DAP ElastoPatch Smooth Flexible Patching Compound, White, 10.1 Oz (7079812276)

I had some cracks to patch on some siding. A large area needed to be covered so I purchased this item based on positive reviews and my previous experience with DAP products. The patch went on smoothly, spread well and didn't run or sag when place on a vertical surface. I am happy with this product.

I know some folks have given this a bad review because they say it can't be sanded. Even the vendor states that this is not sandable. I read a review where one person said it sanded easily. Likely a fake review as this stuff does not sand. I use this to patch holes in areas that I don't need a super clean look such as in the garage. Recently the lower part of a panel in my garage that goes into my crawl space got damaged. It was about a six inch wide, one inch high hole. That is a fairly large hole. This is pretty thick and I first tried to fill the hole with a Bondo spreader with just this product and after a couple minutes it would start to sag, exposing the hole again. I quickly grabbed some fiberglass mesh drywall tape put it over the hole with the ElastoPatch still sagging, then used my Bondo spreader again moving the ElastoPatch back over the hole now covered with the fiberglass mesh tape and it held firmly. After letting it completely dry it looks great. As long as you spread this stuff and leave it still it does dry to a nice clean smooth surface. Some have claimed that it shrinks, but I have never had that problem. Just be sure you use it over a clean surface as it won't stick to dirty, oily surfaces.

When I was growing up,. if you needed to fill something bigger than the fraction of an inch suitable for joint compound, and you didn't want shrinkage, you used plaster of Paris. That still works for me, and if you don't mind mixing something as you go along and having something that starts to set within a minute of being mixed, it's still a good option. But if you want something that will fill big gaps easily without shrinking, this product fits the bill very well. It stays pliable more than long enough to work with it, is easy to clean up when wet, doesn't shrink, and dries to a paintable surface. The only down side is that it's not designed to be sanded. So if you need to finish your work with sanding, leave room for a top layer of joint compound. But if you want something firm and flexible, this works better as is.

This product has disappeared from all store shelves in our area for 50 miles around. We have 6 Lowe's, 7 Home Depot, 8 Ace and True Value stores and none of them stock it anymore- special order only and 7-10 days to get it. Give me a break. I guess if you don't want to do any better than that, I will buy it on Amazon. Don't blame people for not shopping in their local stores when you you cant bother to stock normal daily use products. Oh, by the way, I use this product all the time from repairing chipped stucco, to patching minor cracks in stucco and even repairs on my plastic sheds. Great product, and have used it for years. You need to talk to Big box distributors about their stock items.

Worked better than I had expected, I used it to float the seams of a 12 by 24 building floor. I didn’t even use the whole tub, it was easy to smear in the cracks and hid all the seams. Easy to use if you pre stir it before smearing on.

Our house is built on expansive clay soil and has a couple of additions, so we have quite a few of larger drywall cracks that widen in the summer and contract in the winter, when the clay gets saturated. The previous owner apparently attempted to cover them up with regular rigid spackling, which meant that they re-appeared as soon as the clay dried out and the gaps became wider. I finally found this flexible stuff that will hopefully take of the issue long-term. It's easy to apply, even working overhead on the ceiling (no drips). For smaller cracks, make sure to widen them with a knife or scraper. For wider cracks, make sure to re-apply a second time because the compound will shrink after the first application, leaving a bit of a void. For large holes you might even need to apply multiple times. After letting that set apply a layer of drywall primer, and then paint. One tube was more than enough for 15-20 feet of cracks with two generous applications. Pictures are before and after. I will update the review if the cracks come back, so as long as I have not it's been doing well!

Works great. Holds up well. *** IS NOT SAND-ABLE *** learned that the hard way. Very good quality product

I did use this extensively in a long neglected room. Since you can't sand it, it's not as versatile as plaster. I'd say it was most successful on hairline cracks, although it does seem to suck up the primer. Those areas had to be primered three and four times, in some cases. Since the patches were light, I didn't use the primer for dark stains, as I evidently should have. I will use it again with heavier primer - as long as those cracks don't reappear with the change in seasons.

I bought this to seal persistent large cracks. It's quite easy to apply. Adhesion to surface is acceptable after 24hr. The setback is the long drying time. After 8hr, coating is still soft though tack free. For tropical climate where rain is unpredictable, it makes usage tedious. If it rains within 5hr of application, performance may be compromised. Should have a quick drying version.