Patching drywall anchor holes.... mud or spackle
- Thread starter branimal
- Start date
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
Patching compounds, like Spackle, shrink less the drywall mud. I prefer “one time” over Spackle. Hot mud (90 min) works well too.
Holy smokes spackle, compound, mud I'm confused!!! Seriously aren't those terms all interchangeable? I would generally use a 5 or 20 min setting compound for patching a few anchor holes but I've also used premix they all work. The premix will shrink and for 1/2" you're starting to get to size that I'd tape. Multiple thin coats will be better than one (esp if you use premix) but I take it you are looking for a quick fix. I'd definitely use a 5 min hot mix in that case you can build up a few layers very quickly if needed. Key to reduce sanding is to only put on what you need and scrape away any excess while it's still wet. There are some vinyl patching compounds or paintable caulk (such as Alex) that may work as well.
rayra
Well-known member
They're used interchangeably, but they are different mixes, different drying times etc.
Use whichever you want. Trim / shave any tattered paper edges of the anchor holes. Expect to fill twice. Use a good spring-steel applicator. And when you are done and it is dry, hit it with a damp sponge to work off the excess. F sanding.
Use whichever you want. Trim / shave any tattered paper edges of the anchor holes. Expect to fill twice. Use a good spring-steel applicator. And when you are done and it is dry, hit it with a damp sponge to work off the excess. F sanding.
LopezBart
Well-known member
Just don't do like we did in the dorms - patch the holes w/ toothpaste.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
In my experience if you have to fill a hole that goes all the way through the drywall Spackle dries with a recess in the middle if you put it in full depth to start. I fill in 2 steps, let fully dry then sand. If there's a better/faster way PLEASE tell me.
Plaster of Paris will set up quickly with minimal shrinkage. You can put a heavy coat of mud in 20 minutes and sand it the next day.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Ok, but I'm talking about a few little former drapery rod mounting holes. Worth it for that small amount? Available at Home Depot?
Filled literally millions of holes when I did contract repairs & reno's for more than 30 years .
for a 1/2" hole I would use hot set , wipe it flush with your putty knife and a second coat if it sinks. a light sand and you're good to go.
I also wiped the area with a wet rag to remove the compound on the wall so the paint wouldn't flash there, also it would blend better with the previous paint coats rather than being totally smooth
I usually used 20 min hot .
for a 1/2" hole I would use hot set , wipe it flush with your putty knife and a second coat if it sinks. a light sand and you're good to go.
I also wiped the area with a wet rag to remove the compound on the wall so the paint wouldn't flash there, also it would blend better with the previous paint coats rather than being totally smooth
I usually used 20 min hot .
nadogail
Well-known member
it depends on the size of the hole, Spackle is my "go to" for small holes,
Sure it's perfect for that. They have it at HD and also Walmart I think. The little tub is only a few bucks.
One more tip is to use the handle of your knife to press on the hole to make a crater so you can fill it in level.
I asked this question recently. Got a lot of different responses. The Easy-Sand 20 minute stuff was highly recommended.
I ended up going with this - available at Lowes or Home Depot. It dries pretty hard. I was very happy with it and didn't have to buy a big bag of Easy-Sand..
I ended up going with this - available at Lowes or Home Depot. It dries pretty hard. I was very happy with it and didn't have to buy a big bag of Easy-Sand..
Bucket mud is water-based. It hardens as the water evaporates, meaning that it will shrink somewhat as it dries. This is great for paper Tape as it “*****” the tape in to the seams. However, as you can imagine, this makes it a poor choice for filling in holes and other larger imperfections.
Setting mud, aka hot mud, ezsand/durabond, etc, is like Portland cement in that it hardens via hydration—the water is incorporated into the final product. You won’t experience anywhere near the degree of shrinkage but it’ll still take two coats.
Spackling compounds are fine for small, clean holes where you can just fill the hole in and be fine. Like 1/8” or so. it’s nice to crack open the container, fill a couple small holes and put it away until next time. it isn’t strong enough for the larger holes you describe though.
If you want to do it right, fill the bigger holes with durabond. It’s strong as hell, originally designed to be applied between vertical sheets of drywall so that they wouldn’t sag over time. It sands about as well as concrete though, so apply it a little shallow. Follow up with 1-2 coats of hot mud. You’re gonna have to paint anyways and you’ll likely notice a bunch of extra imperfections once you get to work, so might as well mix up a pan of mud, put the mariachi music on, and get cracking
Setting mud, aka hot mud, ezsand/durabond, etc, is like Portland cement in that it hardens via hydration—the water is incorporated into the final product. You won’t experience anywhere near the degree of shrinkage but it’ll still take two coats.
Spackling compounds are fine for small, clean holes where you can just fill the hole in and be fine. Like 1/8” or so. it’s nice to crack open the container, fill a couple small holes and put it away until next time. it isn’t strong enough for the larger holes you describe though.
If you want to do it right, fill the bigger holes with durabond. It’s strong as hell, originally designed to be applied between vertical sheets of drywall so that they wouldn’t sag over time. It sands about as well as concrete though, so apply it a little shallow. Follow up with 1-2 coats of hot mud. You’re gonna have to paint anyways and you’ll likely notice a bunch of extra imperfections once you get to work, so might as well mix up a pan of mud, put the mariachi music on, and get cracking
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
I got a lot of damage deposits back using toothpaste!
PhantomEB
Well-known member
Sure ain’t looking forward to the day I have no vehicles in the garage and it’s time to paint it nice and all that……
rayra
Well-known member
That's a good technique for filling nail / pin holes. Good old toothpaste had a lot of gypsum in it.
like2wheel
Well-known member
Recently I needed to patch 1 small hole, so I stopped at Home Depot to pick up one of those little tubs for "only a few bucks".
Those little tubs were now $8-$12! I left with a small tube that was almost $8, hoping it had a longer shelf life than the tubs.
It doesn’t matter what product you use….
it’s more in the process to patch the hole
The key it to remove the anchor
OR
push the anchors farther into the drywall
You want to dimple the patch area
Then skim over it w/ patching compound - you only need to patch the dimple NOT a 3 or 4 inch diameter
let it sit / dry then hit it again as a top coat
you can sand or very light sponge
with that being said
if the walls are textured get a can of spray texture and practice on a card board box then apply a light coat.
you can use a spray primer like a kilz