Can someone suggest something other than painters putty to fill nail holes in my trim before painting? I hate the stuff, and here is the reason why: First, it doesn’t smooth out well when I try to use my fingers to put it in the holes. It leaves a rough finish or a noticable lump, no matter how hard I try to be smooth. Second, the stuff requires that you prime it with an oil based primer before painting with latex. This is a major time waster.
So, please help out with some suggestions on how to make this process of painting a little easier for me (I really hate painting)
Frank Corley
Replies
I've been using wood filler (specifically, LePage Exterior Wood Filler, but I don't think the brand is critical). But this still requires sanding (you were going to do that anyway) and priming (but with a latex primer, you were going to do that too). The guys I was working with lately use Poly Fix Fine Surface Filler for everything (i.e. drywall, trim, holes, gaps, divots, ... - everything). The regular guys on this crew use this stuff year in/year our and can fill a nail-hole using a spatula so well that it wouldn't need sanding.
If I find that I've missed a hole after I've painted, then I usually use coloured wax to fill it (it comes in wax sticks, that look like crayons, or little jars - you can blend the colours in an old soupspoon with a heat source if you need to do some matching).
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Just to make sure, I was talking about INTERIOR trim work, were you? I noticed I didn't specify when I posted the original message. Sorry.
Frank
Yes, interior, I believe that Poly Fix is mainly an interior product. The LePage Wood Filler is rated as an exterior product; however, that's what seems to make it a good filler under latex paint, it's unaffected by the solvent in the paint..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
i like durham's rock hard water putty. dries fast and hard, sands easily.
also had good luck with m and h redi-patch.
i like durham's rock hard water putty. don't think you'd use it for exterior, but for interior, dries fast, sands well, prime with whatever.
i've also had good luck with m and h redi-patch.
I like the Durham's too. And I've successfully used it for both interior and exterior applications. For any application in which water or vapor will be a problem, I just mix the stuff with a latex primer, instead of using water. I did this for a window sill repair about 20 years ago, and the stuff is still hanging in there -- looks just like the day I put it in.Vast projects should not be founded on half vast ideas.
No way that that I know of to get around sanding and priming. I use vinyl spackling or good ol' Synko.
Ken Hill
Crawfords spackle in the green tin. Dries quick, sands easy, paints well. Its my vote for the best gunk in a can I've used.
"The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb " lyrics by Roger Waters
I use light spackle. The best brand is Murelo, the second best is Sherwin Williams brand.