How to Cover Up Pits in Drywall After Primer

Take the lampshade off a lamp and place it next to the wall with fresh primer. This will help you illuminate all of the imperfections on the wall. The light casts over the wall and creates shadows in the pits. This makes it very easy to locate areas that require repair.

Scuff the fresh primer with a drywall block sander to provide a textured surface, which will allow for proper adhesion of the drywall compound. Do this over every imperfect spot, not the entire wall.

Wipe the wall clean with a tack cloth to remove primer dust from the wall.

Place a small amount of fresh drywall mud onto a putty knife or small flat trowel. You do not require a large trowel unless you have large areas covered with pits.

Hold the putty knife approximately 1 inch away from the imperfection. Position the putty knife at a 45-degree angle to the wall and then rub the knife across the pit. This will fill the void in the wall with drywall mud. Repeat this until you have filled in each pit. Allow 24 hours for drying.

Sand the surface of the wall with a fresh drywall block sander to knock down the fresh drywall mud so it rests level with the wall.

Inspect the wall by turning on the light. Look for areas that still have shadows that outline pits in the wall. If you still see pits, repair them just as you did in the previous steps. Repeat this until you are happy with the wall. After you are happy, you can apply your second coat of primer.