Help!!.....should I use joint compound on my house?

[mininecessities]

I have some joint compound..on the front it says one way to use it is to texture walls and ceilings........I used some to fill some cracks in my wood floor....and for the fun of it I started putting some on the side of the house. Hope I don't decide not to do it then have to worry about how to get it off.

Do people use this stuff on the outside of the house to look like stucco? I am not sure what kind of pattern to use......I just put it on then took the stick and made little raised areas in it.......like you would frosting.

I have NO idea what I am doing as I have never done this before. any of you that have done this could you give me hints and ideas .......or ha tell me how to do it LOL..

It seemed to me a cheap way to go......I don't have any siding and worry about using card stock.

I did do a search for ideas but seems so much other stuff comes up ...so thought I would start a thread.

thanks!

Cheryl .....

also if you have used it let me know if there are pics in your galleries of what it looks like. Will this make my house way too heavy? I plan to paint it when done also.

[Ravenswing]

Joint compound has a tendency to crack - at least on real life houses, that's the stuff they use over drywall tape to join the drywall pieces together, seal the tape to the drywall to give it a uniform smooth look. Spackle or plaster of paris might be better choices, although all three will crack. It's not the stuff they use on the outside of RL houses to make stucco. Wasn't sure if you meant RL or dollhouse with that question - but definitely not outside RL homes. I'd go withthe spackle. The compound really needs to be sanded, and any high points (frosting swirls) will eventually get knocked off or cracked off, it's just not designed to be put on thickly.

[havanaholly]

I use spackle for plaster all the time, especially throughout all the pub's interior walls and the exterior walls upstairs:

None of it has cracked yet, but I don't spread it on thick, more like about 1/8" or so. As I've described elsewhere, I texture it whilst it's wet, popping the wet surface with the flat of a credit card (or putty knife, since that's what I use now) to get little peaks and then lightly dragging the edge of my spreader over then to slightly flatten them. If you already have joint compound, why not use it? And if you have a question about it, why not use a bit on a piece of scrapwood to see how it works for you? I do prime before spreading on the spackle, so you might make samples with and without priming to see what happens.

There were articles in the first issue of American Miniaturist and the following Hallowe'en issue where Sherise Landrey bashed together two Buttercup kits and after she spread joing compound on the exterior walls she used a metal comb she'd made to texture the joint compound to look like liding, and piped more joint compound through pastry tips to make window and door frames.

[mininecessities]

Thanks Judith! Sounds like I better re consider this ! I guess I wasn't sure the difference between joint compound and spackle ......There is so much to learn. I guess that is what is great about this forum, keeps us from learning the hard way when it's too late.

[mininecessities]

Thanks Holly! Well........sounds as if it Could work. ........The part I did on the house looks ok.........my little peaks sort of got smoothed out but as Judith said they may or will break off. I know it may not be the ideal thing to use...but I have a jug of it so wanted to hear from you folks who have used it ......

and was going to say I did spread it thin........also it may be pretty good stuff, it isn't the kind you mix with water, it is already mixed up in a jug and says professional grade..if that means anything. What gets me is on the front it says for texturing walls and ceilings, but in the directions it doesn't mention it, it only talks about the joints or plaster repair.......hmmm

[havanaholly]

The peaks might not break off unless handled roughly. When it's stone-dry and before painting or adding any other finish you could always hit it with sandpaper for good measure, just to smooth the points a tiny bit.

[mininecessities]

The peaks might not break off unless handled roughly. When it's stone-dry and before painting or adding any other finish you could always hit it with sandpaper for good measure, just to smooth the points a tiny bit.

I kind of remember now taking my hand over the surface.......I think I was worried about it being TOO peaky! lol.....funny I would forget that So fast........The stuff sure does STICK though! But maybe it is like most things....if you want to remove them they are hard to get off but when you want it to stay it doesn't lol

well if I go ahead and do this house it will be a learning experience and a good test I guess. Not quite ready to do the outside but it was just fun to do a small piece.......

[havanaholly]

I don't know about joint compound, but dried spackle removes with a metal putty knife and a hammer and gentle whacking.

[jrchob]

I have never done this, but real stucco is made often using cement, sand and lime. Could you add sand to the joint compound?

[GirlPiper]

I used joint compound on the round tower Gnome Home, and it's heavier than spackle, but works pretty much the same. Both will crack if put on too heavily. (Real house experience), but if you like the sample, go for it. It will come off if you use Holly's tip and use a putty knife and light hammer tap. Any residue will sand off, and/or a warm water sponge-off.

[sparklepuppies]

I am almost positive that Karin used it on her Beacon Hill The Sea Hag. Like Holly mentioned above with someone else, she also combed the sides and piped on the trim to make really neat designs.

[KathieB]

If Holly is the Queen of Spackle, then I'm the queen of joint compound/wallboard mud. I swear by it, and not only because we happen to have a couple of 5-gallon tubs of the stuff (don't ask!) Once it dries, it is quite sturdy. It does not dissolve or get soft again when painted. It can be sanded when dry.

I used it to make stucco for the very first house I made (an Orchid). Spread it on thinly and dabbed at it with a damp sponge to raise a texture. Also used it to make the stone foundation. See it here. This house is now 8 years old and shows no signs of deteriorating. Once the mud was dry, I painted it with satin finish house paint, which sealed it very nicely. I have no fear of it chipping or cracking.

Besides Holly's credit card/putty knife suggestions, crumpled aluminum foil or waxed paper or a piece of textured RL upholstery fabric -- or any number of things -- could be used to create a stucco texture.

I used it inside Marie Laveau's cottage to simulate uneven plaster walls. In this case, I spread it on with a pallet knife, similar to frosting a cake. I coated it with white gesso to seal but did not use additional paint since the white plaster look was what I was going for. I used it as plaster on the outside of the house (painted with satin finish house paint) and covered contractor's foam with it to form the base of the fence, also painted. (I used paperclay to form the blocks of bousillage that can be seen where the plaster cracked off.) I put a skim coat of mud on the walls of the Pierce/Bohemian Inn, as well.

I used it to cover contractor's foam and then sprayed it with stone-textured Krylon paint to simulate sand for the base of the houseboat.

I have used it to smooth the edges and joints of Greenleaf furniture for the Pierce/Bohemian Inn. (Smoothed it on with a fingertip, smoothed it with a damp fingertip.)

I covered contractor's foam with it to form the stairway/oven nook for the White Orchid. Again, the rough plaster look. This was painted with gesso and then aged a bit with craft paints. (This unit covers the battery pack and wires for the lights. It can be moved to turn the lights on and off, so it gets a bit of handling. It has held up well.) I also used it to cover the contractor's foam base of the White Orchid.

I'm sure I've used it in other builds, too, but the caffeine isn't kicking in this morning.

One good feature of joint compound over Spackle is that the mud is much cheaper than brand-name Spackle.

And a hint for either one: When the container is opened, used and then stored for a time, bits of black mold may begin to grown in it. Press a piece of thin plastic (plastic cling wrap or a piece of a plastic shopping bag) down onto the surface to prevent air from reaching the compound to prevent the growth of mold and slow the inevitable drying process.

[WyckedWood]

Ive used it for siding on two houses (combed to look like siding) and for frosting on my Gingerbread house. And I have an empty bucket of it on my kitchen counter because Im using it on my current Christmas projects for frosting and snow. For a stucco look, I prefer paperclay BUT if you like the way its looking, go for it. It certainly is cheap and easy to use. It will make the house somewhat heavier (not crazy heavy though), it will crack if it gets too thick, but you can fill in the cracks with more compound. I haven't had any problems with it breaking off...but Ive also not used it for exactly what youre using it for. If Im doing a snowy roof where it will be a thicker application I use plaster. But again, my vote for a stucco look is paperclay

[WyckedWood]

I just remembered that I actually have used it for stucco on a little house that I fixed up when working for our local dh shop. It was several years ago and I just saw the house the other day in the shop...still looking just fine. I used something similar to a putty knife to apply it and did a color wash for the finish.

[mininecessities]

Thanks all of you for all the wonderful tips and advice. Love it!!

[kellyannmo]

I use spackle all the time as well (and also love paperclay for a stucco look too).... I use a thin layer most of the time, and can often see my primer coat... but once you paint over it your primer coat won't show. Once everything is dry I apply liberal amounts of flat or satin varnish/sealer to harden everything up. So far I have not had any problems, and have shipped 20 houses... no one has ever stated anything was cracked or peeling.... I have not used joint compound though... I am going have to look into this technique

Here is an image of a 1/2 scale Buttercup I did using both paperclay and spackle. The spackle was applied thicker on this build.

[livingvicariously]

So pretty! I love that look.

[More Minis Dollhouses]

I have used Spackle for texturing and stucco before and its worked well. I've heard of people also using stucco patch, used in real houses to create stucco but I'm not sure about joint compound. Not sure how well it will hold together with time.

[mininecessities]

I still have time to decide for sure. Maybe I will just bite the bullet and get some paperclay though never having worked with it and not sure what it will cost? someone said it was expensive and the Garfield is a big house.

Wow Kelly, do you build and sell houses? oh my.............I admire you for that!! I make and sell things sometimes but it takes me way too long to do a house lol..that is cool though. Wish I was rich I think I would just buy them already done lol but that is not the case LOL I think there are others here that sell houses too.....it amazes me.

[sparklepuppies]

I believe that you can buy bigger blocks on the paper clay website. The smaller packs are about $10 at Michaels or Hobby Lobby but I always use a coupon. I love how paper clay looks, and it isn't too hard once you get the hang of it. But it will take a lot to cover the Garfield. I think I used 4 or 5 packs on the Wildwood Stable I built.

[havanaholly]

Tracy Topps (Minis on the Edge) builds and sells her houses, and uses a lot of paperclay; I believe she orders in quantity from the site.

[Sherise Landrey]

Hi Cheryl. I did a lot of work with drywall mud, on all of my pieces. Shadow Row, and my Egyptian Roombox. The trick to drywall mud, is that you must seal it, or it will crack. Shadow Row is 10 years old + and it is mint. Use acrylic paint to seal. You can see the exterior at www.picturetrail.com. My username is sherise_landrey1 you can also see the brickwork for the Egyptian roombox. That was made with a plastic lightweight form (much like the brick forms). I did use a comb, on Shadow Row exterior, as Holly mentioned on the siding on Shadow. If you need any advice, just ask, I'd be happy to help. Drywall mud is cheap, and incredibly versatile. And I did use it to pipe ornamentation, on windows and doors. They remain perfect to this day. And I have five cats....terrible for miniatures

[Sherise Landrey]

Maybe this is a direct link to the site... ? http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/sherise_landrey1 We can only hope. I suck with these addresses....lol