Drywall Spackle Application Problems

Adhesion Problems

• Poor adhesion causes cured Spackle and other spackling paste products to crumble, flake or entirely fall out of repair holes. Use of an inappropriate patching product often leads to poor adhesion. Although the Muralo Company specifies that Spackle is suitable for drywall surfaces, do-it-yourself builders should carefully inspect the manufacturers' recommendations of alternative spackling paste products prior to use. Additionally, poor contact between Spackle or alternative spackling paste products and repair surfaces leads to poor adhesion. When filling cracks or holes deeper than 1/4 inch, do-it-yourself builders should fill the repair area in several, thin layers of repair product and allow each layer to cure before applying the next. Application in thin layers allows builders to fully force filler into the bottom and sides of a depression.

Surface Preparation

• Lack of surface preparation leads to several application problems, including poor adhesion and difficulty spreading Spackle. Before applying Spackle or alternative spackling paste products, a surface must be clean and free of debris, such as torn drywall paper and loose chunks of drywall. Dust and chunks of dry material become lodged in spackling paste products and prevent them from spreading in smooth, even layers. Additionally, spackling products most effectively adhere and apply to dry surfaces. You can assist drying with portable fans or dehumidifiers.

Cracking, Shrinking and Swelling

• Improper surface preparation often allows cured Spackle and other spackling pastes to pull away from the repair surface and shrink, swell or crack. Additionally, spackling paste products often crack when applied to to deep cracks or wide holes. Wall repair product manufacturers typically outline repair hole size recommendations on packaging. To reduce the depth of a repair area, builders often fill cracks or holes with a backer material, such as a foam rod or spare pieces of drywall.

Spackle vs. Joint Compound

• Although both Spackle and joint compound are suitable for repairing surface damage and blemishes, Spackle is considerably easier to apply and finish than joint compound. Whereas Spackle's lightweight consistency facilitates clean, thin spreading and easy sanding, joint compound is relatively thick and messy. However, Spackle and alternative spackling paste compounds are unsuitable for many drywall repair projects, particularly taping joints. Drywall joint compound provides the strength and adhesion necessary to bind joint tape to separate drywall sheets.