Maybe add a bit of chalk used for chalk/line markers? It comes in red, blue, or yellow.

 

Maybe add a bit of chalk used for chalk/line markers? It comes in red, blue, or yellow.

just a little .....should not have bleeding issues

 

Chalk line.

It might be to gritty. I like to use a very fine resolution of spackle.

Also, don't chalk lines bleed through?

Thanks.

 

Two ideas come to mind:
Mix latex paint in spackle or maybe a craft paint?
Or.........tint for paint
.........seems like a lot of trouble doing any of the above.
Sage

 

simply add some paint colorant to your spackle and mix it

 

Paint colorant.

have you seen this done and know that it works with spackle? Or is this an educated guess?

I will try it any way, I am just curious if you have seen this done as a technique.

Thanks.

 

Did you experiment with some water paint? You know like the kind that kids use.
Might be worth experimenting with. Shouldn't bleed through.

 

You can use universal tint colorants (UTC) or the colorants used for cement. Have done this on troweled decorative finishes using JC (45 min lightweight) and it works fine and dosnt bleed.

 

Road Dog...

Awesome thanks.

 

Universal tints.

It works.

Can not get dark colors. The deepest color I got without degradation was an medium Salmon color - but my medium was JC. Have not tried hot mud, spackle, or plaster of paris

It drys lighter than the wet mix.

test until you get the right color

EDIT: just reread your post. I can undersatnd how many colorants can bleed thru top coats. It that was a concern, I wouldn't tint the "spackle"

 

don't use paint. It will "crack" when it dries, and not very sand friendly. I have experimented with this, but only to see if I could get a light beige that the walls were painted.. I had to repair a couple achor holes and the unit didn't have water.. :shrug: so I said what the heck. Came back the next day when water was on and saw that the mud (when dried) was cracked... I redid the holes and just painted the spots after the fix. I would just stick to white IMO, but I do understand what you mean.. kinda how bondo is a different color till sanded. Good luck, post up results :thumbsup:

 

why do you need to color spackle?

 

????

 

I did it cause I didn't have water :doh: it was an experiment more than anything. You ever used Bondo? When there is a valley, it stayes the same color as when dried. The other "high" areas are a different (sanded) color. My guess is he wanted to see low spots :shrug:

 

Universal tints.
DAP or red devil makes a spackle that dries a light blue.

 

Why to color spackle...

"It works excellently for being able to see how much spackle has been applied, which areas have been sanded, and how far exactly to sand down before done. Especially in marginal light."

We have been doing a lot of older homes/buildings lately that have a lot of old divots, brush marks, uneven walls with multiple layers of paper that have ben painted over etc.

80% of the time the spackle is exactly the same color as the surface we are prepping.

It is nice to go into a room, and spackle everything, casings, walls, doors, etc, and to be able to later see easily which areas have spackle, and where it is that needs sanding.

In these situations, the areas that need spackling are random and varied from room to room and job to job. It isn't like spackling new trim where you know there are going to be nails holes spaced evenly and in predictable locations.

When spackling areas that are not flat, and are located in uneven wall surface such as long ridges that have been taped and painted over many times, it is nice to be able to easily see exactly how the spackle is relating to the surrounding uneven surface to be sure that we will not be adding any uneven-ness to the old walls.

Of course this can be done without coloring the spackle. And we have been doing it without color in the spackle for some time. It requires a lot of light, often at different angles, and basically is more time consuming, a strain on the eyes, and higher possibility that a few spackled areas might get missed which requires going back and fixing them after the first coat goes on.

The guy I worked for who colored his spackle frequently used non-water based primers so color bleed from the spackle was not an issue.

I am trying to find a way to utilize this technique and put two coats of latex or acrylic over the top without having to prime as an extra step.

I have recieved many helpful suggestion in this thread and will try them as soon as I have the chance.

Thanks people who suggested the universal tint colorant.

Hopefully it will not bleed like food coloring.

 

As another good thread runs its course, I'd like to just add that a very simple solution that we use is to put a tiny little speck of blue tape next to those random hard to spot spackles. This is usually only necessary during final punch list time. Its nice to know that there are other more complex options though.

 

Vermont painter.



To be honest, using colored spackle is less complex. It doesn't require putting tape at every spackle spot. It doesn't require removing tape from every spackle spot. It doesn't require moving a light around to angle across every surface that is being sanded.

It is a lot easier to see when sanding in marginal light, with a lot less eye strain.

Specifically in older buildings where every room is going to have a lot of spackle on the casings, doors, walls, and ceilings.

Being able to see all the spackle spots in the room at a glance makes a big difference.

We currently use lots of light and blue tape to help see the spackle. I had been wanting to color the spackle for a long time remembering how easy it made prep when I worked for a contractor that did so.

I tried blue food coloring and it worked extremely well. The problem is that it bleeds through acrylic. Many here have suggested using universal tint colorants for the application.

I will try it, and hopefully it will not bleed.

 

I do this

 

The brass end of a mud knife makes a respectable marker as well.

 

We colored spackle for years to facilitate sanding. I thought all contractors did this. You can use UTC's and blend with a Jiffy Mixer, have the paint store tint it and shake it, or purchase some UTC, put them in a squeeze bottle and tint them on the job site. The Aura Gennex Colorant may be a great way to go as well, as it actually dries.

 

Nace...

Hi thanks for the reply. When you say to use the Aura Gennex Colorant, "as it actually dries". does this mean when using other universial tint colorants, it impedes the dry time of the spackle?

Thanks.

 

Like the idea, will try :thumbsup:

 

Shoot for a light blue, we use Thalo Blue. It is easy to cover with the topcoat. darker spackle will be harder to cover, similar to the problems with the red bondo putty (one part auto glazing). Careful, as a little drop of colorant (UTC) goes a long way! If you need larger qty the store can take some spackle out of the can, shoot in colorant, shake, and add the remainder back in to mix up. works great. have fun.

 

We've used yellow tint for years.. the tapers also use it for touch ups after their final sand. A few drops in the mud pan is all you need. You just want to be able to see the patches and not from across the street. My supplier gives me some in a litre can, last me a few years.

Cheers

 

I am redoing my own house right now. I will try it on my place first. I will be going to SW later, so I will have em add a few drops of blue in. Won't get to use it till sometime next week though. Thanks for the idea!

 

They make a yellow/orange compound, I don't use it but I've seen it a lot on N/C. It's a topping, a lot easier to see than white on white.

 

Okay went and picked up 2- 4.5ers of lightweight tonight. I had the the paint station put 5 drops of blue in and had em put it in the shakers. One shook better than the other, but I when I brought em home I hit em with the drill stir till blended. It made a lite blue color.

I have used it now for about an hour and can honestly say I will do this from this day foward. You can tell depth of the mud, you can tell when you missed a spot or when the trowel vibrated.. it shows up very well. It is sooo much better than plain white.

I am skimming my own walls on my top floor. I will test that it doesn't bleed color once I prime the walls/ceiling. Thanks for this thread.. great idea :thumbsup:

 

Okay went and picked up 2- 4.5ers of lightweight tonight. I had the the paint station put 5 drops of blue in and had em put it in the shakers. One shook better than the other, but I when I brought em home I hit em with the drill stir till blended. It made a lite blue color.

I have used it now for about an hour and can honestly say I will do this from this day foward. You can tell depth of the mud, you can tell when you missed a spot or when the trowel vibrated.. it shows up very well. It is sooo much better than plain white.

I am skimming my own walls on my top floor. I will test that it doesn't bleed color once I prime the walls/ceiling. Thanks for this thread.. great idea :thumbsup:

am I reading that right ...2-4 5ers or lightweight for a full skim coat??????????? Ouch!