Mudding Drywall in "cold" weather

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I am in the process of mudding my garage. I have to take off the garage door to finish mudding. Being in NY the weather is starting to warm up and then get cold again at night (60deg day/ 40 deg night). According to google you arent supposed to mud below 55ish. what happens if I apply mud during these temps? I know curing time will be longer which I am okay with. But once it gets below 55, will it not cure at all or only once it is above 55 again?

90% of the mudding I will be doing with the door on and the heat cranked!

Thanks!

 

[PCustoms]

Why do you have to take the door off?

In my experience you shouldn't mud when the temp is cold, it makes it come out poor and it comes off.

Also why the heck didn't you stagger seams....

 

[readhead]

Why would you remove the door? Garages are tapped and finished everyday with the doors installed. Especially during winter.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I thought to get a perfect finish I would have to take the door off?

I didn't stagger because I didn't know I was supposed to. This is my first time tackling it and making mistakes is how you learn. Found that out more than half way through and not going to redo it.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I know a lot about building vehicles but never have dabbled into renovations. I know I have the mechanical skill to do 90% of it but there are tips and tricks of the trade that I haven't learned. For sure on my next project the drywall will be staggered. Luckily it is a garage and not a house so if their are consequences, at the end of the day it is a garage... a nice one though...

 

[rancherbill]

I thought to get a perfect finish I would have to take the door off?

Leave it on. I am not sure what 'perfect finish' means but that's why sand paper was invented.

 

[PCustoms]

That giant **** joint is going to look way worse then whatever is near the door.

Can you post a pic of where you think the door will be an issue?

 

[couch67]

Yeah when its cold, it takes f o r e v e r to dry, like days. I remember reading somewhere that its harder on the drywall paper and leaves for a weaker joint. Get a fan blowing in the corners, this helps speed things up.

 

[rancherbill]

Put a heater in the garage, or a bunch of old style light bulb to raise the temp.

 

[duneslider]

My garage was taped when it was below freezing outside and we only had plastic covering the doors. It wasn't freezing in the garage but had to have been in the 40's at night in there. It all turned out just fine. Slow to dry but that's it.

 

[The Cobbler]

leave the door on, tape up to it .
Don't let the negative comments discourage you.
You should have staggered the joints, but you didn't... end of story. looks like you did a nice job of hanging the drywall.
remember , if you don't want to sand it off, don't put it on. several light coats are better than a heavy coat that you need to sand off
Kudos for taking on the project yourself .

 

[jkuro]

You will be fine. Feather out your joints with a 12" knife and they should be good. Also, if you put a texture on the walls, it will hide even more. A smooth finish shows the most. When you paint the higher the gloss the more imperfections you see. I like eggshell, it hides imperfections well, almost as good as flat, but it will clean up much better. As for the cool weather, it will just make the drying time longer, unless you use a faster drying compound. As said above don't let the negative comments bother you.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Thanks all for the the help and comments. Yes this is my first job doing anything like this. From demo, to wiring, to drywall and more. I read a ton about wiring and made it to code or as close to code as I could. There are things that I would change about every aspect but that's what the next shop is for. Making mistakes is good, that is how you learn.

As far as removing the door I was trying to get behind the brackets and also behind the "tension tube". Maybe this is my perfectionist trait coming through as maybe it isn't needed.

Sounds like the mud will be fine either method I choose. Days to dry is fine by me, I have the time.

Once again thanks all!

 

[mike93lx]

Hey, we all have to learn (to never do drywall again...)

Using fast set mud (even the 90 min stuff), would help a lot over the premix, but I get the intimidation factor

 

[Krfjkm]

Buy the green buckets and not the blue…

 

[Renegade1LI]

As cobbler said less is better, thinner layers can always be built up, sanding *****. Looks good for first time, having built hundreds of homes in the cold weather I never had an issue with spackle . After the first coat thin the mud with a little water & power mix with a paddle it will be easier to trowel out. It's a good idea to always mix a new bucket of spackle before use to get it consistent.

 

[ddawg16]

I think you're doing a fine job.
The point of 'offsetting' joints is to reduce the visual 'lines'.

It's a garage....unless you plan on being on TV, don't worry about it.
In reality, the walls are going to be covered with **** in due time..

Some suggestions...use a wide knife to do the final coats. Typically, you need 3-4 passes to get a clean joint.
As for temps....it just takes longer to dry when cold.
Typically, it's 'apply drywall'.....next evening...sand and apply another coat.
In other words....you wont' be done in one to two days. To some extent, cold and help due to lower humidity.

As for sanding....the use a wide sanding pad...

Do a good primer coat. At this point you will see problem areas. Fix...prime again.
When good..paint.

Paint using exterior semi-gloss or full gloss. Less chance of holding dust.

Then full the walls with cabinets....thus hiding all mistakes

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Hey, we all have to learn (to never do drywall again...)

Using fast set mud (even the 90 min stuff), would help a lot over the premix, but I get the intimidation factor

I have already found that out haha! I am in no time rush so 90 min isn't a big deal. Also I am slow at sloping it onto the walls haha.

Buy the green buckets and not the blue…

What is the difference? They both say all purpose. I originally bought green but each time I go back to get another bucket, they are out of one of the other.

As cobbler said less is better, thinner layers can always be built up, sanding *****. Looks good for first time, having built hundreds of homes in the cold weather I never had an issue with spackle . After the first coat thin the mud with a little water & power mix with a paddle it will be easier to trowel out. It's a good idea to always mix a new bucket of spackle before use to get it consistent.

I need a drill first! I have been working on things for a long long time but never investing in a drill. It is so uncommon I need one I can never justify it. But when I do need one I wish I had bought one!
I am learning to do thinner layers. My results are getting much better and smoother so hopefully less sanding!

I think you're doing a fine job.
The point of 'offsetting' joints is to reduce the visual 'lines'.

It's a garage....unless you plan on being on TV, don't worry about it.
In reality, the walls are going to be covered with **** in due time..

Some suggestions...use a wide knife to do the final coats. Typically, you need 3-4 passes to get a clean joint.
As for temps....it just takes longer to dry when cold.
Typically, it's 'apply drywall'.....next evening...sand and apply another coat.
In other words....you wont' be done in one to two days. To some extent, cold and help due to lower humidity.

As for sanding....the use a wide sanding pad...

Do a good primer coat. At this point you will see problem areas. Fix...prime again.
When good..paint.

Paint using exterior semi-gloss or full gloss. Less chance of holding dust.

Then full the walls with cabinets....thus hiding all mistakes

Not too worried about visual lines. I mean do I want them? no obviously. But I am just happy I tried and improved a skill I didn't have previously.
About being on TV....I am filming most of this on and putting it on Youtube. Channel will be focus around the truck not the shop but figured Id start filming and editing to build up another skill!

If I am going to cover up my mistakes with cabinets why fix them then thanks for the help!

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

does anyone recommend the electric drywall sanders? Seems you can pick on up for relatively cheap (100-150ish). I can see it being fantastic or an absolute nightmare trying to learn. Thoughts? It would sure speed things up in this space and less dust due to it being hooked up to a shop vac.

Thanks all!

 

[mike93lx]

does anyone recommend the electric drywall sanders? Seems you can pick on up for relatively cheap (100-150ish). I can see it being fantastic or an absolute nightmare trying to learn. Thoughts? It would sure speed things up in this space and less dust due to it being hooked up to a shop vac.

Thanks all!

I have the wen. It maybe makes it **** a little less, but you have to do as much as you can while the mud is wet. Don't leave big clumps and humps thinking you can just sand it off. Also, a lot of smoothing can be done with a wet grouting sponge and not create dust.

I have also found this very useful, along with a pole-mount screen
Hyde Tools 09165 Drywall Hand 6-Foot Hose Dust-Free Vacuum Sander, 6' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00097D2K4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[vavet]

does anyone recommend the electric drywall sanders? Seems you can pick on up for relatively cheap (100-150ish). I can see it being fantastic or an absolute nightmare trying to learn. Thoughts? It would sure speed things up in this space and less dust due to it being hooked up to a shop vac.

Thanks all!

I rented one and had a heckuva time finding replacement discs for it. I ended up finding something in the HD rental department that I kinda made work, but it wasn't ideal as far as attaching it to the tool.

 

[jetnow1]

I would never put a textured finish in my garage, the dust from working in there will make it a mess in no time.

 

[rcbk00]

With all due respect to the prior poster that suggested painting your walls with semi gloss or gloss paint (for easier cleaning), DON'T DO IT. Shiny paint will show every screw and seam in your drywall, especially since this is your first taping job. Flat paint is your friend here. Yes, it doesn't clean as well as shiny paint does, but who's cleaning the walls and ceiling of their garage? Also, with flat paint, touch ups or repairs blend in easily if you have to do them.

Personally, I paint all walls and ceilings flat. A lot of folks use eggshell for walls, but I'm not one of them. On something like a garage, I'd get a 5 gallon bucket of flat white and go at it with a 1/2" nap roller. The 1/2" nap will give you a tiny bit more texture to the surface finish (compared with a 3/8" nap), and will hide imperfections a bit better.

 

[PoorUB]

I would never put a textured finish in my garage, the dust from working in there will make it a mess in no time.

My garage has a light texture, I don't have any dust issues. You can control the amount or the roughness of the texture.

My next shop with be textured.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I planned on doing eggshell. This is what I have used in the past for prior paint jobs (No drywall work) and I like the look. I do periodically clean the walls...not the ceiling though haha.

Going with white/off-white ceilings and I believe Lichen and Liverwort Green from Sherman Williams for the walls. White epoxy floor. Yes I know it'll show dirt/grease/etc easily but that'll make me clean it more

 

[PoorUB]

does anyone recommend the electric drywall sanders? Seems you can pick on up for relatively cheap (100-150ish). I can see it being fantastic or an absolute nightmare trying to learn. Thoughts? It would sure speed things up in this space and less dust due to it being hooked up to a shop vac.

Thanks all!

This may sound stupid, but take your time and don't put on the mud any thicker than you need to. Keep it smooth and you will have very little sanding to do. Much of the sanding can be done with a wet sponge.

I have a hand sander that atteches to my shop vac and it is all I use and I have done a lot of drywall over the years. Something like this,
https://www.homedepot.com/p/MARSHAL...JlQKsclS06Gf_rL8qhRoCq9AQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Also much of the big chunks that get missed can be just scrapped off with a trowel after they dry.

My shop is spray textured. It is a light fairly smooth texture, I use small nozzle with mud mixed to a bit on the wetter side. As for paint, gloss white over every thing. Cleans better and reflects light better.

Texture hides a lot of sins from the mud job!

 

[rayra]

I thought to get a perfect finish I would have to take the door off?

I didn't stagger because I didn't know I was supposed to. This is my first time tackling it and making mistakes is how you learn. Found that out more than half way through and not going to redo it.

Christ what a mess. A whole world of information at your fingertips, a lifetime's worth of youtube videos just on drywall AND this forum as a resource. And you come asking questions AFTER you've done it poorly.

Part of staggering is to average out any misalignment in the wall framing. Aligning your seams as you did will show as a crease in the wall if the studs are not in plane.

And texture is to hide faults. But putting texture in a dirty environment is a terrible idea, as pointed out above. Thousands of tiny ledges holding dust / dirt.

If you are going to mud it yourself and you are worried about curing times, do thinner skim coats to build up the finish. Rather than slopping it on and sanding it off. Do this 2-3x and you should need very little sanding.

And put the doors back on and get a propane heater in there. Why in the world did you think you needed to take the doors off?

 

[jkuro]

Use a large 12-inch knife and scrape your work between coats. It will save you a lot of sanding.

Also, a good texture will not hold that much dirt.

 

[Renegade1LI]

does anyone recommend the electric drywall sanders? Seems you can pick on up for relatively cheap (100-150ish). I can see it being fantastic or an absolute nightmare trying to learn. Thoughts? It would sure speed things up in this space and less dust due to it being hooked up to a shop vac.

Thanks all!

Since this is your first mud job a drywall sander with bucket cyclone would be a big help. I have the porter cable & discs are easy to get plus it really keeps dust to a minimum & saves your arm.

Drywall Sanders | PORTER-CABLE

www.portercable.com

 

[nadogail]

Smoothing your wet mud with a wet sponge can eliminate the need for a lot of sanding.

 

[The Cobbler]

does anyone recommend the electric drywall sanders? Seems you can pick on up for relatively cheap (100-150ish). I can see it being fantastic or an absolute nightmare trying to learn. Thoughts? It would sure speed things up in this space and less dust due to it being hooked up to a shop vac.

Thanks all!

yes, they are awsome, but it's a bit of a learning curve too

 

[Forgottonia]

Smoothing your wet mud with a wet sponge can eliminate the need for a lot of sanding.

^^This. And the smoother you get it, the less sanding you'll do. If you end up needing lots of sanding, you will have plenty of time to think about how you'll get it smoother the next time.

That's a nice project. It'll look great when you're done.

 

[PoorUB]

A smoother texture will not hold any dust.

You guys that have dust in you texture should not have added popcorn to it!

 

[Mandres]

It'll be fine, it's just a garage. You'll want to float the long **** joint out about 24-30" wide with a trowel or a wide knife, or it won't hide well. The trowel is a lot easier to use in my opinion. Plan on at least 2-3 top coats after the tape is dry. For the taping I like to use fibafuse on the flats, it's really user friendly. Paper tape or perfect 90 for the corners.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Christ what a mess. A whole world of information at your fingertips, a lifetime's worth of youtube videos just on drywall AND this forum as a resource. And you come asking questions AFTER you've done it poorly.

No need to be an *** man. Yes I messed up, I am sure you have done the same on some of your projects too. Is it the end of the world, no. To be honest I never gave a thought about how the drywall should be installed. I thought as long as it was on the walls it is fine. After I hung alot of it I saw videos of it being staggered, thats when I did my research.
During the time of install I was trying to quickly get the shop roughly installed as winter was approaching and my truck had been sitting more or less outside with a brand new box. My concern was projecting the truck at the time.
Thank you for the advice. I am sure it will come out well and not be a huge issue. perfect, no but good for a first time.

As far as taking the garage doors off I drywalled behind the garage door rails. I tried to look up how others had done it but couldn't find a thing. I use aluminum corner material to hopefully protect the raw edge of the drywall. And on the outside of the garage door I added weather stripping on both sides and top. I also left a gap between the cement and the floor incase of any water/oil/etc that happens to get on the floor. Rubber weather stripping will go along the perimeter to hide the gap.

For heat I have a mini split in the shop that keeps it at a nice 68-70ish all year round.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Thank you all for the advice. Seems the porter cable is no longer sold. I have heard they are expensive too so not sure I could justify that. Sounds like I will be getting an arm workout!

I will for sure post pictures once the shop has some paint on it. Cant wait!

 

[Mandres]

Old school pole sander and an angled sanding block are faster and easier. Power sanders are better only if you need to keep the dust out of finished rooms.

 

[RivennHewn]

Drywall is boring. Let’s hear about the truck

 

[240sxguy]

My advice would be to practice in one area, trying different techniques, before you go wild on the whole job.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Old school pole sander and an angled sanding block are faster and easier. Power sanders are better only if you need to keep the dust out of finished rooms.

I will for sure try the cheaper method first!

Drywall is boring. Let’s hear about the truck

If you want to know about the truck I created a forum on it a while back. Haven't added much to it in awhile though since I am not currently working on it. the forum is HERE
Loads of work done to it over the years and well I am sort of starting over as things have changed. It will be a Ford body on a modern Dodge chassis (2018) with a 12V Cummins power plant. Not a build for everyone or those who like to keep things original. Lots of custom fab work for sure.
I have a Youtube Channel (BarnBuiltBeaters) that will be covering this build. So far the videos have just been about the shop though. Small channel and hoping to grow. My focus will be this truck with minor things I am sure to pop in. Once I am done with the truck I plan to build a hot rod 5 window Model A, my dream vehicle.
If you have any questions feel free to ask I LOVE talking about cars/trucks!