Talked to an old timer about mixing mud and felt pretty dumb

I was at the supply house in Tacoma and this guy, must have been in his 70s, saw me buying a box of pre-mixed joint compound. He just said, 'You know, you can get a bag of 45-minute hot mud for half the price and mix it yourself, right? That box stuff is mostly water you're paying to haul.' I've been using the boxed stuff for years because it's easy. But he pointed out that for a standard 12x12 room, I'm spending about $15 more per job for no real gain. I mixed a small batch of the powder the next day and the control was way better. How many of you still mix your own mud versus buying it ready to go?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_miller312mo ago

You ever think about how much we pay for convenience? That old guy was right on the money. The boxed stuff is a crutch. Once you get the feel for mixing the powder, you'll never go back. It sets up how you want it, and you're not just hauling water around. Why spend more to do less?

ruby5612mo ago

Totally, @xena_miller31, the powder is way more control.

mark73110d ago

I mean, it reminds me of when my buddy tried to save money by mixing his own laundry soap. Spent like three hours in his garage with a drill and a bucket, and the stuff somehow came out purple. Still works fine though, just smells like a science fair project.