How to Hide Wall Imperfections

Moving furniture, hanging photos, cooking -- the most unexpected things can result in damage to your walls. These imperfections, if left exposed, can compromise the structure of your walls by enabling moisture, dirt and insects to enter. They also negatively impact the appearance of your home, which can be embarrassing when entertaining and detrimental to rental or sale negotiations. You can fix wall imperfections without professional intervention, but you should only proceed if you know the origin of the damage, otherwise you may be covering up a larger problem.

Brush
Rag
Surfacing compound
Putty knife
Paint
Paint brush
Wall art
Nail
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Remove any loose crumbs and brush away dust from the hole or imperfection to improve adhesion.
- 2
  Fill in the hole with surfacing compound just below the level of the surrounding wall. Dollop surfacing compound on the imperfection then scrap away excess with a putty knife.
- 3
  Wait 4 hours for the surfacing compound to dry. Apply a second layer of surfacing compound to fill in the rest of the hole. Smooth the area to make it even with the rest of the wall.
- 4
  Wait for the surfacing compound to dry, then paint the area.
- 5
  Cover the area with a painting, tapestry or sculpture.
- 6
  Refinish the entire wall. Use a paint additive such as sand to texturize the wall. Apply a crackling glaze. Sponge paint the wall in multiple colors.

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