Drywall Muds: The Guaranteed Time To Dry

The time has come to hang that last piece of drywall. You mix up the mud, slap it on, and quickly realize that you’ve made a mistake. The mud is too thick and doesn’t stick to the wall very well. Now what? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the different types of drywall muds and how long they take to dry so you can avoid making the same mistake again.

As a matter of fact, drywall mud takes about 24 hours to dry completely. However, this is only true if the mud is applied in thin layers and is allowed to dry in a warm, well-ventilated area. If the mud is applied too thickly or if the drying conditions are not ideal, it can take up to 72 hours for the mud to dry completely.

While the drying time of drywall mud may vary depending on its composition and the environmental conditions, there are other factors that can affect how fast it dries. For example, if you apply primer over a layer of mud before it dries completely, the process will take longer than normal.

So if you find yourself in a situation where you need the mud to dry quickly, make sure you apply it in thin layers and provide adequate ventilation.

What is drywall mud?

Drywall mud also referred to as joint compound, is a mixture of gypsum dust and water, creating a paste-like consistency. It is mainly used with drywalls as a finish to the joints and corners. It can also be utilized to either smooth out old and damaged walls/plaster surfaces or renovate them for a new look.  

There are different types of drywall muds, all with specific features such as no mixing, fast start, no extra tools needed, embedding joint tape, or low-shrinking. These varied features are based on the needs of the consumers as some would only need drywall mud for a quick fix and/or not necessarily have the tools needed to mix it.

Usually, pieces of drywall will be joined together through the process of ‘mudding’ and ‘taping’ to create a single wall. The first step is to tape the joints of the drywall, the part where it joins together. After that, layers and layers of mud are applied, dried, and sanded, creating a smooth finish.  

A common problem with drywall mud is that while the application part is easy and skilled workers would only take a few minutes of applying multiple coats, the drying time in between those layers costs long hours which can stretch up into days. This can pose a problem to those who want to be as efficient as possible and do not want to spend too much on labor costs.

The Guaranteed Drying Time

Due to the specific purposes of these products, the drying time can vary considerably from one brand to another depending on their promoted uses and benefits. For example, hot mud has a lesser waiting time as you can easily apply another coat because of its fast-setting feature, unlike the all-purpose joint compound which generally takes a day before drying.

Of course, the success of the proposed drying time of these manufacturers still relies upon the state of the surroundings and if the instructions were clearly followed.

Different factors that affect the drying time

24 hours can be a lot for some people, they might want to get the job done as soon as possible and not wait the whole day for a single layer. The good news is, while there is a guaranteed drying time, these tips may be applied to speed up the process. 

Temperature

You can turn up the heat in the room to make it dry faster. In general, the best temperature is not lower than 50°F and does not exceed 95°F. Remember that this is just the general range of drywall mud, it may still vary depending on the brand and type used so make sure to properly read the description of the product.

While having a high temperature can speed up the drying process, it may lead to excessive shrinking if it falls above the threshold. Always be mindful of the limit on both ends of the spectrum.

Humidity

Water can heavily way down drywall mud so setting up a dehumidifier can suck up all of the moisture which will rush the process of removing or slowly reducing water from the wall system. Setting one up for at least 10 hours will accelerate the drying time and protect it from any moisture damage.

Air Circulation

Once the mud starts drying, it elevates the level of humidity around the room. The best way to get the air circulating is by setting up fans and letting it run as the compound dries. If there are no fans available, you can open up the windows as long as it’s not humid outside as it can have the opposite effect.

Be cautious as too much force with air, if this happens along with a low temperature then it will freeze the joint compound rather than dry it which might lead to issues with structure in the future. An example of this issue is bulging drywall panels which can make your drywall look imperfect and swollen.

Thin Coats

While the first coat is always the thickest, gradually thinning down each coat can greatly affect the drying time of the overall project. By thinning down each layer, you’re allowing increased ventilation thus making the compound dry faster.

In some specific drywall muds, it’s encouraged to skim it and use thinner coats as the surface will dry first.

Use Hot Joint Compound

Hot drywall mud can cure fast especially since some manufacturers create their hot mud for that single purpose. It can dry at around 20 to 60 minutes as long as the instructions are carefully followed.

Unfortunately, it’s much harder to fix errors due to its rapid drying rate and may be too intimidating to use for beginners. It’s better to test out the product on a small patch before applying it on a larger scale to get the hang of it.

It’s not just about working hard, it’s also about working smart. With all of these factors considered, you don’t have to wait a full day before the drywall mud fully sets. You can easily alter and intervene in the environment that it’s drying in rather than just let it dry naturally, especially if all the factors are against your favor.

The only thing you need to remember is to look at each end of the limits. Do not be too cold or too hot since being too much on one side can cause as much damage as being too much on the other end of the spectrum.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we looked at the different factors that affect how long it takes for drywall mud to dry. We explored both the environmental and product-related factors that can influence the drying time.

With this information, you should be able to speed up the process by adjusting the temperature, humidity, air circulation, and thinning down each coat. You can also use a hot joint compound to dramatically reduce the drying time. Just be careful when using this product as it can be difficult to fix mistakes.