Lesson 5
Filling and Sanding
Make holes, cracks and gaps disappear under paint: fill in layers, caulk what moves, sand flush and stop repairs showing through.
What's in the tub
Rob has a dozen picture-hook holes, one deep hole where an old wall plug came out, and a gap along the top of the skirting that opens up every winter. He wants none of them to show through the new paint.
Most filler sold for walls is ready-mixed: a paste of fine powder, binder and water. It doesn't set like glue. It hardens as the water evaporates out of it, from the surface inwards. A smear in a picture-hook hole is dry in minutes. A deep hole is a different matter.