How a Professional Painter Fills Nail Holes

Drywall

• Home improvement websites that include advice from industry professionals recommend using a putty knife to apply joint compound over nail holes on drywall, or wallboard. The This Old House site recommends lightly sanding the area after the compound dries before applying paint. However, the This Old Painter site advises people to use a damp cloth to remove any excess compound around nail holes before it dries to smooth the surface and prevent the compound from showing through paint.

Wood Trim

• Nails are used to attach baseboards, ceiling moldings and other wood trim, and carpenters often fill the nail holes with wood putty. However, a contractor with Indianapolis Painters indicates in an online article that it’s difficult to smooth wood putty with sandpaper after it dries. He recommends trying Onetime spackling by Red Devil, Inc., which resists shrinkage that could re-expose a nail hole. The contractor warns that Onetime may crumble as you apply it, because its consistency is similar to plastic foam. Still, you may find that the product is easier to sand than wood putty.

Homemade Filler

• You can create your own wood filler for nail holes by mixing window-glazing compound with cornstarch, according to the Indianapolis Painters website. Add cornstarch to the glaze until you can shape the mixture into a ball that feels like soft clay. Rub the ball over nail holes on wood trim in the direction of the wood grain. The compound will get trapped in the holes and cover them, and the surface may not need sanding after the filler dries if it’s applied correctly.

Stained Trim

• Fill nail holes with commercial wood putty on stained wood trim. Home improvement stores sell putties that match various types of stained woods, such as oak and pine. Stain unfinished wood trim before applying matching putty to fill nail holes, because putties tend to resist staining. Some companies market stainable wood putties, but the Indianapolis Painters site indicates that those products are still difficult to stain.