Found a cheap trick for hiding butt joints without sanding twice

Honestly I spent years sanding and re-sanding butt joints on my jobs around Denver. Then last month I tried using a 10 inch knife with a light coat of topping compound instead of joint compound and it leveled out way smoother. Anyone else switched to topping for butt joints or am I the last to figure this out?

3 comments

3 Comments

milesj7018d ago

Topping compound on butt joints just means more cracking later in Denver's dry climate.

rowan72518d ago

I've used topping compound here for years without any cracking issues.

miles_sanchez18d ago

Denver's been rough on my joints too. I've gone through a couple of houses out here and the humidity swings are brutal. For what it's worth, I tried that compound on a living room ceiling last year and had hairline cracks showing up within six months. @milesj70 is right about the dry climate being a problem - the air just sucks the moisture out of the compound too fast. What works better for me in this area is a setting-type compound or a pre-mixed lightweight with some extra water added to slow the drying time. You have to work a little faster but the hold is way better in the long run.