Will a fan help drywall mud dry faster

This article is for informational purposes. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals.

Drywalls require seamless finishing which can be achieved with multiple coats of drywall mud. To move on to the next round of coating, the previous coat has to cure properly. 

It can take up a lot of time if you don’t take clever measures.

How to dry drywall mud faster?

Establish proper air ventilation to drive out the excess humidity of the room. Electric heaters can be installed to heat up the drywall, making them dry quicker. Thinner layers of coat significantly reduce the drying time of the drywall mud. You can try hot muds for faster curing.

There’s a lot more information in store for you! Hop in to find out more tips on faster drywall mud drying.

Ways to Faster Drywall Drying

Standard drywall muds take around a whole day to dry. This time can vary depending on the humidity level and temperature of the room. The thickness of the coat also often dictates the time it’ll take the drywall mud to dry.

With enough time saved, you can move onto fixing bumpy drywall seams quicker. Here are 5 effective options that’ll make your drywall mud dry faster-

Option 1: Find a Way to Provide More Heat

Warm air speeds up the curing process of the drywall mud. Research shows that the optimum room temperature for drywall mud to cure is between 65°F-80°F.

In cold weather, a source of artificial heat should be installed nearby. Installing an electric heater close to the spot of application will reduce the drying time.

A drying gun can also do the job. Hold the dryer gun nozzle near the spot of application. It can take up to 30-60 seconds for the dryer gun to reach the desired temperature. 

Option 2: Reduce the Humidity of the Room

Letting out some of that humidity can massively quicken the drying time. Open up all the windows and let the breeze inside. 

The drying process of the drywall mud evaporates the moisture present in the mud. When that happens, the air inside the room sees an increase in humidity. Increased humidity eventually makes the drying time longer. 

Proper air ventilation kicks out the excess humidity off the room. For that, you can install a fan to circulate the air inside the room. Room dehumidifiers can also do a pretty impressive job in this case.

The ideal humidity level of the room should be around 20-40%. Running a dehumidifier for 10 straight hours will cut down the drying time significantly.

You must plan ahead and install the required equipment before mudding. Don’t let the temperature of the room drop while focusing on air ventilation. Low temperature will only slow down the curing.

Option 3: Apply a Thinner Coat of Drywall Mud

The initial layer of the coat has to be thick. It’s necessary to fill up the joints of the drywall and cover the screw dimples. Due to its thick layer, the initial layer of coat takes a long time to dry.

Try a thinner coat once the first coat dries. Emphasize drying the previous layer of coat properly before applying the new coat. Keep the following layers of coat thin.

This increases the speed of drying and cuts down the risk of indentation of the drywall. Multiple layers of thin coats also help to make the surface smoother.

Option 4: Pick Drywall Mud Products with Faster Curing

You might be looking for a way to keep your dresser drawers mice free. If there’s a crack, it needs to be fixed with a faster drying compound joint product.

Drywall muds come in several variations. Each variety serves different purposes and provides distinguishable end products. 

Setting-type joint compound, aka ‘’Hot mud’’ is the drywall mud for quick drying. The building components of hot mud are formulated to harden within 20-40 minutes of application.

On the downside, you might have to work quickly with the hot mud. There is very little room for error as they can’t be easily corrected once dry.

Searching for a hot mud joint compound for your drywall? Take a look at the following hot mud products that we recommend-

The hot mud comes in powdered form. Mix them with water to make a thick paste before mudding your drywall. Constantly stir the mixture while incrementally adding water to avoid lump formation.

Option 5: Thoroughly Sand the Layers Before Application

Drywall mud takes longer to dry when it struggles to get firm hold of the surface. Sanding each layer of coat after drying evens out the drywall seams. It levels down the air pockets responsible for holding water vapor.

All these above mentioned tips are effective and tested methods for drying drywall mud faster. DO NOT paint over wet drywall mud as it can increase the shrinkage of the product.

Professionals usually recommend patience. Also they suggest letting the drywall mud dry slowly. 

Doing so makes it easier to handle bumps and scrapes in the future. But if you want to finish drying within the day, try out the tricks. It’ll save you a lot of time and effort.

FAQs

Question: How long does a 20-minute joint compound take to dry?

Answer: A 20-minute joint compound usually starts to dry after 15 minutes of mudding. This number can vary depending on the temperature and humidity level of the room.

Question: Can I apply hot mud with a texture gun?

Answer: Yes, you can apply hot mud with a texture gun. But make sure to run the mud wet before using it with a texture gun. Or else, it can dry up and clog up the mouth of the texture gun.

Question: How big of a hole can be covered using drywall mud?

Answer: Holes that are less than 4 inches can be easily covered up using drywall mud. You can cover any small cracks or holes in your furniture or drywall with it.

Parting Words

You have learned how to dry drywall mud faster. 

Always be careful to keep the room temperature at an optimum level. Try to avoid using hot mud unless you’re in a hurry.

That’s all. Have a great day!