# Mudding plywood



## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

Same place as the mountains and the touch up job. They have a kneewall (island wall about 3 feet tall) drywalled all the way around. The paint keeps peeling on top. The mud underneath feels like chalk. The top of this thing gets beat with golf clubs. I was thinking I could cap it in 1/2 in plywood, put on the quick corners, prime with CS, mud with durabond on top, then finish out with easy sand. Will plywood hold mud alright? They do not want the look of a wood cap on this wall. Any thoughts?


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

Mud won't adhere. It'll just flake off. Can't you flush it with a wood filler and prime?


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

TooledUp said:


> Mud won't adhere. It'll just flake off. Can't you flush it with a wood filler and prime?


Yah thats not a bad idea either. Would you use something like the minwax two part filler or bondo?


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

Our products are different brands to yours so it's not easy to say what I would use. 

Personally, I would prime it with a wood primer, sand then another coat of primer and see how well it looked before I started filling it. It may well look the part without any filling. If it needed something to make it look better I would use a decent quality, general purpose wood filler to tidy it up, sand, prime again and finish coat.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

I was going to run these around the plywood to have nice straight and strong corners. This wouldn't work with the just sanding it down system, I need to be able to fill with something.


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

Would it be possbile to check some of the wood out along the corners with a router and then screw the angle bead to it so it sits almost flush? That would make it easier to fill over if you could.


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

How about a melemine top with nicer edges?


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

They really want the drywalled look as one side has a mural that extends right to the top of the wall. They don't want a capped look. I could maybe router the plywood but that sounds like a lot of work for a guy that doesn't have a router. Would mud stick to non-primed wood? Maybe they make something harder than like tile backer I could use?


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

Mud would definitely fail. You could try floor tile adhesive. That is suitable for plywood as long as the ply is fixed well and not prone to much movement then flush it off with a wood filler so that you can sand it smooth.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

building center thought maybe stapling metal lathe to the top of the plywood might improve adhesion. I should probably head on over to contractor talk and see if anyone has any ideas . . .


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## flowjo (Apr 25, 2009)

umm ya mud would stick mud sticks to anything i find use the premixed stuff will take a while to dry but i find that stuff holds real nice.

when im mudding at work and i drop some on the sub floor which is plywood the labors have to take a scraper to get it all off mud will definitely stick to almost any kind of wood ive used mud on metal interior doors as well and it holds fine sand and paint your good to go


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## flowjo (Apr 25, 2009)

also make sure if you are going to use a type of drywall mud make sure you get something that will take a very long time to set. i think the reason it doesnt work for some people is that they get a compound that dries way to fast so they can get 2 3 coats on in not time. 

problem is the mud hasnt really cured properly inside. Just get a very smooth premix use it straight or better yet get real plaster and mix it its more like a concrete just make sure you give it time to fully dry


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

flowjo said:


> umm ya mud would stick mud sticks to anything


Short term yeah, long term = Bad reputation on the horizon


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## jordanski (Feb 5, 2009)

*this will definitely work...*

get some thinset rated for plywood.. (i think versabond is okay for ply, but just call a pro tile supply shop in your area)... add 1/8" to 1/4" furring around the perimeter on top, then install the drywall corner beads on top of the furring to bring it up a bit, install metal lathe in the field, then thinset, get it close as possible to the horizon of the corner bead, then let it dry overnight or longer if possible, scarify the thinset with a sheetrock scoring blade to give it some tooth, then skim it with hot mud, dude, that will work and adhesion will be off the charts, that won't pop, just make sure it's dry before you prime, I like zins bullseye for sealing hot mud fixes....

that's the smart way, metal lathe is actually super cheap at Lowe's (dear god did I actually plug Lowe's?:no, like $20 a sheet, $20 thinset, $12 for 20 minute hot mud, $4-8 drywall corners, charge for it, it's exotic work, and those are nice things to have in a shop afterwards, that will stay through an earthquake... problem solved...

peace
jordan

ps. I am a pro tile setter and remodel guy, the technique is sound...


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## jordanski (Feb 5, 2009)

jordanski said:


> get some thinset rated for plywood.. (i think versabond is okay for ply, but just call a pro tile supply shop in your area)... add 1/8" to 1/4" furring around the perimeter on top, then install the drywall corner beads on top of the furring to bring it up a bit, install metal lathe in the field, then thinset, get it close as possible to the horizon of the corner bead, then let it dry overnight or longer if possible, scarify the thinset with a sheetrock scoring blade to give it some tooth, then skim it with hot mud, dude, that will work and adhesion will be off the charts, that won't pop, just make sure it's dry before you prime, I like zins bullseye for sealing hot mud fixes....
> 
> that's the smart way, metal lathe is actually super cheap at Lowe's (dear god did I actually plug Lowe's?:no, like $20 a sheet, $20 thinset, $12 for 20 minute hot mud, $4-8 drywall corners, charge for it, it's exotic work, and those are nice things to have in a shop afterwards, that will stay through an earthquake... problem solved...
> 
> ...


come to think of it, do the exact same thing, but replace the thinset w/ epoxy 2 part putty, that will work even better, wear a mask and use fans, toxic fumes....


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

Nice, THanks Jordanski! Are spacers readily available at blowes? Or just use the cardboard DW shims? The thinset sounds easier than epoxy and we can't shut the area down to do it so less fumes is better. Thinset sticks to plywood I am assuming without primeing? But prime the thinset before mudding?
Thanks again.


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## jordanski (Feb 5, 2009)

tsunamicontract said:


> Nice, THanks Jordanski! Are spacers readily available at blowes? Or just use the cardboard DW shims? The thinset sounds easier than epoxy and we can't shut the area down to do it so less fumes is better. Thinset sticks to plywood I am assuming without primeing? But prime the thinset before mudding?
> Thanks again.


call a pro tile supply shop for the right thinset, I believe versabond is rated for plywood, you can confirm that from a spec sheet online tho... make sure you have the right thinset and use the lathe, a regular heavy duty hand stapler works best for the lathe.... keep in mind thinset is not a "deep fill" product, do only one coat and keep it to 1/4" tops in thickness...

if you need this to cure overnight get the epoxy putty at a high end lumber yard (dunn lumber in NC?), it will be dry in the morning... thinset will dry overnight but like concrete takes a while to fully cure, think you would be alright w/ 24-48 hours, I would try the putty, it's stinkiest when it's wet but for a small area you would prob be fine... use latex gloves to knead the two parts together... either way do not primer the wood or thinset it doesn't need it... just scarify the thinset a little so the surface isn't smooth..

for the metal corner bead, honestly, go to lowe's, get your lathe and corner bead, stop by the flooring dept and grab a bunch of those 12" vinyl tiles w/ the sticky back, cut em with tin snips, put around the perimeter in strips about the width of the corner beads, staple, then screw the corner bead in on top of them, you just want to bring the corner bead up a little so it's just a little higher than the lathe, thin layer of thinset then skim with hot mud or joint compound, honestly, just the hot mud and lathe would probably work for a long time, safest bet is the putty then skim coat with hot mud... you drop a hammer on it doesn't matter what the material is... but yeah that's strong stuff...

from a tile setter's point of view the solution is easier: tile board instead of ply, lathe, corner bead, float with one coat of type S dry pack mortar (also at lowes), when dry float with skim coating light compound or similar, done, super solid, have to wait a while before prime and paint tho... has to cure... if you're good with floating a drywall blade this is an option...

keep in mind any answer that is cementitious (thinset etc.) has long dry times...

if you have a gallon of bondo around that would prob work too for the first coat if it was shallow and you use the lathe, the thinset is kinda over-building...

you got a kinda exotic query going, if in doubt my gut sez go the epoxy putty route... you can rush it without worrying about moisture messing with your finish coat, that's the only way i can see any of these failing, the putty dries chemically, no water in the mix...

jordan


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