But which product to buy? At home centers, hardware stores, and paint stores, you’ll find a mind-boggling array, including putties, drywall compounds, and epoxies. You will need drywall compound if you have holes larger than five inches, which need to be repaired with custom-cut pieces of drywall. Epoxy can be useful for filling particularly deep holes in a single coat. But in general, spackle is the best product for most jobs. It contains putty and glue and remains somewhat flexible, so it continues to stick to the sides of the holes as it dries.
There are three basic types: light, standard, and quick-set. Although you can also purchase spackle in powder form that you mix as needed and which hardens by chemical reaction, the three main types all harden by evaporation. Deep fills should therefore be done in layers and the base coat should be dry before the next one is applied. If you need to fill a hole more than half an inch deep, you can put packing foam or other material in and then patch the layers on top.
Before patching, make sure the hole is flush with the surrounding wallboard. If a halo of paint or drywall paper protrudes, push it into the hole; a narrow screwdriver helps. If any plastic wall anchors remain, cut the plastic flush with the wall using a sharp knife. Trying to remove the anchor is likely to create even more damage – not something you want to deal with when trying to move.
With all three types of spackle, filling large holes requires an extra step. If you simply patch the hole, a bulge or divot will definitely appear when you’re done. Instead, create a larger patch so you have a wider area to smooth down to a feathered edge. Apply a mesh patch that extends beyond the hole an inch or two in all directions. Find netting near the spackle at a store or use a piece of plastic mosquito netting. Spackle the back of the mesh, press it down, then use a putty knife to smooth out the spackle seeping through and remove the excess, but not so much that it prevents the mesh from being fully embedded. When the spackle dries, add another layer of spackle and smooth it to cover the entire mesh, leaving the edges of the spackle almost flush with the wall. Once that has dried, sand with 100-grit sandpaper or a medium-grit sanding block or sanding sponge. Light spackle sands more easily than other types.
The lightweight spackle, which has a fluffy consistency, much like thick whipped cream, dries quickly and doesn’t shrink, so you can fill most small holes in one application – perfect for a renter in a hurry to move. You can even use finger pressure to smooth the surface, eliminating the need for sanding.
For pinholes and nail holes, a gloved finger may be more effective than a putty knife as an application tool. You can dab the spackle without spreading it over a wider area and without changing the texture of the wall. If the walls are white and you only need to fill small holes, you may even be able to avoid repainting. If you need to paint, lightweight spackle often dries sufficiently for water-based paint in 30 minutes, but only if the spots are no more than ⅛ inch deep and smooth enough to paint as is. If sanding or covering with oil paint, wait 24 hours.
Lightweight spackling can also be used to repair holes and dents up to three to four inches in diameter and half an inch deep, according to a customer service representative for DAP, which sells its lightweight formula as spackling lightweight DAP fast-n-final ($7.48 at Lowe’s). But you have to wait at least 30 minutes between layers of spackle and you need mesh if the holes are wide.
Standard spackle, which is thicker, generally requires a much longer drying time before you can paint, perhaps up to five or six hours, depending on temperature, humidity and how deep you fill a hole . This type of material is stronger, however, so you can fill larger holes – up to about five inches – if you use mesh and apply it in layers. Standard spackle is more likely to shrink than lightweight spackle, so you may need at least two layers. This type of spackle is available in color-changing formulas, which helps you leave the right amount of time between steps. The DAP DryDex Drying Time Indicator ($9.48 for a pint), for example, changes from pink to white when it’s dry enough for the next step. However, it costs more than a similar spackle which is always white.
Quick-drying spackle is a third type. It combines the characteristics of light and standard spackles. DAP Premium Quick-Dry Spackling ($12.48 for a quart) dries enough to paint in as little as 15 minutes if it’s less than ⅛ inch deep. Fill deeper holes in layers and allow to dry for approximately 30 minutes for each layer. Use mesh for wide holes. Quick Dry Spackle has a sandy texture, making it stronger than Light Spackle but harder to sand. You can apply it slightly thicker than necessary to fill a hole, wait for it to dry, then sand the patch smooth. Or apply the spackle flush to the wall, sand lightly, then coat the area with drywall compound, which is easy to sand for a flawless finish.
If you have holes larger than five inches, install pieces cut from drywall. Home centers often sell two-foot by two-foot pieces that you can cut to the size you need. Add one or more strips of wood to the wall cavity behind the existing drywall. Screw through this drywall to secure the wood, then screw through the patch to hold the patch against the wood. Cover the joints between the existing drywall and the patch with mesh or perforated paper tape coated with drywall joint compound. Follow the same general process you would use to cover small holes with mesh and spackle.
If you need to paint rooms and don’t have matching paint, go to a paint store and get samples of several shades that look close. Take them home and compare the colors to choose the best match. Check the spackle labels to see if you need to prime first; this is probably not the case. However, if you used joint compound, you need to prime it. A small roller works well. Blend the edges of the paint by rolling the roller past the room until it is almost empty of paint.
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