Repair cracks and minor imperfections

Let's be honest, everyone has hairline or small cracks, little holes or indentations in their walls - normally hidden with a conveniently placed picture, and regularly painted over in the hope that eventually it will disappear.

 

It seems that every time we decorate we end up moving artwork around, and forget those picture hangers - or worse still, simply pull them out and paint over them.

All you need is a pack of Polyfilla, a putty knife, some sandpaper - it's as easy as that!

Patching Peeling Paint:

a. Scrape away all the loose paint with a putty knife.

b. Apply Polyfilla to the edges of the remaining paint with the putty knife.

c. Sand the dry patch with 180-grit sandpaper until it is smooth to the touch.

d. Paint with matching paint.

Filling Nail Holes:

a. Using a putty knife, apply a small amount of interior Polyfilla to the nail hole.

b. Let the Polyfilla dry completely.

c. Lightly sand the area with the sandpaper.

d. Dampen a sponge and wipe away the dust residue from the patch.

e. Before you paint, touch up the spot with primer.

Filling Shallow Dents and Holes:

a. Again with the putty knife, scrape away any loose plaster or paint.

b. Fill the hole with a small amount of Polyfilla.

c. Using the smallest putty knife you have that will reach from one side of the whole to the other (to avoid making a dent knife edges), smooth out the Polyfilla until even with the surrounding plaster.

d. Sand the area with sandpaper and prime.

Cracks in Plaster:

a. Scrape away any wall texture or loose plaster with a putty knife.

b. Apply Polyfilla. Don't apply too thick or the spot will just re-crack and you will be right back where you started!

c. If you must, apply a very thin second coat.

d. Sand lightly with sandpaper and prime. It might be necessary to re-texture if your wall is textured. You can do this by using a sponge or paintbrush before you sand until you match the desired texture of the surrounding area.

Recommended products:

Interior Crack Filler
An easy to sand filler for repairing indoor cracks. Use to fill stable interior cracks 5mm and deeper and to repair cracks on interior cement, gypsum plaster, masonry or wood. This product can also be used to repair plaster cornices, add surface texture to walls.

Surface preparation:
Open cracks in a V-shape enough to allow Polyfilla to be pressed into position. Make sure all surfaces are sound, dust-free, clean and dry before filling. Add 2.5 parts Polyfilla to 1 part water. Mix thoroughly to a soft, putty-like paste in a clean mixing vessel. Press into the crack with a putty knife or trowel.

Cracks deeper than 10mm should be filled with more than 1 application. Fill cracks completely to slightly above the level of the surrounding surface, and then sand to a smooth surface when completely dry. Clean up with water.

Ready-mixed Crack Filler
An off-white ready mixed emulsion bound filler in paste form. It provides tough, flexible weather resistant filling on both interior and exterior surfaces. For interior and exterior use. Suitable for stable cracks as well as those subject to thermal movement. Use as a skim plaster to repair shallow surface defects and hairline cracks.