that mud u use and the let's say quicksand 20 or 90?

[@legendary_gaming6615]

Do you like to use a specific brand of joint knifes when mudding

[@sean9462]

Can you over mix the mud? and if so how can you tell?

[@renalshomlmes338]

I had a carpenter tell me to add a little dish soap to the mix. I am guessing that hellos to prevent bubbles?

[@tomvines4557]

Advice needed, I removed popcorn ceiling and then noticed that the ceiling was uneven, worst area was about 3/8”. I filled in the areas that were low and feathered out the other areas. My issue is that after completing the sanding I noticed small pin holes in a lot of areas, did I do something wrong with mixing my mud?

[@fev3rd]

Umm is that the winer mix. Noticed use brands are dryer in winter and wetter in summer???

[@mattbricker8801]

Silly question. I’m just now getting into doing more drywall work. Still learning the trade. Prior to that I did masonry. Do your hands get dry after doing a lot of mud work or is it just me? What do you suggest to help with dried out hands after a day’s work? Thanks.

[@blueplasma5589]

Bag Balm

[@kevind1865]

What's the reason for using this semi-pre-mixed stuff vs just a bag of powder?

[@TobiasRaphael1]

Easier to sand.

[@jameslarocque3044]

I use zero water In my finish coat mud about 1cup of dish soap per box of mud takes care of 95% of fisheyes and finishes amazingly. Try it out I was skeptical prior but now I swear by it

[@pilotdog68]

So you use the Plus3 equivalent for finish coat? Would you also use it for taping, or is heavyweight AP mud better for that

[@stuartwhelan3258]

Thanks for that, it's really helpful.

[@kevinjavier8430]

Hey Ben, quick question from a newbie. For 2nd coating, what order do u recommend? Butt joints, flats then corners?

[@jimroberts1391]

Hmm Never thought about putting dirty shoes on top of bucket , good tip thanks

[@swav100]

Do you hang drywall or just do you mud?

[@Ocanadakiter]

Whats wrong with Canadian tire buckets?

[@momo46924]

I'm new to your channel and I am not sure where to ask this question. How do you tape outside rounded corners? I checked your videos and could only find 90 degree corners. Thank you

[@calebn618]

Look for bullnose corner beads. They go on the same way as the 90 but are rounded.

[@monicaochoa2716]

Love your videos . Can you do one for using the bazooka