Drywall mud

[raddksn]

I'm finishing some drywall and I opened a bucket of all purpose tapping compound(green lid) I had about 1/2 a bucket it was brown, is this mold?

Can I save this any way, I'm thinking bleach mix good and call it done????

Good idea/bad idea

It's not the cost of a bucket if mud, but it's a 70 mile roundtrip then the wife wants to go and as long were in town gotta go to walmart spend 2-3 hundred there, then have lunch and by time I get back home and put all the walmart stuff away I'm done for the day!

 

[readhead]

If it doesn't smell sour add a little water and mix it up. Skim the brown off the top before you mix it.

 

[StingRay]

Perhaps it's just discoloration from rust left behind from your tools. I've seen this to a lesser degree before but I use mostly stainless tools. Any of my spring steel tools will rust up anything really fast.

 

[Mattlt]

I had this happen a couple weeks ago with a half-used bucket of mud and was wondering the same thing. Looked like mold to me. I just skimmed off the top 1/2" of the bucket and used it.

Just a guess, but I would assume they had to take out some additive in the name of environmental friendliness. Again, just a guess.

 

[Morrison]

I would trash it and buy a new bucket of mud, it's what $10? If you add some **** into it and you drywall job gets fucked up you will have to do it again.

 

[Orange65]

If it is just a brown fluid, I would mix it and use it. If it is black, I would bet it is mold and I would trash it. I have had both happen to me. I have no idea how it molded, but it went into the trash.

 

[rlitman]

I would rather not use it. If it is mold, you'll be seeing it again as it eats through the paint.
If it is rust, it may show up through the paint too.
If you can remove and dump any traces of the contamination and get to clean white mud, then in a pinch I might use it in your extenuating situation. Bleach, heck no.

This is one reason I try to only use setting compound now. It does not support mold growth like the pre-mix stuff.

 

[readhead]

In the future flaten out the mud in the bucket and put some water on top. It will stay fresh and be ready to go next time.