Professional painters typically reach for spackling paste or putty when facing this common issue. These materials are favored for their ease of use, quick drying time, and sandability, which allows for creating an even surface that's indistinguishable from the surrounding area.
Painters should be responsible for filling nails holes, dents, dings and gaps with their PREFERRED filling material to match their finish coat. So obviously, they would be responsible for sanding.
Glazing putty is for tiny imperfections and scratches. Spackle is for regular sized recessed holes or imperfections. Spackle is soft. Glazing putty is lacquer based and is harder.
To fill nail holes, use a high-quality spackling compound. Make sure to clean the area around the hole before applying it and let it dry completely. Use a putty knife or flexible spatula to spread an even layer of spackle over the hole, then smooth with sandpaper once dry.
Spackle is a substance that tends to be more porous than the wall around it. This means that painting over spackle without primer will result in a dull spot that doesn't match the rest of the wall. Therefore, it is extremely important to prime the spackle spot prior to painting over it.
The product can take several more days to dry firm (not hard). For best results, prime Painter's Putty '53' with an oil-based primer before painting with latex paints.
Spackle's formulation, including its binding agents, makes it more elastic than joint compound, which keeps it from shrinking and cracking as it dries. This means you can often fill minor imperfections and holes with one coat of spackle, whereas joint compound may require multiple coats.
The fillers are generally used to fill gaps and holes in walls and wood (often decayed wood). Putty is used to smooth relatively small uneven surfaces caused by screw holes, scratches or coarse materials.
Professional painters typically reach for spackling paste or putty when facing this common issue. These materials are favored for their ease of use, quick drying time, and sandability, which allows for creating an even surface that's indistinguishable from the surrounding area.
All nail, brad, and screw holes in trim are filled with wood filler.
Caulking serves some very important functions for a painter -- from sealing out moisture and drafts from a building, to concealing cracks and gaps in exterior siding or interior walls prior to painting.
Filling Nail Holes
Holes in wood trim are best filled with wood filler. Nail holes in exterior surfaces, just as with cracks or gaps, can be dealt with using a good caulking. Take the time before you apply any paint on your next project to fill all of the gaps, cracks, and nail holes.
Joint compound is extraordinarily durable, especially when compared to spackle. This durability makes the product easy to sand down and ensures it withstands some accidental damage.
Powder filler is often for deeper cracks or holes. It's usually cheaper than other fillers, and you mix it yourself. Because of the depths it can fill, it's versatile and can often be used indoors or outdoors. Ready-mixed fillers can be used on a variety of different jobs and are often really easy to apply.
Joint compound can also be used to fix small holes, smooth out dents in walls, or make small or medium repairs in plaster walls. Although you can use it for filling holes and other smaller projects, it is sold in large containers and designed to cover a large area.
Wood Filler: This can be made from cellulose, epoxy, polyurethane, or a combination of sawdust and wood glue. Spackle: Primarily made from gypsum, with variations like vinyl spackle or acrylic binders added for specific properties.
Before painting, it is common to repair or patch the walls with some spackle or joint compound. If these repairs are small, you do not need to purchase a primer but apply a light coat of your regular paint on those areas once the spackle or joint compound is dry.
Optimal Conditions for Drying:
Temperatures must be above freezing, or the putty won't dry. While applying the putty in temperatures lower than 50°F is not advisable due to prolonged drying times, it is still feasible if the temperature remains above freezing.
When spackle dries, it's rigid and stands up well to moisture. You won't have to wait long for it to dry. Putty, on the other hand, will flex, making it a better choice for fixing smaller imperfections in wood and drywall. It takes longer to dry, affecting your decision if you're on a tighter schedule.
If you paint the putty straight away, as soon as it has a skin, the paint and putty will dry as one, resulting in a smooth and durable finish.
Typically, contractors use a primer, then two coats of paint—the primer to seal the surface and improve paint adhesion and the paint to provide color and protection.
Spackle is a more porous substance than the materials that make up the surrounding wall. Due to the porous surface, going without primer will ensure that the spackle spots appear as a dull spot on the surface of the wall. It is important to use primer on the spackle spot prior to painting the wall.
Do you always need to prime drywall before painting? It's important to prime after new drywall installation. The new surface will be porous and will absorb the color of the paint. Primers will also cover the joint compound and provide a good base for texturing or painting over skim-coated drywall.