Vent: Just found out my drywall mud has a shelf life

I was cleaning out my truck and found a bucket of joint compound I bought back in March. Checked the label and it expires after 6 months. That stuff was probably ruining my finish for the last 3 jobs. Anyone else ever use expired mud and not notice?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake_cooper10d ago

6 months? I've got buckets in my garage from two years ago I'm still using, never even thought to check. Are they really putting expiration dates on drywall mud now? The last bucket I finished felt a little grainy when I was sanding it, but I just blamed it on cheap sandpaper.

david_hayes10d ago

Hold on now, that grainy feel isn't from the sandpaper. Expired mud dries differently and gets lumps that don't dissolve. Sure, you can still get it to stick on the wall, but that final sanding will always look rough. I had a job last year where I kept fighting a pitted finish, turned out the bucket was nine months old. That's a wasted afternoon of sanding and a second coat you didn't need. Better to just pitch the old stuff and grab a fresh bucket.