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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Joint compound in cold weather
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Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 25 Jan 2021 05:24pm
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Hi all, does anyone have experience with taping drywall in cold weather? I know I need to get the cabin up to temperature prior to applying but if I spend a 4-5 days there then leave and the temp drops again will I have problems?

lburners
Member
# Posted: 25 Jan 2021 05:52pm
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I would think 4-5 days would have it dry. Are you running a woodstove for heat?

FishHog
Member
# Posted: 25 Jan 2021 05:53pm
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If it dries completely before you leave and let it get cold it should be just fine.

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 25 Jan 2021 06:03pm
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I will use my direct vent “wood” stove for heat but I will probably bring along a kerosine torpedo to help out

ICC
Member
# Posted: 25 Jan 2021 06:20pm
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If it is completely dry, no problems. Any moisture left in it will freeze when it gets cold enough and cause cracks and/or eruptions.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 06:07am
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Heat dosnt always mean drying faster. You need to keep the humidity down, air flow helps too. 3 days should be fine to dry prety thick drywall mud joints.

Bruces
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 01:19pm
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I use durabond or Sheetrock 90 and or 20 when working on a site with heating problems in the winter .I also use fibreglass tape in the winter more than paper .We have no issues turning the thermostat down to near freezing after work for the day on a new build or a remodel ,it’s often challenging to keep a home warm without a proper heating system in place ,if you have 4 days of warm indoor temps you will be just fine .

Firemike
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 01:21pm
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Kerosene heaters add moisture to the air as a by-product of the combustion, they are okay as a last resort to keep the area above freezing if needed, but too much use slows down the drying. I am a commercial contractor and have had many jobs where the ideal (dry) heat wasn't available so we had no choice.

The biggest help is to use fans to keep the air circulating. Without heat and air movement you will find that corners and outside (colder) walls take forever to dry.
In cold areas after the taping coat we switch to USG EZ-Sand products. The are exothermic (chemically dry by creating their own heat) as long as you can keep the temp over 45 degrees fahrenheit). They are a powder so you have to mix them with water to use them, nice thing is you don't have to worry about the product freezing if you leave it there.

EZ-Sand comes in various working times i.e. EZ-Sand 20 is 20 minute working time, EZ-sand 45 is 45 minute working time, etc. We generally use 45 or 90, and mix it in a 5 gallon bucket with a drill and paddle. Only mix up what you can use in the time allowed, once it starts to harden you're done. And make sure to clean the tools before it sets up, it's good stuff but a pain to clean off once it hardens. We still use fans to circulate the air to help speed the drying process in cooler temps.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 02:32pm
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Quoting: Bruces
Sheetrock 90 and or 20



What can be a problem with those is that they set fast because it is a chemical cure, not just dehydrating as a normal joint compound does. The joint can be sanded and rock hard but can still contain enough moisture to freeze and crack open the surface of the compound. Seen it happen.

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 03:20pm
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This will be my first go at mudding more than a small drywall repair. Are there any products more forgiving to the novice?

I prefer to do things myself but this is a task I have been dreading. I really would have liked to hire someone to do it because I know they will do a much better job. The issue I have with this is that I don’t like too many people knowing about my place and that it is frequently unoccupied.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 04:45pm
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Its just futzy, a little dirty/dusty and you work cheap (so I hear ).
But unless you have wood heat and time for it to dry properly imo this isnt the time of year to be doing it in the northern hemisphere. I dont even like to do it in the summer with humidity.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 04:49pm
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To do best drywall taping and jointing a little practice goes a long way. Start in the most inconspicuous spot. Many DIY drywallers also do not have enough different sizes of knives. I find I use a 6", 8 and 12" the most with sometimes needing a 2 or 4" or 10'.

NorthRick
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2021 05:01pm
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Quoting: Irrigation Guy
This will be my first go at mudding more than a small drywall repair. Are there any products more forgiving to the novice?


Yes, joint compound that needs to dry to set versus what Firemike is talking about. You'll have a lot more time to screw with things before it starts to harden. It's also easier to sand (although I've never used EZ-sand brand).

I prefer to buy the premix in buckets. It's just easier and for one cabin the cost vs powder isn't that much.

The fiberglass stick-on tape is more expensive but does eliminate learning how to best stick paper tape to the wall with mud.

I find it easier to use a hawk instead of a pan but I think that may just be personal preference.

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:34pm
Reply 


Well just wrapped up the second coat. While waiting for it to set up I moved my well tank a d water heater into the new utility room and started on the bedroom ceiling.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:37pm
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A few more
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Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:39pm
Reply 


When you don’t have any ice for your evening cocktail use an icicle
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Brettny
Member
# Posted: 30 Jan 2021 05:10am
Reply 


Looking good. What's the plan to hide the 2x4 ledger under the joists?

Generally you dont want end butt joints li in the wall like that. They are very very hard to not see after you paint.

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 30 Jan 2021 07:11am
Reply 


Quoting: Brettny

Looking good. What's the plan to hide the 2x4 ledger under the joists?

Generally you dont want end butt joints li in the wall like that. They are very very hard to not see after you paint.



Thanks, I plan to tack a piece of 1x4 rough sawn over it on both sides then pack out the other two walls 3/4” and do the same so it has the same gap all the way around the room.

This was my first drywall project and mistakes were made, hopefully won’t be too noticeable once it’s painted

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 30 Jan 2021 08:06am
Reply 


Check it for shadows with a light along the wall before you paint.

Firemike
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 02:29pm - Edited by: Firemike
Reply 


Quoting: Irrigation Guy
This will be my first go at mudding more than a small drywall repair. Are there any products more forgiving to the novice?


The more time you spend with the knife, the less time you will spend with a sanding sponge. The product you use will depend on what you can get in your area. Everyone has their way of doing the job, some are good and some not so much. YouTube is a wealth of information for this type of project, but again, some people know what they are doing, some don't.

Premixed joint compound is the easiest, you can use all-purpose for everything, or some contractors use topping compound for the last coat as it doesn't shrink, leaves a slightly nicer but not as strong finish, and still sands pretty easy.

I have a finisher that does larger jobs for me and he will often mix EZ-Sand 45 or 90 with regular all-purpose mud and he gets some amazing results. Set up a few fans and he can get two good coats on in single day.

One thing to consider, contractors usually avoid hanging drywall vertically, they order drywall in lengths so that it spans the entire length of the wall (my suppliers have sheets up to 20 feet long). On an 8 foot ceiling you have far less seams to deal with, your usual 2 corners and the ceiling joint, but only 1 long seam at 4 foot off the ground - easy! . If you have 9 foot ceilings you can get 54" wide drywall.

Also, as Brettny said, a fairly bright flashlight held next to the wall shining across the wall will show all the
imperfections. After the 3rd coat I will prime the wall with drywall primer and go back with a flashlight to check for issues. Sometimes it's hard to tell what will show and what won't until you get a coat of primer on it.

Good luck!

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 06:42pm
Reply 


Thanks for everyone’s help, it was a learning experience, I am glad I didn’t start in the main room with higher walls and lots of corners. I got a lot done the past few days. Now I need to think about the floor I did a little mock up of an idea, what are your thoughts on t&g pine as flooring sealed with tung oil?
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gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 06:56pm - Edited by: gcrank1
Reply 


Tung Oil was nice but mighty expensive compared to BLO (boiled linseed oil) last time I used it (decades ago) and not what I'd call a floor finish.

Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 07:27pm
Reply 


I did tung oil on my wood counter with good results and when I compare the live of the pine to engineered products I am leaning towards the pine

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 1 Feb 2021 08:42am
Reply 


I have 2 large dogs and now a baby. I put unfinished oak flooring in 7-8yrs ago and finished it with 2-3 coats of tung oil. Let me tell you it wears very very well. You cant see a scratch on my floor. It is different than many other finishes as it soaks into the wood. I haven't used boiled linseed oil on any thing.

Get the real tung oil, not sold at big box stores.

Please please dont use polyurethane.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 1 Feb 2021 01:09pm
Reply 


BLO is an oil finish, as is Tung Oil, both have that advantage of soaking in and easy spot repair with very good blend in.
The more hardeners the more the finish moves to a varnish with a hard shell top surface that resists damage but when it happens it is thru the finish and spot repair is not easy.
Big + to oil finishes.
Teak Oil, like used for fancy wooden boats might be another option in oil?
Btw, dont use plain Linseed Oil, only the Boiled (refined). I 'cut' mine with 1 part odorless mineral spirits to 2 parts BLO to help it flow/soak in better. The OMS evaps off leaving the BLO deep. It would do the same with TO. This is something you definitely want, no, NEED to do with doors and windows open and no cigs or pilot lights, etc going!

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