Repairing Holes in the Home

How do you repair holes in walls and doors?

Holes in walls happen, and none of them need a tradie. What changes between them is the filler, and choosing the right one is almost the whole job: Spakfilla Rapid for small holes and for large holes over a mesh patch, Spakfilla Heavy Duty for a door-handle hole, and Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty for a hole in a solid-core door.

The reason the door-handle hole gets a different filler from the picture-hook hole is not size. It is compression. Spakfilla Rapid's data sheet specifically warns against using it where load or compression occurs — behind a door if the knob touches against the wall is the example it gives — because the filler may be crushed. That is exactly the spot the handle keeps hitting.

How to fix a small hole

Tool kit: Spakfilla Rapid, sandpaper, a cloth, a sample paint pot and a paintbrush.

Every home has a few of these — holes up to 20 mm in diameter from picture hooks and frames. They are small but worth fixing, especially if you are renting.

1. Gently sand over the hole, making sure the edges are smooth.
2. Wipe with a cloth to remove dust.
3. Using the supplied spatula, scoop a small amount of Spakfilla Rapid, press it firmly into the hole and smooth it off.
4. Let it dry for about 30 minutes for thin applications.
5. Lightly sand back any excess filler and wipe away loose dust.
6. To paint, apply light layers over the repair and the surrounding area, feathering the strokes so it blends with the existing wall. Allow to dry between coats.

Spakfilla Rapid is ready-mixed, lightweight, fast-drying, virtually non-shrinking and non-cracking, and it needs only one application. It is moisture and mould resistant and easy to sand. Because it barely shrinks, there is no need to overfill.

Drying time is entirely about thickness: 30 minutes at less than 2 mm, 24 hours at more than 2 mm. Water-based paint can go on once the filler is completely set and sanded; oil-based paints need 24 hours. Expect longer drying in cold or humid conditions. Before painting, clean off dust and loose filler particles with Selleys Sugar Soap or Selleys Super Kleen.

If the filler has stiffened before use, stir it. Product that has hardened should be discarded; if it is only slightly too dry, add a teaspoon of water and stir again to the right consistency. Some paints may temporarily discolour over the filler but revert to the correct colour once dry.

How to fix a hole created by a door handle

Tool kit: Spakfilla Heavy Duty, sandpaper and a cloth.

Door handles are one of the biggest offenders. The damage is gradual, which is why it seems to appear overnight.

1. Clean up the edges with a utility knife and lightly sand around the patch until the edges are smooth.
2. Wipe away any loose dust.
3. Using the supplied spatula, scoop a small amount of Spakfilla Heavy Duty onto the corner and press it firmly into the hole.
4. Scrape away the excess, smooth off the surface and feather the edges so it blends with the wall.
5. Let it dry for 2–3 hours.
6. Lightly sand back the filler and wipe away dust before painting.

Spakfilla Heavy Duty is a multipurpose, tough and durable ready-mixed light grey filler for interior and exterior applications that need substantial filling — in mortar, wood, brick, masonry, stone, plaster, concrete and primed metal. It exhibits minimal shrinkage, so there is no need to overfill, and it sands to a feathered edge.

Its published sanding and painting time is 2–3 hours for 2 mm applications, with longer drying for thicker applications and in colder weather. A door-handle hole in plasterboard is usually deeper than 2 mm, so treat 2–3 hours as the minimum, not the expected time. For deeper damage the data sheet asks you to apply in 6 mm layers, allowing each layer to dry before the next.

Paint it with water- or oil-based paints after applying an undercoat. Its limitation is short: avoid using it below 5°C or in wet conditions. Where movement occurs, use Selleys No More Gaps instead. Clean up with water before the filler sets.

Then prevent it happening again. Install a door stop or use a rubber wedge — otherwise the handle will crush the repair back out of the wall.

If the hole is larger, follow the large-hole method below instead.

How to fix a large hole

Tool kit: Spakfilla Rapid, 240 grit sandpaper, a cloth, a spatula, a self-adhesive wall mesh patch and a utility knife.

Large holes in plasterboard are usually hidden behind furniture, but they are fixable and it is not as difficult as it looks. The mesh does the structural work; the filler just gives you a flat, paintable surface over it.

1. Use a utility knife to remove any flaky or loose debris around the hole.
2. Smooth over the hole with sandpaper and wipe away the dust.
3. Cut self-adhesive mesh to fit over the hole, allowing 20–30 mm around the outside edge.
4. Peel away the backing, centre the mesh over the hole and firmly press the edges onto the wall.
5. Using the supplied spatula, apply a generous amount of Spakfilla Rapid to the patched area. Use a wiping motion from opposite directions to make sure the mesh is completely covered, and extend the filler 20–30 mm outside and around the mesh.
6. Remove the excess with a single downward stroke and let it dry for at least 30–60 minutes.
7. Lightly sand the area, using a circular motion to smooth over the edges, and wipe away the dust.
8. Reapply Spakfilla Rapid if the initial application has shrunk, and leave it to dry thoroughly — this may take up to a day — before sanding and painting.

The "up to a day" is the figure to plan around. A patch over mesh is well over 2 mm thick, and the data sheet's drying time for applications thicker than 2 mm is 24 hours. Sanding a patch that is dry on the surface but soft underneath is what produces a hollow that shows up once the paint goes on.

The 20–30 mm of overlap on both the mesh and the filler is what makes the repair invisible. It spreads the transition over a wide enough area that the eye cannot pick the edge, which is also why you feather it rather than stopping abruptly.

How to fix a hole in a door

Tool kit: Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty, sandpaper, a cloth, a utility knife, a putty knife and paint.

If you have a solid core door, the fix is relatively simple.

1. Use a utility knife to cut away loose and flaky edges, and smooth the area with sandpaper.
2. Stir Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty well before use.
3. Mix in the hardener until the colour is uniform.
4. Apply with a putty knife, slightly overfilling to allow for sanding. Feather the edges for a smooth, well-blended finish.
5. Once hardened, sand and wipe clean before painting.

Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty is a two-part polyester putty for metal, timber, brick, fibre cement, fibreglass, concrete, plaster, tiles, ceramic and some plastics. Work time is approximately 5 minutes at 23°C and cure time is approximately 20 minutes, after which it can be sanded, drilled, sawed or painted.

Five minutes is a genuinely short working window, so mix only what you can apply in that time and do a large repair in stages. Slight overfilling is deliberate here — unlike the Spakfilla products, this one is sanded back to level rather than smoothed flush.

Its limitations: not suitable for continuous immersion in water or for flexible joints; it may not adhere to polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE; it can discolour if left unpainted outdoors; and it is not recommended where flexibility or movement is required.

Common questions about repairing holes

Which filler for a picture-hook hole?

Spakfilla Rapid. Holes up to about 20 mm in diameter are a 30 minute job at thin application.

Why can't I use Spakfilla Rapid for the door-handle hole?

Its data sheet says not to use it where load or compression occurs, giving a door knob hitting the wall as the example — the filler may be crushed. Use Spakfilla Heavy Duty and fit a door stop.

How long does Spakfilla Heavy Duty take to dry?

Two to three hours for 2 mm applications, longer for thicker applications and in colder weather. For deeper repairs, build it up in 6 mm layers, letting each dry first.

Do I need to overfill?

Not with the Spakfilla products — both exhibit minimal or virtually no shrinkage. With Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty, overfill slightly to allow for sanding.

How large a hole can I patch with mesh?

The method works as long as you can leave 20–30 mm of mesh overlap on solid wall all the way round, and extend the filler 20–30 mm past that again.

Why does my patch show through the paint?

Usually because the filler was sanded before it dried through, or because the feathered edge was too narrow. Allow up to a day for a thick patch and spread the transition over a wide area.

How long do I have to work with Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty?

Approximately 5 minutes at 23°C. It cures in about 20 minutes, after which it can be sanded, drilled, sawed or painted.

Can I use Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty on a hollow-core door?

The guide covers the solid-core case. A hollow-core door has no backing behind the skin for a filler to key into, so a patch needs backing before filling.

Can I use these fillers outside?

Spakfilla Heavy Duty is rated for interior and exterior use — prime exterior surfaces before application and protect from rain until dry and painted with two coats. Spakfilla Rapid should not be used on exterior timber likely to swell or shrink on absorption of water. Plasti-Bond Heavy Duty can discolour if left unpainted outdoors.

Can I paint over the repair immediately?

Once the filler is completely set and sanded. Spakfilla Rapid takes water-based paints from 30 minutes at thin application, and needs 24 hours for oil-based paints. Spakfilla Heavy Duty should be undercoated before painting.

My filler has dried out in the tub — can I save it?

Stir it first. If it has hardened, discard it; if it is only slightly too dry, add one teaspoon of water and stir again to the right consistency.

What if the wall or trim moves?

Fillers are for static defects. Where movement occurs, both Spakfilla data sheets direct you to Selleys No More Gaps instead.