# bubbles



## iowacarpenter (Jun 18, 2012)

Why does mudd sometime bubble and when u scrap it smooth it shows holes?


----------



## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Not enough dish soap.. and other stuff too


----------



## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Their is no rhyme or reason. **it happens. After 40yrs I still can't figure it out.


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

They're there to let you know that you need to do one more tight skim. :whistling


----------



## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

That will always happen over paint. Primer the area first . It will cut the bubbles down.


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

If the water cant soak in it has to come out, by bubbling.


----------



## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Metro M & L said:


> If the water cant soak in it has to come out, by bubbling.


Drying from the outside in?


----------



## asbestos (Mar 22, 2006)

I think it does that in direct proportion to how much time you have to get it done. Less time=more bubbles. 
Another theory is they show up like drag marks, if you are in a good mood they will happen it will piss you off, If you are already annoyed they will just make is worse. 
They also never show up if you are going to do a texture that will cover them.


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

it will bubble on a full moon ...when high tide is at its peek


----------



## bmitch1 (Feb 16, 2014)

Metro M & L said:


> If the water cant soak in it has to come out, by bubbling.


I'm with ya metro ml.since mud is 50% water it needs to penetrate the surface its applied on.it dos'nt matter whether its a painted surface or cement board the moisture has no place to go and you'll have the same result.once your patch job is dry you have to depend on that material to absorb the moisture from your finishing coats till the air pockets disappear.


----------



## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Guys, we get bubbles on new drywall too .........No paint. I'll never forget a house we did 10-12 yrs ago. Level 5. A gazillion bubbles. All new board.

I tend to think it is from the can of mud itself. Something in the mix.


----------



## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Big Shoe said:


> I tend to think it is from the can of mud itself. Something in the mix.


Those are pocs. Yes it's in the mud!


----------



## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Dare I ask. Are bubbles different than pocs ?


----------



## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Big Shoe said:


> Dare I ask. Are bubbles different than pocs ?


Yes!


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

Big Shoe said:


> Dare I ask. Are bubbles different than pocs ?


A poc is the residual effect from the bubble.

Bubbles can be created when power mixing and thinning the mud with water before using.

The more mixing or water to thin, the more bubbles you get.

I'm talking new drywall. Not mud work over a painted surface.


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

I like to mix my mud up and let it set ....mix first then unload tools and prep and mix more mud at the end of the day for the next day


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

On repairs where I'm mudding into an existing painted surface, I pretty much always lightly spray with a can of Kilz (this also helps the fiberglass mesh stick better). Since it's most likely a dusty surface> Then I go wider than normal on the first coat using a 12" knife and hot mud. That way you can eliminate the bubbles by the third coat. :thumbup:


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

Sir Mixalot said:


> On repairs where I'm mudding into an existing painted surface, I pretty much always lightly spray with a can of Kilz (this also helps the fiberglass mesh stick better). Since it's most likely a dusty surface> Then I go wider than normal on the first coat using a 12" knife and hot mud. That way you can eliminate the bubbles by the third coat. :thumbup:


I use to do that sometimes if needed but now I just use my power vac sander before my first coat:clap:


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

icerock drywall said:


> I use to do that sometimes if needed but now I just use my power vac sander before my first coat:clap:


So you'll sand a whole large wall or ceiling down to the raw drywall for a repair instead? :blink:

For me it depends on the size of the repair compared to the size of the wall or ceiling that determines my approach. Skim, sand or spray bomb. :thumbsup:


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I don't know how valid this is but sometimes you get a box of mud that is just full of little bubbles, like too much air got whipped into it at the factory. You could run a knife through it and hear all the little pockets of air collapsing. 

Maybe we should use a concrete vibrator on the mud to work out the bubbles first. :laughing:


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

Sir Mixalot said:


> So you'll sand a whole large wall or ceiling down to the raw drywall for a repair instead? :blink:
> 
> For me it depends on the size of the repair compared to the size of the wall or ceiling that determines my approach. Skim, sand or spray bomb. :thumbsup:


no:laughing: I just give it a buff it takes off the sheen off the wall and the texture if needed ...if makes my 1st coat go on smooth and it only take 2min to do a whole wall or ceiling. you don't have a sander? I would never work with out one.


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

icerock drywall said:


> no:laughing: I just give it a buff it takes off the sheen off the wall and the texture if needed ...if makes my 1st coat go on smooth and it only take 2min to do a whole wall or ceiling. *you don't have a sander?* I would never work with out one.


Huh yeah... :laughing:

But rarely do I break it out for a repair.


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

Sir Mixalot said:


> Huh yeah... :laughing:
> 
> But rarely do I break it out for a repair.


why not


----------



## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

icerock drywall said:


> why not


Because pretty much all of our walls and ceilings down here have spray textures. So it's mostly blending and feathering for repairs.

If I'm going to skim a wall to start fresh from a repair, I will scuff it if the paint has a sheen.


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

Sir Mixalot said:


> Because pretty much all of our walls and ceilings down here have spray textures. So it's mostly blending and feathering for repairs.
> 
> If I'm going to skim a wall to start fresh from a repair, I will scuff it if the paint has a sheen.


I see....If I had to do texture all day I would quit my job.....sorry . I like smooth


----------



## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

icerock drywall said:


> I see....If I had to do texture all day I would quit my job.....sorry . I like smooth


Good God don't move to Florida.


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

ToolNut said:


> Good God don't move to Florida.


I found it funny reading about textures on CT...then I realized there are parts of the world where it's actually commonplace.


----------



## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

Everything is textured around here. Lots of knockdown on ceilings and walls, funky diy slap it on textures, old four different sizes of spray on with old unsanded spackle jobs all over it. Worst one I just did was a try at a grooved trowel texture that was haphazard at best. Then painted ultra gloss white. Ick.

I spend lots of time either getting rid of textures or trying to figure out how in the frick they did something. It usually looks horrible so the last one I just got rid of it and did a skip trowel on top of a skim.


----------



## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> I found it funny reading about textures on CT...then I realized there are parts of the world where it's actually commonplace.


I didn't realize until you posted that there were places that didn't have texture. :laughing:


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

I don't want to piss any one off but I thought texture was to hide a bad finish job or if you were not a good finisher just put texture on the wall. 
I have been down south and wow the wall have a thick texture . so thick the dust can make a home in the walls. out east the walls are smooth... and when I moved to mid west there is both smooth and texture....so I had to pick up a texture prayer , but don't use it to much and when I to it a very light texture. I do like texture or wood on one wall or the ceiling to brake it up a little...I think that's cool:thumbup:
well what I am trying to say not everyone should texture ...they make it bad for someone who can do a nice texture job.


----------



## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

icerock drywall said:


> I don't want to piss any one off but I thought texture was to hide a bad finish job or if you were not a good finisher just put texture on the wall.


Maybe for some, but mostly I think it's a regional thing. Almost everything here gets texture- usually knockdown or orange peel. Sucks. Most of the textures done here are so light they don't hide anything.


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

b said:


> I'm with ya metro ml.since mud is 50% water it needs to penetrate the surface its applied on.it dos'nt matter whether its a painted surface or cement board the moisture has no place to go and you'll have the same result.once your patch job is dry you have to depend on that material to absorb the moisture from your finishing coats till the air pockets disappear.


Youre not going to make any friends agreeing with me around here. But carry on.


----------



## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

ToolNut said:


> Good God don't move to Florida.


 Please don't. There is no work here.


----------



## icerock drywall (Aug 16, 2012)

Big Shoe said:


> Please don't. There is no work here.


I go to Disney on the 25th of dec. for the past two years...I will be there this year too. I would never want to live there. I do want to move to NC


----------



## bmitch1 (Feb 16, 2014)

Metro M & L said:


> Youre not going to make any friends agreeing with me around here. But carry on.


the issue of air bubbles on a painted surface is something I expect,understand ,and know how to deal with.its not important to me whether others agree with an opinion I share.:no:


----------



## philcav7 (Jan 15, 2009)

asbestos said:


> I think it does that in direct proportion to how much time you have to get it done. Less time=more bubbles.
> Another theory is they show up like drag marks, if you are in a good mood they will happen it will piss you off, If you are already annoyed they will just make is worse.
> They also never show up if you are going to do a texture that will cover them.


I think you're onto something here. 

Half the seams in a kitchen I did a couple weeks ago bubbled. Put me a day behind schedule, that put other things 2 days behind schedule. 

I think my guys may have pulled too much mud out from beneath the tape when embedding.


----------



## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

icerock drywall said:


> I don't want to piss any one off but I thought texture was to hide a bad finish job or if you were not a good finisher just put texture on the wall.
> I have been down south and wow the wall have a thick texture . so thick the dust can make a home in the walls. out east the walls are smooth... and when I moved to mid west there is both smooth and texture....so I had to pick up a texture prayer , but don't use it to much and when I to it a very light texture. I do like texture or wood on one wall or the ceiling to brake it up a little...I think that's cool:thumbup:
> well what I am trying to say not everyone should texture ...they make it bad for someone who can do a nice texture job.


I usually get my walls smooth enough that I can do smooth wall, or at least as smooth as possible without skimming. Texture shouldn't be used to hide a bad job.

That being said, if I am in a time crunch, and doing a skip trowel texture, I might let a few less than smooth spots go. Though if you don't get it close to good, inevitably the one crappy spot will telegraph through and ruin the whole job.

Only tried one finished smooth wall and it was a semi disaster. Customer didn't want me to run any heat, in the middle of the cold rainy season which made sanding tough and also didn't want to pay for skimming the wall. I did my best, but I sure didn't take any pictures. :laughing:

Only smooth walls I run into regularly is when old wallpaper is painted.


----------



## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

Just my opinion but I think what happened is during the boom down here speed was everything. I go into a lot of houses down here where they came in one coat on tape, then heavy texture. The heavy texture hid the poor tape job, and they were long gone before the problems appeared.

Then there was so dag gone much of it it became the norm. A lot of the houses they didn't tape the angles where the wall and ceiling meet. You take a good heavy knockdown and you can hide a multitude of sins.


----------



## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

ToolNut said:


> Just my opinion but I think what happened is during the boom down here speed was everything. I go into a lot of houses down here where they came in one coat on tape, then heavy texture. The heavy texture hid the poor tape job, and they were long gone before the problems appeared.
> 
> Then there was so dag gone much of it it became the norm. A lot of the houses they didn't tape the angles where the wall and ceiling meet. You take a good heavy knockdown and you can hide a multitude of sins.


Tape/block coat / tex same day? That ain't gonna end well!


----------



## ToolNut (Aug 9, 2012)

blacktop said:


> Tape/block coat / tex same day? That ain't gonna end well!


You got that right.


----------

