# drywall joint compound



## machinehead

Renovating a house in Buenos Aires, we are using 'drywall,' also known as 'gypsum board' in the US and 'plaster board' in the UK. 'Tablas de yeso' is one Spanish translation. A U.S. brand name is 'Sheetrock'; an Argentine brand name is 'Durlock.' It comes in manufactured panels, about 12 mm thick and 4 x 8 feet in width and length.

In talking to the contractor, I need to make a clear distinction between traditional 'plaster of Paris' (pasta de yeso; sulfato de cal) and 'drywall joint compound,' also called 'drywall mud' in the US. Joint compound is a more complex, manufactured mixture of water, limestone, expanded perlite, ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer and attapulgite. It is lighter in weight than plaster, and can be sanded after drying. Photos of joint compound, in the manufacturer's plastic container and 'as applied,' are shown in this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_compound

I would very grateful if someone could tell me how 'drywall joint compound' is called in rioplatense castellano, and whether it is sold there. Our contractor is using traditional plaster. It dries very slowly, and is so heavy that the ceilings in our old house are falling down after he patches them with plaster. My wife is crying from the dust and frustration. We are begging him to use lighter-weight joint compound. But he has never heard of it, says it doesn't exist in Buenos Aires, and I don't know how to say it. Gracias mis amigos!


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## pops91710

You need to read this, it should have everything you need:
http://www.usg.com/resource-center/gypsum-construction-handbook-es.html



> "...instalación de esquineros, rebordes y juntas de control;  acabados mecánicos y manuales con compuestos de secado químico o  natural..."



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## machinehead

Perfect; thank you! USG translates 'joint compound' as 'compuesto para juntas.' 

Sounds rather literal, but at least distinguishes from plaster.

Thanks again.


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## pops91710

machinehead said:


> Perfect; thank you! USG translates 'joint compound' as 'compuesto para juntas.'
> 
> Sounds rather literal, but at least distinguishes from plaster.
> 
> Thanks again.


If USG sells there, you have a simple resolution. For sure it is a lighter compound than heavy plaster. I am surprised a contractor would not know that, even there!


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## machinehead

Thanks, pops. USG does have a Buenos Aires office, so I will clarify the terminology with them. Our contractor says 'compuesto para juntas' is not the locally-used term. So we are digging deeper into the mystery. Thanks again for the great reference link!


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## Hakuna Matata

I think this is the name you're looking for:   

http://www.durlock.com/esp/masillas_usar.php

Simplemente "_masilla durlock_".


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## machinehead

Gracias, Hakuna Matata. Yesterday I emailed USG's Buenos Aires office. They answered, "El compuesto para juntas se llama localmente _masilla para placas de yeso_" -- matching your helpful advice. Yet I found a grainy image of their product, labeled 'Compuesto para juntas.'







However, our contractor says that joint compound is not called 'masilla.' In his opinion, 'masilla' is more like caulking, to seal small gaps. Whereas 'enduido,' to his thinking, is a filler for larger areas, and could mean joint compound also.

Nevertheless, he prefers to call joint compound 'yeso.' To make clear the distinction between joint compound and plaster (the original meaning of yeso), he calls traditional plaster of Paris 'yeso duro.' Manufactured joint compound he calls 'yeso,' or 'yeso ligero' for the lightweight kind.

Now my head is spinning, so I wrote a little poem: 

_Masilla o compuesto
Enduido o yeso? 
Cómo confundió! _

But at least we are communicating now. ;-)


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## DWO

*"Masilla durlock"* y no le des más vueltas. Cualquier "durlero" (el colocador de las placas) te va a entender.

_"Las Masillas Durlock® permiten realizar el tomado de juntas y terminaciones en paredes, cielorrasos y revestimientos construidos con placas Durlock®, logrando superficies aptas para recibir todo tipo de acabado (pinturas, revestimientos, empapelados, etc.)."_

Aquí en Argentina simplemente le llamamos "durlock" a la *"placa de roca de yeso"*, similar al de USG.

Aquí va el MANUAL DE USO: http://www.durlock.com/  (click =>producto=>masillas)


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## DWO

I guess your constructor is either teasing you or doesn't know anything at all. There's no such thing as "yeso duro" or "yeso ligero" here.

*Enlucido de yeso*: es un revoque hecho con yeso (sulfato de calcio hidratado) para dar terminaciones a los paramentos (walls). Se hace sobre el revoque fino y tiene un acabado muy similar al Durlock.


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## machinehead

DWO is right. We checked the supplies-- our contractor has several buckets of Masilla Durlock.






So I understand the translations as follows:

Masilla -- joint compound
Compuesto para juntas -- literal translation used by USG, but not the commonly used term
Enduido -- spackle (thick, fast-drying joint compound used for patching)
Yeso -- plaster of Paris


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## pops91710

Sounds like it is time to change contractors, machinehead. There is no good reason he did not know that.


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## DWO

machinehead said:


> So I understand the translations as follows:
> 
> Masilla -- joint compound
> Compuesto para juntas -- literal translation used by USG, but not the commonly used term
> Enduido -- spackle (thick, fast-drying joint compound used for patching)
> Yeso -- plaster of Paris


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