# Drywall Pin Holes (Air Bubbles)



## woodmagman

I went to look at a new job on Friday. They’d had an addition put onto their home a couple of years earlier. The first thing the customer pointed out was pin hole in the drywall patches. I have seen this many times and said that their painter should have touched them up. (Home owner did the painting). They were very unhappy with the job. Personally the taping was spot on. There was pin holes….

What do you think causes this? It has been a common problem.
What is the solution? Besides passing it onto the painter.


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## neolitic

Come on, fess up, you're just trying to provoke
another "soap-in-the-mud" thread!:laughing:
The last one was only about a month ago.


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## woodmagman

:laughing: No really not soap....
Anyone posts soap will get the typing fingers washed out..


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## neolitic

Liquid dish soap.
SSSSH! Sparks will fly over
how much and what brand. :laughing:
(I learned it must be 2 jiggers of Ivory :laughing
Yes it works, and do a search and you'll
learn more than you ever wanted to know!


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## Sir Mixalot

Ask and Ye shall receive:laughing:
http://www.contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=30167&highlight=soap


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## woodmagman

Noooooooo.......!
it is not soap :laughing:


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## neolitic

woodmagman said:


> Noooooooo.......!
> it is not soap :laughing:


You are correct .:no:
The answer is really.....:shifty:
The number 42.
Keep it under your hat.:shifty:


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## woodmagman

neolitic said:


> You are correct .:no:
> The answer is really.....:shifty:
> The number 42.
> Keep it under your hat.:shifty:


o.k. I'll bite, I need to put soap under my hat and turn around 42 times and.....what happens?:w00t:


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## neolitic

The answer to the meaning 
of life, the universe, and everything...
Is *The Number 42!*
(reference: 
_The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy_
4th book in the trilogy)


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## woodmagman

neolitic said:


> The answer to the meaning
> of life, the universe, and everything...
> Is *The Number 42!*
> (reference:
> _The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy_
> 4th book in the trilogy)


If that is the ultimate question...then the number "42" does not exist.


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## neolitic

woodmagman said:


> If that is the ultimate question...then the number "42" does not exist.


Kinda disappointing huh?


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## oldrivers

The drywaller finishes sanding and then the stupid homeowner takes a vacumm to it exposing pock marks. You should only wipe off any excess dust. :whistling


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## kgphoto

If this is a serious question, then the cause is air migrating from the mud to the outside. Since it can't go back through the wall it comes out the front making the bubbles. soaping you mud may help, I have never tried it. Mixing your mud to a smooth consistency will help. So will wiping it tight on your second, third and fourth coats.

It is more prevalent with AP mud or any mud over a painted surface, like when you are remodeling.


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## raven2006

I find the holes happen when mud is put on too thick or it is put over paint. Put mud on in several thin layers and as for mud over paint, despite a thread on this site with dozens of ideas, I still can't get rid of them. Repeated layers of mud seems to eventually get rid of them if you have the patience.


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## Frankawitz

pin holes in mud is because they pulled the mud to fast across the surface of the board, when you do this air gets traped then comes to surface once it drys you get pin hole or pot holes, the Painters are suppose to spackle, this is something Home Owners don't understand about painting they think once the drywall or plaster is done it should be free of any inprefections, this is why there are Painters who know how to paint. I just did a bid where a Home Onwer had her friends do the drywall, well they used all mesh tape and all their joints cracked. she asked me to come in and fix it. Just like a Home Owner. DIYer's are a funny group when their job doesn't turn out right.:whistling


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## chris n

the Painters are suppose to spackle, this is something Home Owners don't understand about painting they think once the drywall or plaster is done it should be free of any imperfections, this is why there are Painters who know how to paint.

I am a painter and know how to paint but would expect the the dry waller would know how to apply mud and leave me with a finished product( his or hers job) so I can do my job.Yes, as a homeowner,I would expect when the dry waller is done that there would be few imperfections.


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## Frankawitz

Well as for painters who think drywallers are to have prefect walls please. Painters now a days do very little work:whistling.When I started out some 28 years ago we had to mix our own paint colors they didn't mix it up for you:no:. we also had to do all patching of anything smaller then a quarter now painters are just Blow & Go they don't spackle or caulk or even putty they just want to paint. I bet very few painters even know how to mix colors or make up wood stains colors. Home Owners are bad enough when it comes to filling pot holes but when Painters complain well I guess they really aint Painters. Just Blow & Go cause they don't know how to paint:laughing:


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## player2watch

*pin holes*

in smoth wall finishing, after sanding the 3rd coat, take a damed sponge and wipe down all joints and nails or screws, then using a light to veiw the walls use mud with a small amount of blue chaulk mixed up in it. then touch up all pin holes and other inperfections. then you go back to the blue spots and sand off the edges.


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## neolitic

Frankawitz said:


> ...When I started out some 28 years ago we had to mix our own paint colors they didn't mix it up for you:no:.....
> Just Blow & Go cause they don't know how to paint:laughing:


To bad you couldn't find a paint store.
In 1980 they all had tint machines, 
as did every Sears Roebuck, and 90%
of all the Mom and Pop hardwares.
Oddly when I pay a drywall finisher,
I expect him (or her, Raven)
to* finish* the drywall!
I expect the painter to paint it.


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## bujaly

player2watch said:


> in smoth wall finishing, after sanding the 3rd coat, take a damed sponge and wipe down all joints and nails or screws, then using a light to veiw the walls use mud with a small amount of blue chaulk mixed up in it. then touch up all pin holes and other inperfections. then you go back to the blue spots and sand off the edges.


AH!! I like that, the blue chalk. 

This is what I do, but with out the chalk. I don't have to many problems when I'm finishing or repairing, but it does happen on occasion.


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## Tim0282

player2watch said:


> in smoth wall finishing, after sanding the 3rd coat, take a damed sponge and wipe down all joints and nails or screws, then using a light to veiw the walls use mud with a small amount of blue chaulk mixed up in it. then touch up all pin holes and other inperfections. then you go back to the blue spots and sand off the edges.


Great idea with the chalk! I like that!!
It is so easy to miss sanding where you just touched up. I've just tried to go on memory, but I am getting older and getting that part timers disease.
Tim


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## Drywall Swine

I recently finished a home for a friends friend. The job was 2.5 hours away and he called my partner and I back because of air pockets he was unhappy about. We were also unhappy, we have never had any call backs before and it was far from home. We went back touched up the bubbles and sucked it up. Never really saw pockets that bad before on our own work we were a bit confused. After reading these posts I remembered that the HO said he would take care of the dust on the walls and that instead of wiping down the walls and ceilings he just took an air compressor and blew off all the dust  I laughed at the time, but now Im thinking he waisted alot of our money on gas and a days work. Do you think this is why all the mud holes showed through?


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## Brockster

Tim0282 said:


> Great idea with the chalk! I like that!!
> It is so easy to miss sanding where you just touched up. I've just tried to go on memory, but I am getting older and getting that part timers disease.
> Tim


No kidding Tim, it's s darn easy to miss a touch up spots to sand. This blue chalk idea is great! :thumbsup:


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## taper71

I use red food coloring.


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## CrazyTaper

taper71 said:


> I use red food coloring.


Suprisingly, I use urine.:w00t:


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## Tim0282

CrazyTaper said:


> Suprisingly, I use urine.:w00t:


I'm thinking my guys would not like this idea very good...:no::no::no:


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## Tim0282

Taper71 do you use the red in the mud that you use to touch up??


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## Sir Mixalot

CrazyTaper said:


> Suprisingly, I use urine.:w00t:


You are supposed to do that in the empty buckets.


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## Sir Mixalot

taper71 said:


> I use red food coloring.


I don't use the red chalk because it can bleed through when it's painted. But I never tried the red food coloring. Have you ever had it bleed through?


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## Tim0282

Booo!!! Wake up Taper71. Where'd ya go? Yer hidn from us arnt ya?


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## taper71

I've never had it bleed through. It actually only tints it a little . Just enough to see where your touch ups are.
And Tim if you dont mind some of us actually have a life- my wife makes me do things against my will.


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## Tim0282

taper71 said:


> I've never had it bleed through. It actually only tints it a little . Just enough to see where your touch ups are.
> And Tim if you dont mind some of us actually have a life- my wife makes me do things against my will.


I was just kidding you, Taper71. 
I think the red in the mud is a great idea!


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## taper71

The red dye actually turns the mud a light pink- much to the happiness of my wife :clap:who is the one usually doing the touch ups. lol Sorry Tim I meant to put a smilie face after my previous wife statement:shutup:.:innocent:


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## Tim0282

I'd say you have good wife. One that will take care of the touch up is pretty amazing! I'd make the mud pink or any color she wanted. Just to have some else do it.


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## Worm Drive

player2watch said:


> in smoth wall finishing, after sanding the 3rd coat, take a damed sponge and wipe down all joints and nails or screws, then using a light to veiw the walls use mud with a small amount of blue chaulk mixed up in it. then touch up all pin holes and other inperfections. then you go back to the blue spots and sand off the edges.



Brilliant! Thanks:thumbup:


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