Spent 6 hours patching drywall and it actually looks flat for once

I finally had a Saturday with no interruptions, so I tackled this awful patch job in my hallway that I'd been putting off since May. The old patch was a mess, like 3 layers of mud that crumbled off. I cut out a clean square, screwed in some backing, and took my time with the hot mud. Three coats with 20 minute stuff and some sanding between each. It's not perfect but I can't feel the edge with my hand anymore. That's a win in my book. Anybody else struggle with getting patches perfectly flush or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_mitchell10d ago

Three coats of hot mud for a patch job? That's overkill. Two coats max if you're using 20 minute stuff. You're probably sanding off half your work anyway.

the_margaret9d ago

Did you try sanding between coats with a finer grit, @emma_mitchell? I remember this one time I did a patch and used way too much mud, ended up having to chisel half of it off like a caveman. That 20 minute stuff sets up fast if you're not careful.