1 How to Apply Drywall Mud to Wood 2 How Do You Get Joint Compound to Stick to Wood? How Thick Does the Drywall Mud Need to Be on Wood? 4 What is the Best Joint Compound for Wood? FAQ Will drywall mud stick to a 2×4? Will drywall mud stick to OSB? Will drywall mud stick to wood paneling? 6 Conclusion Although most people only use drywall mud on sheetrock, it may also be used for other things and will adhere to almost any porous surface, including wood and concrete.
If you’re asking, yes, drywall mud can be used on wood. You can, indeed.
Wood is a porous material, thus drywall mud will stick to it. On rough wood surfaces, such as plywood and OSB, joint compound performs admirably. However, wood painted with a high-sheen finish or wood paneling covered in a glossy lacquer will not adhere to drywall mud.
You should also be aware of the following.
APPLICATION OF DRYWALL MUD TO WOOD
Nearly any raw wood surface will take drywall compound without issue. Therefore, you are free to joint compound-skim coat plywood or OSB.
The sole exception is painted wood that has a gloss other than flat. Unfortunately, glossy paint surfaces will not allow drywall mud to adhere, so you will need to sand the paint off before beginning.
It’s also crucial to be aware that even under ideal circumstances, drywall mud applied over wood runs the risk of eventually cracking. This is true because sheetrock absorbs drywall mud better than wood does.
Here’s how to apply drywall mud to wood if you decide to attempt it anyway:
Clean the piece of wood completely. Make sure your drywall mud is good before mixing it. With your putty knife, liberally spread drywall mud onto the board, and then smooth it off with a trowel. Continue doing this until the wood is completely covered. Approximately 24 hours after your first coat has dried, you can go back and start lightly sanding the wall with fine-grit sandpaper or your sander to smooth it out. The second coat of drywall joint compound can then be applied.
Fortunately, you can use your drywall mud skim coat to either provide a smooth surface or a textured, stucco-like appearance. Apply a light paintbrush stroke to the final layer of drywall mud to create the ideal pattern if you want to give it a textured appearance.
How can joint compound be made to adhere to wood? Joint compound and drywall mud are two names for the same material—a creamy paste used to finish drywall—and are frequently used interchangeably.
By extension, this means that getting joint compound to adhere to wood is similar to getting drywall mud to adhere to wood. Fortunately, joint compound adheres to wood quite well because it is porous. Surfaces that are painted are the sole exception.
Any kind of glossy paint sheen will make joint compound impossible to adhere to.
A joint compound should not be skim coated on any wood intended for outdoor use. Water will damage it.
HOW DEEP SHOULD THE DRYWALL MUD BE ON WOOD? Start with a base layer of drywall compound that is around 1/16th of an inch thick if you are skim coating a piece of wood. You’ll need to apply additional, thin coats once the foundation layer has dried until you’re satisfied with the coverage.
WHAT IS THE BEST WOODEN JOINT COMPOUND?
On wood, virtually any drywall joint compound will work. However, you should search for a solution with little shrinkage and one that can handle humidity if you want to lessen the chance of the joint compound splitting.
Here are a few of the leading candidates:
IS DRYWALL MUD GOING TO STICK TO A 2×4? Any surface of untreated, rough wood will adhere to drywall mud. The mud might ultimately crack, but that is never a guarantee.
DRYWALL MUD: WILL IT STICK TO OSB? Yes, OSB board will readily accept drywall mud. The rough surface of OSB makes drywall mud adhere quite well.
DO WOOD PANELINGS AND DRYWALL MUD STICK TOGETHER? After being deglossed, wood paneling will adhere to drywall mud. Unfortunately, shiny or painted wood paneling will prevent it from sticking.
If the gaps in your wood paneling are wider than 14 inch, you can also have drywall mud cracking. Before skim coating, you might wish to fill the gaps in this situation with wood filler or spackle.
The good news is that you can get your desired smooth surface by skim coating your wood paneling with drywall mud if it is not glossy and doesn’t have many gaps.
CONCLUSION Can drywall mud be used on wood? You can, indeed. Drywall mud adheres well to plywood and OSB and works well on rough wood surfaces.
However, there is still a danger that the mud would eventually split because wood cannot absorb joint compound the same way gypsum drywall can. This is why it’s advisable to only use drywall mud in spaces with little surplus moisture and low humidity.
