How to Repair Holes in Plaster

[@CharlieDIYte]

🛠Charlie DIYte Amazon Tool Store amzn.to/3fcLnY4 - all my tried, tested and much loved DIY tools. ☕Patreon membership bit.ly/3xuQ3zb - includes Discord access. ☕Buy Me a Coffee bit.ly/3xuQ3zb - to help support my Channel - also use it for membership a bit like Patreon. 👚Charlie DIYte Official Merch Store charlie-diyte.myspreadshop.co.uk/ - all new range of professionally designed merch.

[@benpatana7664]

As a builder, I buy 5kg bags of plaster and a box of ziplock bags and put about a cup of powder in each - basically I make my own pouches. I find gyproc plaster shrinks less than the alternatives and is stronger. I carry a box of the pouches on the truck. This gives me the ability to easily do small filling jobs on site without carting around a big bag of plaster (and probably dropping it everywhere or having it go off).

[@oldgitflying]

Great idea

[@CharlieDIYte]

Love that. Thanks for sharing Ben. I guess you could also put it in sealable (zip lock) food bags..

[@Gixer750pilot]

“I’ve never had a problem with shrinkage”. Would look good on a T-shirt , or a headstone 😝

[@gwenscoble6229]

Ì too like the powder fillers. The back wall of my conservatory got hairline cracks in the plaster due to the temperature changes. The recommended way is enlarge the crack and use more filler. I made a wet mix and the plaster sucked the mix in to the cracks, (or it shrunk into the cracks), and the mix got concentrated as the water was absorbed preferentially. No leaving proud and little sanding, just a quick scrape with a flat edge, before it had dried. Very satisfying. Thanks for the video.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes I've done that loads over the years. 👌

[@phowied]

Transfer any unused powder filler to a ziplock bag and it lasts ages if you close it up airtight. Its the moisture in the air that makes it go off.

[@darryl280]

Have been looking for a good diy channel for help and tips, you have extremely informative videos, liked and subscribed 😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks so much for the sub. Great to have you on board 👊

[@IrishAndy855]

The reason the premade filler didn't harden is because the hole was too big and not built up in layers. If you'd given it a week im sure it would have been just as hard as the mixed filler. If you want to speed up the curing time of a large hole (that wasn't built up in layers) I would recommend using your smallest drill bit you have to drill a tiny hole through the middle of the hole you've just filled. This allows oxygen to get in to the back and speed up the cure, then finally fill over that tiny hole.

[@carolinepark4033]

My decorator showed me a trick of squishing regular kitchen foil into deep holes so that you only need to fill a shallow bit. Thanks for all your vids- have helped us no end, renovating a 5 storey mill.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Caroline. Thanks for sharing. Even better than foil, I'd use expanding foam then you're insulating as well 😉👍

[@Puremaintenances]

See it’s funny I use tetrion a lot and it’s my go to for jobs if it’s a big job then easyfill I will use because of price but yes tetrion dose not not look like a professional brand but for me as a handyman/painter and decorator in London it’s my go to never was because I had the option it was just a DIY low quality product but how wrong I was now I tell people to use it I am glad you done this video about it and all the different ones my self I never use ready mixed filler I had bad luck with it so I just stayed with powder fillers

[@RB-xg2vz]

If you’re doing up a house Siniat Smartmix tub from Selco. Pre-mixed, doesn’t shrink and lasts for AGES. They use it on site for taping and jointing.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, that's good to know.

[@caskwith]

Talking of "out of date" it's always worth a test mix before committing to actually putting it on the wall. I have had stuff that is nearly brand new but hasn't set properly and really old (my current easifill is several years out of date) that still sets up fine. I also like the easifill 5x1kg bags, as mentioned it seems to keep really well in it's sealed bags, well past it's use by date and while it is a bit slow to fully dry (I just leave it overnight, I am rarely in a rush) it does set nice and firm but is easy to sand.

[@hokayson6518]

As a first time home owner I've not yet taken the plunge into filling any holes, you made it look almost easy so maybe I'll give it a go!

[@isyt1]

It’s very addictive actually. You’ll end up filling things all around the house, even things that probably don’t need it!

[@douglasreid699]

my dad was a builder so i learned a lot over the years, when he was teaching me to plaster, he started me on using easy fill to fill gaps in, the good thing about the likes of easy fill is you can sand it down and if its wrong put some more on to bring it back out. it gives you less to worry about when trying it for the first time. i would advise getting the long set time for the first time so you got more time to play with it and learn how it works. it was a handy step before then learning how to use multi finish and plaster a full wall lol

[@Rob-rx4ik]

Just found your channel by accident, so I subscribed and yes very handy thank you

[@hbrealhousewife2270]

Great to see a Charlie vid. I always use tetrion…cheapest powder filler I’ve found and does the job.

[@rayphillips6060]

@CharlieDiyte i prefer pre mixed filler, some set really well like the one im currently using

[@lycrake]

Ha! Someone else uses the Tesco Soup pots as receptacles for filler! They are so handy, seem to be the perfect shape for whipping up small batches of filler! Butter / Margarine tubs are good as well...!

[@pauldowie1399]

Awesome and timely vid thanks. I need to fill some holes myself.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Paul 👊

[@aaronharris5275]

Apparently, apply slightly diluted pva to bare brick and or plaster prior to applying filler. Otherwise it sucks all the moisture out of the filler.

[@chrisgreyling7340]

I'm a fan of polyfilla it works great for me, has a bit of shrinking but if you over fill it works perfect, i like to wet the surface before filling, it helps to combat the shrinking.

[@llljustcallhimdave]

Toupret quick dry is my filler of choice

[@capitalinventor4823]

You mentioned adjusting the amount of water depending on the depth of plaster being applied was going to be (the depth of the hole) but didn’t mention if you made the fill wetter or drier for a thicker layer.

[@douglasreid699]

if you make it too wet it will be more runny and not stick as well. my dad was a builder and when we went to plaster ceilings, we tended to mix the multi finish a bit stiffer so less landed on us thanks to gravity lol.

[@garvielloken3929]

Thanks Big C! Invaluble Vid

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate 👊

[@LoudAsFuckk]

I would love to see a more in depth version of this video including easyfill and other products in a variety of situations

[@CharlieDIYte]

I'll add it to the list 😉

[@tomvestey303]

Hey Charlie, when’s the tile video due? I’ve got a big tiling job coming up and it would be perfect to see how you got on before hand. Great content, I’m a big fan.

[@MrManningata]

Search for the plumberparts video about tiling. It will tell you all you need to know.

[@l.n3187]

i use wickes all purpose, i'd recommend polyfilla all purpose, use the powder and mix it yourself because you can actually control the hardness of the mix. I heavily researched fillers v plaster lately and going off price per kg, fillers cost more than plaster do and should therefore be a much stronger, higher quality material. In summary filler can be used when structural strength is important, plaster is more of a decorative material that is used to turn walls and ceilings into flat, aesthetically pleasing surfaces.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@caskwith]

Do you think the tetrion would be tough enough to fill holes in a concrete floor before laying vinyl? I have some small holes to fill from removing gripper rods, too small for filling with mortar I think but I need a nice level surface before the vinyl goes down. I know my usual easifil would be too soft for this.

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍. Thank you

[@darrenwilliams7741]

Totally off topic but at 322 in your display cabinet centre divider is it srewed in from the bottom and top as I have a Howdens larder cupboard with the same thing but the top of the divider drops down soon as any weight is on the shelves.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes it's screwed in from the back so that the back wall helps to take the load.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Great video. Now the brick test is a bit misleading cause the brick is hygroscopic therefor it will draw more water out of the filler whilst drying, hence the shrinking. For filling gaps in plasterboard it will be significant less or maybe not at all. Therefor it is always better to fill it with a bit of a dome on top that you can sand it flat later. Filling a gap due to shrinking later will always have the risk of not sticking enough and will give additional problems sanding for the second time. Anyways, good explanation, thanks for sharing.

[@CharlieDIYte]

I agree and the Pollyfilla is probably not designed for deep holes but given the porosity of the bricks it underlines how good the Tetrion is as it didn't shrink at all. Good to hear from you 👊

[@ridgmont61]

I would also recommend sticking to the quick drying powder versions - some of the non-quick drying take 24 hours , who has this long when doing a quick repair?

[@DonnyProductions]

Is it the case that the tetrion needs to be primed before painting as it's cement based, whereas the toupret and easifil can be painted directly?

[@antb3334]

All filler needs priming. ALL .

[@gp2670]

I use the equivalent knauf premium filler and finish product. Charlie could you please share the skill orbital sander model ? Thanks as always

[@CharlieDIYte]

It's the SR1E374501 but unfortunately it's not available in the UK at Screwfix - which is I think their only retailer right now of their kit. Such a shame as it's really good stuff.

[@truth3358]

When’s all the videos coming out how you built the kitchen?

[@JustLikeBuildingThings]

Is diagonal wiring allowed on sloped ceiling? I thought that was always a no no for zoning. Always love your videos, just curious! Having renovated my own townhouse back to brick completely solo I love watching you trying different methods/trying to understand best way to approach things.

[@Swwils]

It is a zone

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes, it's a zone (the channeling is within 150mm from the ceiling).

[@sdgelectronics]

@@CharlieDIYte 150mm plus a bit. There's no way that's 150mm using the double pattress as a reference. Horizontal chase between cupboards doesn't look right either.

[@gerrycallaghan5519]

Touprett external filler is excellent and no shrinkage. Don't see why you couldn't use indoors

[@CharlieDIYte]

It is good. I guess it's more of a cement like finish and harder to sand.. 🤔

[@Swwils]

Whixh toupret did you use?

[@MrLoZzZzA]

7:48 - What filler knife set is that (the one with the wooden handles)?

[@CharlieDIYte]

Google "continental filler knife set" 👌

[@MrLoZzZzA]

Thanks! The Hamilton Prestige set looks to be the most similar, with rosewood handles… but the smallest size knife is double the size of your smallest knife size, so not the same set. After a set with that smallest size in, which is oddly hard to come by

[@stuartrockin]

Babe, wake up Charlie just dropped a new DIY video... babe wake up, it's 6pm... she's not breathing... oh god...

[@satanismybrother]

😂 Sorry for your loss.

[@coolmonkey619]

I have big hole. Filler is expensive. Can I use plaster

[@capitalinventor4823]

How about artwork? Or perhaps a big screen tv? Neither will fix the problem but you won’t have to look at it again (assuming the hole is on a wall and not bigger than those objects.)

[@katar0t0]

Polyfilla is great but not for deep and wide holes as the one in your test brick. It's not even advertised for this sort of repairs, its just for small cracks.

[@antb3334]

Toupret is best by Miles. Dries like cement

[@kingofthetrowel1725]

Absolutely brilliant stuff also sands beautiful

[@slashermcgurk2191]

100% it’s amazing stuff

[@apmeehan]

They don't help themselves having so many very similarly named products. For example, I often hear very positive things about their Quick Drying Filler (aka TX 110), but it looks like Charlie was testing with their Quick Fill. To which someone may well wonder "Well isn't that just a handy premixed version of the former?" Anyone could be forgiven for presuming so, but since the latter is able to come ready-mixed I'd guess it necessarily has quite a different chemical make-up to the one that must be kept dry until use, and therefore could well perform very differently.

[@patrickjamessmith1]

Would you use Tetrion for external cracks in render or would you stick to Metolux Metoset? I find the latter goes off very fast and is hard to work and get a flat finish. Pat

[@CharlieDIYte]

I wouldn't use Tetrion externally. There are some very good external fillers such as Toupret www.screwfix.com/p/toupret-masonry-repair-filler-1-5kg/572pp?ref=SFAppShare but the Metoset is the strongest being epoxy based.

[@patrickjamessmith1]

@@CharlieDIYte Thanks! I have used Metolux - the issue I have is that my house is old and the mortar / render is typically softish, lime-based. So the Metolux tends to pull away. I am looking for something that works in that environment.