A white powder made primarily of gypsum dust called joint compound, also referred to as drywall compound, drywall mud, or mastic, is mixed with water to create a paste about the consistency of cake frosting. Joint compound is used with paper or fiber joint tape to seal joints between sheets of drywall to create a smooth surface for painting interior walls and ceilings. It’s frequently referred to as mud or joint cement.

A pre-made type of joint compound designed for quick application and simple maintenance is called ready-mix lightweight joint compound. Water, limestone, expanded perlite, ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer, attapulgite, and other components are frequently used in the compound’s complicated mixture. It has a creamy texture thanks to the sensitive chemical combination, which spreads readily over drywall surfaces before hardening as the moisture evaporates. Drying type compound is used to cover holes or gaps; it takes a long time to dry out and shrinks as it dries, potentially causing cracks in thick applications.

In general, ready-mix joint compound is more forgiving than setting joint compound. It can be used for as long as is necessary, and unless left unattended for a long time, it won’t dry out. However, it must be prevented from freezing. The ingredients should all be at a similar temperature when using this type of compound, which should be utilized above 55 °F (13 °C).

Joint compound also has large containers to cover large areas and whole structure.

Joint chemicals for setting are available in powder form, and they must be combined with water right before usage. It has the advantage of filling holes and gaps that would take a drying compound many days to dry out and have shrinkage cracks since it contains plaster of Paris and hardens chemically rather than by evaporation. Setting type compounds come in hard, exceptionally well-bonding, and soft varieties that are both easy to sand and have setting periods varying from 5 to 300 minutes.

The setting type must be used right away after being combined with water; any residue is discarded, and if not enough is mixed, another batch is required to accomplish the task. All tools must also be extremely clean to avoid the compound setting up too soon. Because of this, the setting type compounds are more difficult to prepare and take longer to set. Compounds of the setting type can be employed at temperatures as low as 45 °F (7 °C).

For the initial application, some drywall contractors use setting type mud, and for the last, thinner coat, they use drying type. Setting type compounds are preferable for damp areas, like toilets, because they do not soften when they get wet.

The table below shows the latest retail Feb 2022 prices of Joint Compound in Philippines Peso price per bag or pail, type and weight.

Price and Standard Size of Joint Compound per bag in the Philippines

UPDATED: Construction Material Prices for Joint Compound in the Philippines (Feb 2022)

UPDATED: All Construction Prices are based on retail prices around hardware in Metro Manila

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