What Are Some Spackle Techniques to Use on a Rough, Textured Wall?

Preparing to Spackle

• Before you begin spackling, determine the size of the project and the best spackle for the job. For small nail holes, standard wall spackle is sufficient. You can even use toothpaste if you need to do get the job done quickly. For larger spackling jobs, you will need wall spackle as well as drywall joint compound. Mix in a little water with the joint compound until it is the consistency of sour cream. Make sure you have a putty knife or a dull butter knife to apply the putty as well as sponges.

Spackling a Small Nail Hole

• Use a small putty knife to fill the hole with spackle. Wipe away any spackle that gets on the wall around the nail hole with a clean, damp cloth. Since spackle is water based, it should come right off. If the hole is small enough and you wipe all additional spackle away, it should blend in with the texture of the wall.

Spackling Larger Areas

• Use a putty knife to fill in holes or nicks in the wall with wall putty. Allow it to dry. Now you will need to re-texture the wall in the area you spackled. Spray the area with a spray bottle filled with water. Dampen a sponge and dip it into watered-down drywall joint compound. Press it against the wall, and gently roll it over the surface. Your goal is to match the texture of the wall as closely as possible. Let the area dry.

Re-texturing Tips

• Re-texturing a wall is often a project of trial and error. So, if you examine your wall after trying the sponge technique and find that the texture does not match, you can try other materials. Simply wet the wall and scrub off the texture you applied with the sponge, being careful not to damage the wall underneath. Apply a layer of drywall joint compound mixture directly to the wall. Experiment by blotting it with different materials such as balled up paper, tissue or paper towels until you find the material that gives you the texture that matches closest to the wall.