TIL drywall mud has a shelf life and I've been using expired stuff

Honestly, I was cleaning out my garage and checked the date on a bucket of all-purpose mud I've had for like 18 months. Turns out it goes bad after a year and that's why my last batch was so lumpy and hard to sand down. Anyone else ever use old mud and regret it?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryang778h ago

Wait, you actually checked the date? I learned the hard way after spending a whole weekend trying to smooth out a wall that looked like cottage cheese. If the mud is separating in the bucket and has that weird sour smell, just toss it. Pro tip: you can revive slightly expired stuff by mixing in a little water and stirring like crazy, but if it's more than a few months past the date, it's not worth the headache. Lumpy mud that won't sand smooth is a nightmare, trust me. Save yourself the time and just buy a fresh bucket next time.

gray_schmidt87h ago

@ryang77 my buddy tried that trick and wound up patching his patch job three times before he trashed the whole bucket.