Why are there different kinds of drywall compounds?
• Primarily the different kinds of compounds are directly associated to the job they perform. • A positive set or all purpose compound is designed to be used in the first coat (tape embedding) of drywall finishing, or in setting trims such as corner beads or the various flexible trim beads available, such as Paper Face Tape-on Bead, No Coat Beads, and Vinyl Trim-Tex or Vinyl Corp. Characteristics are: Higher adhesion, harder, more difficult to sand and less shrinkage. • The lightweight or topping compounds are designed for the second and third coat of the taping process. Characteristics are: Lightweight, easier to sand, a more “workable” compound. • Note: positive set or all purpose compounds are the preferred compound for decorative texturing of walls or ceilings because of the strength and adhesion benefits.
