Mastering Wall Repairs And Hole Filling!

[@6panel300]

As decorator for over 44 years Top tips, when knock ing wall plugs, try to push them just below the surface then you have something to fill to. A filling knife should have a flexible blade and is better if it's not stainless steel. Small holes should be left proud then when rubbed down it will end up flush. For medium sized holes lightweight filler such as "red devil onetime" works best with virtually no shrinkage. New builds in the UK by large housebuilders they tend to be taped and jointed as it's faster and cheaper. With larger patch repairs you can remove the paper from the back of the plasterbaord to help it to be flush especially with a taped and jointed wall.

[@coolmonkey619]

Why not stainless steel

[@pppscooby]

Stainless steel i think is less flexible and the edge tends to chip more easily.

[@coolmonkey619]

@@pppscooby so plastic?

[@coolmonkey619]

@@pppscooby so plastic?

[@pppscooby]

@@coolmonkey619 plastic edge could chip / dent easily too, but tbh just use what works for you.

[@theeventhorizon-valebridge9512]

Filler "bounce back" as you try to force it in the hole is caused by the air behind the filler acting as a spring. If it warms up it can expand out too! Use a needle or pin to create an "airway passage" in the gloopy filler when the hole is almost filled, and then smooth over with the filler knife. Tip: When filling the hole, push the filler in on only one side of the hole at a time to allow the air pocket behind it to empty as you fill!

[@PerformanceSC]

Love it Stuart! One thing I’ve found is that if you put a light coat of emulsion on the area when you think it is nearly finished, the paint helps highlight any potential faults and you can then remedy these, if needed.

[@karisabas]

Or put a light at an angle next to it. The shadow will show the imperfections too

[@Handleyman]

Stuart you are an absolute machine. No wonder you’ve got so many subs with all the truly useful videos you post. When one of your videos lands I’m on it! I hope you and your family have a happy and safe Christmas break. And please, have a break!

[@fredholmes6284]

I personally use the powder but instead of using water i use PVA glue it doesn't crack as easily & gives it added strength 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@seagreenspiral]

You need to use water as it produces the reaction

[@pops6638]

I’m a Toupret kind of a guy myself. You can fill deep holes with it, no problem. I highly recommend it.

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

Likewise. Ready mix for screw pops, powder for holes and filling.

[@William-Anderson]

A couple of things I do when filling - push the tip of the tube into the hole where possible and squeeze so the filler gets right to the back of the hole. And wet the filling knife as this helps prevent dragging the filler out when smoothing off. Great video.

[@TheOldBlackCrow]

Great video! Here in the States, we do a little trick with big holes by removing the back paper and cutting away the outer part of the plaster part of the plaster in the shape of the hole and an inch or so of the front paper. The. No screws are needed and just feather that edge. Thanks for all you do!

[@colinwood1337]

I wish I'd known the small hole technique years ago! But for big holes I wouldn't damage the wall further by drilling and screwing, secure the battens with grab adhesive instead, put a temporary screw in the batten to pull it forward against the plasterboard until the adhesive grabs. Then I'd also use adhesive to stick the patch on. Last thing you want is more screws in the wall to drive your stud finder crazy in the future!

[@simonbray4113]

In my experience as a decorator I found powdered fillers give a smoother finish when rubbed down.

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

Agreed many products, and recommendations are based more around drying time or the lack of primer required, than the quality of the finish.

[@FS-hp9oy]

All your videos are of High quality. Cheers mate !

[@Phil-p4c]

Perfect Sunday morning viewing 👌

[@LS-td3dz]

You can't beat using foam as a backing to the finish coat filler, always works well and dries fast so you can get the job done quicker.

[@dominicdodd9759]

top tip: put a little up arrow on your patch, to ensure oriented correctly with the hole you've drawn around it.

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

Good idea. On smaller stuff I just use a hole saw and turn it into a circular plug.

[@colingoode3702]

I think many UK new build houses are starting to adopt a no wet plaster finish on plasterboard to save cost & the amount of wet trades inside the house. A nightmare if you want an decent paint finish or want to paper the wall & remove it later on without damaging the plasterboard paper. Dumbed down, penny pinching house building.

[@terrywalker4733]

Thank you Stuart for another interesting and informative video. Hope you and your Family have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

[@scottvessey915]

Did some of this in the last 48 hours, good to know I’m taking the right approach 👍

[@1x3dil]

Hi Stuart I can never get my fill of your channel . A hole 🕳️ world opens up with your attention to detail , I was going to say a cracking example of what to do , but under the circumstances I think I’ll just finish with an unblemished smooth performance as always . By a very smooth guy . 👍

[@eCoLL77]

I learned a lot 🙂 Thank you for sharing!

[@Titanuld]

Nice Video Stuart, Great consistency with your quality and delivery. Keep it up.

[@paulinegraham6839]

Brilliant, that's exactly what I needed to watch, I'm just about to do my living room wall, got a longer curtain rail, so I need to move the fittings ... Thank you 😊 😊

[@ExtremeShez]

Fabulous video. Thank you. Really useful.

[@RB-xg2vz]

The repair filler tubs are great. Every house renovation we do I buy a tub of Siniat Smartmix. Doesn’t seem to shrink much at all, sands down nice. Works on all sized openings and holes.

[@RFC3514]

Tiger Woods published a guide on how to fill holes, too. Very different content.

[@tonysutton6559]

Big John Holmes made hundreds of films about filling holes and they were even more different. 😲

[@RFC3514]

@@tonysutton6559 - Oh, I don't think they _were_ that different. You thought I was talking about _golf?_ 😜

[@alexcollins9513]

Stuart, don't know if it's just me in my senile years but I tend to watch you on my TV, your vids seem to end too quick for me to remember to press the like button. Rarely think of doing it during the vid. I may be talking a load of old tosh here I don't know but I think if there was a 10 second fade out (no idea what I am talking about here) it would help me anyway. Don't know if watching YT on TV is a big thing or not so for my thumbs up this comment is irrelevant. 😂😂 👍👍Going back is always a faff

[@Judgement915]

Great video, learned a lot!

[@davewhiteman8353]

Nicely done 👍

[@mdmconstruction]

Just get small bit of ply with hole in middle to protect wall and claw hammer to pull out

[@EdithWeston]

Top Tip to stop the filler sinking - spray with water, before filling - as the plaster board will 'suck out' some of the water base content in the filler - leaving an indent. AYW

[@qwertyuiop124172]

Brilliant video

[@ScottCarlton-q9g]

Never thought to pull the knife from halfway - great tip Interestingly I have started to watch some of your older videos again - amazing how your tool range has changed 😂

[@Raymond65uk]

Great video mate I aways wondered how to repair larger holes now if I ever have to I know how thanks again

[@progoproductions]

I like the powder filler way more as like you said it’s a chemical reaction so goes off quicker. Even the “quick dry pre mix” takes ages to go off. And when trying to get a room decorated in a weekend. You don’t want to be waiting for filler to dry!

[@MrJBM247]

The grit of the sandpaper matters, too. Also, at least in the states, it's important to use some type of primer over the spots to help with any discoloration (mismatch when painting).

[@graemeharper765]

U can also get the ready mixed lightweight filler that has no shrinking or sagging . Touprett quick fill is what we use. Dries really quickly too

[@leeblack7817]

Great explanations again 👌

[@russdavey1919]

Really helpful... Thanks 👍🏻

[@weemanling]

I made the switch from ready mix to powdered, and I'm not looking back any time soon. Takes seconds to mix up, you get greater control over how much you're using, next to no shrinkage, the brand i use is dry within 2 hours and cured for paint in 24, and it is much much stronger. If you're going to mix up your own, then buy a small silicon mixing cup. That way, there is no clean up as you can leave anything not used in the cup to dry out, and then it is just a case of bending the cup, and the material just falls out.

[@generallyhelpfulsoftware646]

In the USA, the 3M corporation sells a ‘ready mix’ which includes paintable primer, an integrated spatula, and an integrated sanding block, all in a squeeze tube. Stuff is incredibly convenient. I don’t even think it shrinks much, if at all. 3M High Strength Small Hole Repair All-In-One Applicator

[@brianhume4743]

Sanding blocks are great for Sanding skirting boards 😀

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

I tend to use a different technique for medium sized holes. I take a piece from a cereal box, cut a couple of holes in it and put a loop of string through. I then use that as a backing (with the filler going onto the shiny side so it is not absorbed and using the string to hold it in place whilst I fill it but leaving it shy of the eventual surface. When it is dry I cut the string off with a small pair of scissors and fill it up the rest of the way. By using "add water" filler, I do not get significant shrinkage and I can then just sand it down.

[@gingerelvis]

I find the powdered stuff dries a lot quicker probably because of the chemical reaction that you mentioned. Really speeds up the workflow for second fill. It's worth mentioning filler may take more paint to cover than you expect because it's so much more absorbent than plaster especially if the plaster has already been painted.

[@jamiefors5062]

As my old French Polisher teacher always told me "Its all in the prep"..........see you next time

[@ianpearse4480]

Nice share.

[@RFC3514]

Always spray with water before filling and always leave it slightly proud of the surface (you can sand it afterwards, and it saves you having to add more and wait for it to dry a second time).

[@samrix5793]

Nice video!

[@andrebrink2189]

Absolute brilliant video and guide. Thank you for the great videos as always, you really are brilliant and thank you for helping us DIYers with advice. Quick question, what is the best way to repair cracks in internal walls and ceiling? Maybe a follow up to this video would be great. But thank you for being just the best DIY channel on KZbin.

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

Firstly check for and sort any movement in the boards which may be causing the crack. Using a filling blade/scraper/knife, run it down the crack to open it and create a V shaped groove to receive the filler. If the cracks are continuous and long, every 6 inch or so make a hole with a screwdriver, about 5mm will do. Use an acrylic caulk in each hole and fill to just below the surface. You may use foam, but its expensive and messy if you're not used to using it. Use easifill or a powder mix filler, and you should get it in one application if its mixed and applied correctly.

[@andrebrink2189]

@idi0tdetectioninprogress thank you so very much for the advice. Really appreciate it

[@pauls3873]

@@idi0tdetectioninprogress thanks for the tips. Question, what purpose does making the whole serve?

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

@@pauls3873 A series of holes acts like stitching, it forms a break, a stopper if you like. Any future movement has a chance of being absorbed, that's why we use a foam or a flexible caulk.

[@pauls3873]

@@idi0tdetectioninprogress thanks for so much. This may be a daft question but I am an amateur. When you say 5mm hole. Do you mean 5mm wide hole or 5mm deep?

[@tonysutton6559]

Ouch, I wish that I'd checked my KZbin subscriptions earlier this morning. Ive just spent ages filling a hole in the ceiling and could have saved a fair bit of time if I'd watched this first. I suspect that I'm going to have to do far more sanding & filling tomorrow than would have been necessary if I'd seen these tips while I was eating my bacon butty.

[@grahamleiper1538]

In Scotland, doing a skim coat of plaster over plasterboard is much less common than in England. Tend to skim the joints more like the US. Anything that needs to dry out is something to avoid. 😁 Older houses with lath walls were obviously plastered.

[@davidc3808]

Good video although to save time on the small holes I allow the filler to spring back slightly then just leave it to harden. Then when its sanded it doesn’t need filling a second time because you get a flush finish.

[@pauls3873]

Great video. Please could you do video on cracks?

[@ChrisShepherdPhotos]

Seconded

[@RossCanpolat]

I second this request. I'm 5 years into a new build timber frame and I have some areas of plaster that are starting to crack up the wall, I don't really know the correct fix for this. I seen the father in law do a crack fix on a rendered wall but it kept coming back year after year so I don't want the same to happen to my plasterboard walls if I fill them.

[@jonathanwilliams7950]

@@RossCanpolatlots of things try here - I have: - added additional drywall screws to prevent movement before filling - using an ultra thin fibreglass tape before filling - cutting a v into the crack before filling using a sandable/paintable fibre reinforced flexible filler

[@generallyhelpfulsoftware646]

As for cutting uniform rectangles in drywall, I have a rectangular cutter for my oscillating tool that cuts a perfect 1 gang opening in drywall leaving a perfect (if smaller by the width of the blade) piece of drywall that can be used for repairs. Only problem it doesn’t work with the oscillations of my DeWalt tool, so I keep another brand’s (Skihl?) oscillating tool just for this purpose.

[@tazmaniachill]

Easy fill all the way

[@patburke5740]

Yes, easifill 60. When you start using it you won't use anything else.

[@jonathanwilliams7950]

@@patburke5740my go to too - unless I'm really in a hurry and use a 2 part epoxy filler

[@tureq85]

great video!! where were you 15 years ago when I was learning to DIY??

[@RogierYou]

I use a CD to prevent smearing the filler and create a bit of an elevated fill that will get almost flush.

[@FrankWoodPhotography]

Expanding foam is a good backing.

[@johnthresher259]

Stuart, how about another vid about finishes for plaster board? Can you decorate straight ove plasterboard or does it need lining paper first? Etc. Keep up the good work!

[@franklove9897]

I'm glad you said you can get quarter sheets of plasterboard as having watched many videos I always found it frustrating when the presenter would say "just use a scrap piece of plasterboard" - and how many of us have that lying around? Can you get quarter sheets from the DIY sheds - B&Q etc?

[@jonathanwilliams7950]

If you need a bit of plasterboard the DIY stores usually have damaged sheets going for a couple of quid or sometimes for free

[@callumhodgkinson2286]

little bit more expensive but pollyfilla one fill is the answer, you can work it realy easily and it doesent shrink or slump as it dries. can fill inch holes in one without anything behind it

[@robert.wigley]

No plaster layer e.g. US or new build UK where it's been taped and jointed. Use 9.5mm plasterboard instead of 12.5mm and fill the last 3mm for a super smooth finish without builing a layer over the top and feathering out.

[@PaulStanyer]

Great video Stuart. Always enjoy your clear and concise demonstrations. I live in a 15 year old house. The jointing tape is starting to pull away on plasterboard painted ceiling edges. How easy is that to repair?

[@nathanielmay2793]

Any tips on the expanding metal plasterboard fixings? The type that spider out on the inside!

[@welshpiper62]

Hello Stuart are their any videos on putting up cabinets on a plasterboard wall cheers pal. Hope i see you at Makers Central im May 👍

[@maureengillard2373]

Would you still use the paper towel and plastic bag method if you need to re-drill the filled hole? If not, what would you use?

[@Leo-vx8iy]

My OCD says I'm not allowed to push fixings into the cavity 🙁.

[@d.k.1394]

Nice

[@pppscooby]

Hey stuart, can you do a video on how you would repair a screw hole thats gone loose in plaster board or dot and dab, i have a wall mounted towel radiator thats worked loose on the top mounts which I want to fix without having to remove it. Its using one of those plastic screw in fittings rather than aluminium.

[@leedavidson8543]

Love the videos, but you missed how to remove the aluminium self drill fixing 😂 I know how they remove but some may not. See you next time.

[@thomaslundberg5588]

Do you think it is worth taping the joints on the patch repair? Maybe for a small patch like that it is overkill?

[@user-ik9gw4wh4c]

Here in Germany the don’t use plasterboard they plaster straight on to the brickwork.

[@grunnyyk2]

The amount of holes in my house that the prior occupant decided to fill with a bloody paper towel makes me never want to see one again

[@stevebruford991]

We dont plaster in Australia either

[@gurdeepsinghsoundh3183]

Ahhh so many views already I saw the video when it was 8 minutes ago

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I find the sanding blocks fill with dust ad become unusable very quickly. I user a hand sander with sanding mesh.

[@RFC3514]

0:35 - "One of the most common DIY jobs around the home is filling holes." - Used to be, until I outsourced that to the milkman. 😏

[@Ash78699]

Just use foam then fill

[@podgemcgrath]

Taping joints is easier in the UK because you have to hire a plasterer when you're done? Makes sense. I'm not American but I'd rather just feather out taped joints myself and crack on with the painting. Plastering is not a DIY job if you want a good finish.

[@iangwilt6228]

2nd

[@sackville_bagginsess]

Please don't knock wall plugs into the wall. my previous owners did this and when I go to drill a hole, I keep hitting the rawlplug, which then ends up with a huge chunck of the plaster coming off.

[@Loosehead]

Stuart, you can do eyebrow-acting! Roger Moore and The Rock have built careers on less. Stardom awaits!

[@TonyAFC85]

Toupret for deep holes and Easifill for the rest. Little tip for anyone reading is to keep all your old yoghurt pots and you can mix small amounts then throw away

[@rogerphelps9939]

Polyfilla has no guts to it.

[@DeafMaker]

You didn't show how you got the aluminium one out? I assume you just unscrew it? Usually, i just drill the plastic plugs, i use a drill bit slightly smaller.