Air Bubbles in Drywall Compound

11/13/2012 at 11:23:40 AM

Hi Matt,

You can try thinning it a bit with water and / or adding a bit of dish soap. Both will make it work better on the walls.

Good Luck with it!

Jim Kuzma

Kettleby Handyman Services

11/13/2012 at 1:19:15 PM

Good afternoon Matt

If you use the ready mix compound over previously painted surfaces you will get air bubbles as the air will come forward through the compound as it cannot escape through the painted surface. If the ready mix is used on new drywall it wont happen as the air can escape through the drywall paper facing.

Try one of the Sheetrock dry mix compounds if you want to eliminate bubbling over painted surfaces. It dries by chemical reaction, not evaporation like the ready mix.

Cheers

Dave

11/13/2012 at 6:57:59 PM

Matt,

As mentioned, ready mix often is too thick even though it's "ready mix". Adding a little water to make the consistency creamier should solve the problem. This also works on previously painted surfaces, but not as well as on new drywall.

Good luck.

11/13/2012 at 7:44:13 PM

Ready mixed drywall needs to have some water added for the initial mixing of the box/pail. You can also add a tablespoon of palmolive dish soap per box.

Dan Brown, RHI

11/13/2012 at 7:47:19 PM

Actually most of the air bubbles on the drywall are from the installation, either to thick a coat or the drywall dust if you didn't clean it off. Thin coats don't have bubbles, they get pushed out when you trowel it off.

For the first coat bubbles are fine but not the second and final coat. You can mix the premixed stuff, which reduces the amount of bubbles in it, especially the low dust formulas. For the final coat I add water to the premixed stuff so it is much thinner, it will want to slide off your trowel. Apply it and scrape most of it off so you end up with a very thin coat and bubbles will be a thing of the past.

11/14/2012 at 2:01:40 PM

The air is because the mud is to dry and it is trapped inside all ready. You must just mix it a little longer. Plus the mixer paddle you use is extremely important. You will get the best results with the rectangle or square paddle still. The auger type is for wet material like paint, scratch coat mixes or grout.

Good luck