What can you build, fix or fill in a living area?

This is the index for Selleys' living room and bedroom guides. It is the largest section on the site, and it splits into three groups: repairs (cracks, dents, holes, squeaks and draughts), finishing work (skirting boards, cornices, panelling, vinyl floors) and build projects (shelves, a floating desk, a bedhead, a planter).

If you are here with a problem rather than a project, the repairs list below is the fastest route. If you are here to build something, most of the projects rely on one of three products: a construction adhesive, a wood glue or an epoxy.

Repairs

Finishing and installation

Build projects

The four products that cover most of this section

Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive — for panelling, skirting, cornices and anything sheet-like fixed to a frame. Strong bond after 24 hours, continues strengthening over two to three days, full cure in seven days. Repositionable for up to 20 minutes after fitting, and paintable when cured. It is not for mirrors, not for metals heated by direct sunlight, not for permanent water immersion, and not to be used as the sole bonding agent for structural bonding.

No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose — for the joints between building elements: skirting to wall, cornice to ceiling, architrave to plaster. Flexible with low shrinkage, maximum gap 10mm wide by 5mm deep, paintable at 60 minutes for gloss and sheen paints or 180 minutes for flat and ceiling paints. Interior Fast Dry does the same job with much shorter paint-over times.

Spakfilla Rapid — for dents, nail holes and cracks in a solid wall surface. Ready-mixed, lightweight, virtually non-shrinking and non-cracking, and it needs only one application. Sand and paint in 30 minutes for applications under 2mm; 24 hours for anything deeper or for oil-based paints. Do not use it on plastic or metal, do not nail into it, and do not use it in load-bearing or compression situations.

Aquadhere Interior — the PVA wood glue for the build projects. Suits softwoods, hardwood, MDF and particleboard, dries clear and does not stain wood, cleans up with water. Not waterproof, and not for structural or exterior use.

The rule that decides between a filler and a gap filler

It is worth stating once, because it explains half the product choices in this section: does the gap move?

A dent in a plaster wall is one continuous material and does not move. Use a rigid filler — Spakfilla — which sands flat and takes paint invisibly.

A gap where a skirting board meets a wall is a joint between two separate elements that move independently. Use a flexible gap filler — No More Gaps — which stretches rather than cracking. Spakfilla's own technical data says as much: where movement occurs, use Selleys No More Gaps.

Safety: three of these four products are mild, one is a flammable liquid

Of the four products that cover this section, No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose and Aquadhere Interior are not classified as hazardous under GHS 7 at all. The fourth is a different matter.

Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive is solvent-based and classified Danger: H225 (highly flammable liquid and vapour), H315 (causes skin irritation) and H319 (causes serious eye irritation).

H225 is not a warning about naked flame in the room. The vapour is what ignites, it is heavier than air, and it travels — so an ignition source at floor level some distance away is still a source. That lands squarely on this section's repair list. Silencing squeaky floorboards, securing a vinyl floor, sealing draughts at skirting level and filling gaps around windows all put you and the product at or below knee height, in rooms whose heating is also at that height: a gas heater and its pilot, a wall furnace, a ducted return grille in the floor, a fan heater pulled out for winter. Turn them off at the appliance and ventilate before you start, not after you notice the smell.

H319 is the overhead classification. The product's own protective guidance notes it is commonly applied overhead, which is exactly what this section's cornice, panelling and shelf work involves. A cartridge gunned above your head drips and, when you release the trigger, can spit. Safety glasses or goggles for anything above shoulder height. H315 is why the gloves are nitrile rather than cotton.

Where the job suits it, there is a lower-hazard construction adhesive in the range. Liquid Nails Fast Grab is water-based, signal word Warning, and carries H317 (may cause an allergic skin reaction) as its only classification — no flammability class at all. For interior panelling, skirting and trim in a closed-up room with a heater running, that is the meaningful difference.

And the structural caution on this page is a safety point as well as a performance one: construction adhesive is not to be the sole bonding agent in a structural application. Wash hands before eating. Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand.

Common questions about living area projects

What should I fill a nail hole with?

Spakfilla Rapid. For holes up to 20mm it works on its own; the Spakfilla Wall Repair Kit adds a self-adhesive patch for holes in interior walls up to 8cm wide.

How soon can I paint over filler?

Spakfilla Rapid: 30 minutes for thin applications under 2mm, 24 hours for anything deeper, and 24 hours before oil-based paints.

What fills the gap between skirting and wall?

A flexible gap filler — No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose or Interior Fast Dry — because that joint moves.

Can I fix skirting or panelling without nails?

Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive is designed for exactly that, though anything structural still needs mechanical fixing.

What glue for a timber build project?

Aquadhere Interior for indoor pieces, Aquadhere Exterior for anything that lives outside, and an Araldite epoxy where the joint is small and needs to set fast.

How do I stop draughts?

Seal the gaps. Skirtings, architraves, window frames and light fittings are the usual suspects — see how to prevent draughts in your home.

What is the Selleys Living Room Projects page about?

The page (found at selleys.com.au/home-improvement/living-areas/) is a DIY guide hub for upgrading living rooms, covering projects such as creating a feature wall and installing cornices, using Selleys products.

Who publishes the Selleys Living Areas home improvement guide?

The guide is published by Selleys, an Australian adhesives, sealants and fillers brand founded in 1939 in Sydney, Australia, by Martin Selley, and now a division of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd.

How can I fix squeaky floorboards in a living area using Selleys products?

Squeaky floorboards can be repaired using Selleys Aquadhere Durabond and Selleys No More Cracks Wood Filler. These can be applied either from below the floorboards or from above, securing loose floorboards to the floor joists to provide a durable fix that addresses the root cause of the squeaking.

What product fills gaps in timber flooring, and what colours does it come in?

No More Gaps Timber Flooring is designed for filling and sealing gaps around and between tongue and groove timber floorboards and other timber panels and fittings. It is flexible and formulated to resist movement caused by temperature and humidity changes, and is available in four timber colours: Jarrah, Hardwood, Walnut, and Baltic.

What is included in the Spakfilla Wall Repair Kit and what size damage can it fix?

The Spakfilla Wall Repair Kit is an all-in-one solution for repairing interior wall holes and cracks up to 8cm wide. It includes a self-adhesive wall patch, a sanding block, a spatula, and 100g of Spakfilla Rapid filler.

What is No More Cracks Wood Filler Interior used for?

No More Cracks Wood Filler Interior is used on all interior timber surfaces, offering a durable, ready-to-use finish that is stainable, paintable, and can be nailed or planed after application.

What product should I use to fill gaps around interior wall joints, cabinets, and splashbacks where colour matching matters?

No More Gaps Interior Colours is designed for filling gaps and cracks around interior wall joints, cabinets, and splashbacks where colour matching is desired. It is a water-based formulation offering excellent flexibility and crack resistance, with mould and mildew resistance, low shrink, and non-staining properties.