Hey all,
I’m finishing up hanging the 140 sheets of sheetrock on my addition/renovation. I’m anticipating that the taping and mudding will take a while, probably piece-meal fashion. I got to wondering if it’d be okay to add some food coloring to joint compound so that I know what coat I’m on in which room? Any drawbacks? Could it affect the performance of the joint compound?
Thanks in advance. Cheers,
Jason
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Replies
The pro's use latex paint additive, just a squirt in five gallon tub of compound. The guys I've worked around have maybe 3 different colors; red, yellow and blue or "you pick." Food color should work just as well. Makes a lot of sense between sanding and touchup.
I'd be leery of too much food coloring. It might bleed into your paint.
Stay away from reds. They bleed.
I'd use paint tint over food coloring. I'd also try and be close to your finish colors.
Try chalk, the kind you would put in a chalk line. A little bit goes a long way. We use it most for when we do our spotting on the tail end of a job so we dont miss any sanding. Painter really appreciates this.(Less prep)
MC
and i always thought that was how you made your own pink fire mud... at $40 for a 20lb bag.... i always kept the old sacks so the inspector could see the empties... it's no longer required on fire walls here but for awhile someone sold the inspectors on it.... now you don't see red food color at the supply house anymore...
p
Good money saving tip! ; ^ ) Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
If you couldn't tell by the condition of the wall would it matter which coat it was?
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I have no knowledge of such, but knowing how various dyes fade in photographic work, I would not be surprised but what the food coloring will fade fairly rapidly. It will probably depend upon the specific color and the amount of UV light that it receives, but I would expect that it would tend to lighten markedly from one area to another.
Good idea, but use those little tubes of paint tint.
That way you know it'll be compatible with your final paint...buic
The last time I needed paint tint, I just took a couple of baby food jars to HD and ask for a squirt in each, of the colors I needed. They had no pricing list on colorants like that, so they just gave them to me.
Art suplly paint tubes are expensive acrylics. Paint colorants are just pigments ground into glycol. Much cheaper, even if you had to get them from a paint store.
Dave
Food coloring works well for making final touch-ups stand out. Espeially if you've primed everything white. If you're concerned about bleeding, just use latex Kilz to cover your tinted patches.
Besides the tint, add some cloves and nutmeg; make the place smell better...
Food coloring is generally oil soluble, and will not mix well with water.
Why would it matter if it mixed "Well"? as long as there were any colorant anywhere in the mix, it is all good.
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I have seen Lafarge brand mud that comes in beige as well as white.
http://www.lafargenorthamerica.com/wps/wcm/resources/file/eb656b4d08a5bbc/Rapid_Coat_Submittal.pdf
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Edited 2/3/2007 2:18 pm ET by MisterT
I'm not a builder, but I am a baker, and very skilled with food color! (g)
Don't use it in this application. Do what the other guys suggested. I can tell you for certain it will bleed through whatever you are doing.
That's why when I do fondant work or other layered-icing techniques, I like to use gel or dry food colors - they don't bleed through the final product.
"I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security" - former President Gerald Ford
Bleed it will!!! (from experience)....anyone.....what colour tint would be best for this assuming a neutral/light colour finish paint?
First, to all of you, thanks - I'll stay away from the food coloring. This isn't the first time BT'ers have kept me from doing something stoopid.
The intent of coloring was to stay on top of what I've done where. One of you was kind of right: who cares, as long as the finish is acceptable. The problem with that is that method doesn't play to my anal-retentive tendencies ;-). And thinking about it further, I only need to tint the second coat. That is - do the first coat white, second coat tinted, topping coat normal. It should be enough to be able to tell the differences.
So, thanks again. Cheers,
Jason