- Corners in these old places are like a choose-your-own-adventure, but the adventure is always “how crooked can this possibly get?”
- I keep trying the eco muds too—love the low dust, but yeah, sometimes it’s like spreading yogurt on the wall. I’ve had to redo a few corners after they slumped overnight. Makes me wonder if there’s a trick to getting them to set up firmer, or if it’s just the price of going greener.
- Durabond is a beast, but I can’t argue with the results. I just wish it didn’t feel like sanding concrete.
- Mesh tape is my frenemy. It’s fast, but I swear it’s got a mind of its own on those wavy lath seams. Paper tape is slow and steady, but at least it doesn’t bubble up and make me want to throw my knife across the room.
- I’ve started using a HEPA vac right at the source when I sand, but there’s still dust in places I didn’t even know existed.
- Anyone else tried mixing eco mud with a bit of setting compound to get the best of both worlds? I’m tempted, but not sure if I’m about to create some kind of drywall Frankenstein...
Mixing eco mud with a bit of setting compound isn’t as wild as it sounds—I’ve done it on a couple of flips where I needed a tighter timeline but didn’t want the usual dust storm. It firms up better, but you’ve gotta watch your ratios or it gets chunky fast. I’d say test a small batch before committing to a whole room. Those old corners, though... sometimes I think they’re just trolling us.
Title: Getting smooth drywall joints without losing your mind
Those corners really do have a mind of their own. I swear, the last time I tried to get a crisp edge in an old 1920s bungalow, I spent more time cursing at the walls than actually mudding them. Mixing eco mud with setting compound is a trick I picked up out of desperation—my lungs were begging for mercy after one too many clouds of joint dust.
I’ll admit, the first batch was a disaster. Thought I could eyeball it like making pancake batter... ended up with something closer to cottage cheese. Lesson learned: measure, mix small, and don’t trust your gut unless you want to be scraping dried lumps off the wall for hours.
One thing I’ve found helps with those “trolling” corners is running a slightly wetter mix for the first pass. It seems to flow into those weird gaps and settles a bit smoother, especially where the old plaster and new board meet. Still not perfect, but at least I’m not sanding for days.
And yeah, testing on a scrap piece or closet wall is clutch. I once committed to a whole living room before realizing my mix was setting up faster than I could spread it. Had to call in backup before it turned into modern art.
It’s funny—people always talk about eco-friendly products like they’re some kind of magic fix, but you really have to play around to get the feel for them. The payoff is worth it, though. Less dust, less waste, and you can actually breathe when you’re done. Just wish those old corners would cut us a break every now and then...
