How to repair holes in walls to get your security deposit back
Q: I’m a renter planning to move. How do I patch the walls so I get my deposit back? Can I really use toothpaste?
A: Yes, toothpaste plugs holes in walls, as long as the holes are tiny and you use white toothpaste, not a clear gel. Think pushpin marks. But to patch holes wider than pinholes, use a commercial wall-patching compound, which will resist shrinking and can be sanded; a large patch of toothpaste would probably crack and might even fall out.
But which product to buy? At home centers, hardware stores and paint stores, you’ll find a bewildering array, including spackles, drywall compounds and epoxies. You’ll need drywall compound if you have holes wider than five inches, which need to be patched with custom-cut pieces of drywall. Epoxy can be useful for filling especially deep holes in one layer. But generally, spackle is the best product for most jobs. It contains filler and glue and stays somewhat flexible, so it continues to stick to the sides of holes as it dries.
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There are three basic types: lightweight, standard and fast-set. Although you can also buy spackle as a powder that you mix as needed and that hardens through chemical reaction, the three main types all cure by evaporation. So deep fills need to be done in layers and the base layer needs to be dry before the next one goes on. If you need to fill a hole deeper than a half inch, you can stuff in some packing foam or other material and then spackle the layers over that.
Before spackling, make sure the hole is flat with the surrounding wallboard. If a halo of paint or drywall paper is poking out, push it into the hole; a narrow screwdriver helps. If plastic wall anchors are left, slice the plastic off flush with the wall, using a sharp utility knife. Trying to pull out the anchor is likely to create even more damage — not something you want to deal with when you are trying to move.
With all three types of spackle, filling wide holes takes an extra step. If you just spackle the hole, a bulge or divot is sure to show when you are done. Instead, create a bigger patch so you have a wider area to smooth to a feather edge. Apply a mesh patch that extends beyond the hole by an inch or two in all directions. Find mesh near spackle at a store, or use a scrap of plastic window screen. Spackle the back of the mesh, press it in place, then use a putty knife to smooth the spackle that oozes through and remove excess, but not so much as to keep the mesh from being fully embedded. When the spackle dries, add another layer of spackle and smooth it out to cover all of the mesh, leaving the spackle edges almost flush with the wall. Once that dries, sand smooth using 100-grit sandpaper or a medium-grit sanding block or sanding sponge. Lightweight spackle sands more easily than the other types.
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Lightweight spackle, which has a fluffy consistency, sort of like thick whipped cream, dries quickly and doesn’t shrink, so you can fill most small holes with just one application — perfect for a renter in a hurry to move out. You can even use finger pressure to smooth the surface, avoiding the need to sand.
For pinholes and nail holes, a gloved finger might work better than a putty knife as an application tool. You can dab in the spackle without smearing it over a wider area and changing the wall texture. If walls are white and you only need to fill small holes, you might even be able to skip repainting. If you do need to paint, lightweight spackle often dries enough for water-based paint in 30 minutes, but only if patches are no more than ⅛-inch deep and smooth enough to paint as-is. If you are sanding or covering with oil paint, wait 24 hours.
Lightweight spackle can also be used to repair holes and dents up to three to four inches across and a half-inch deep, according to a customer-service representative for DAP, which sells its lightweight formula as DAP fast-n-final lightweight spackling ($7.48 at Lowe’s). But you need to wait at least 30 minutes between layers of spackle, and you need mesh if the holes are wide.
Standard spackle, which is thicker, typically needs considerably more drying time before you can paint, maybe up to five or six hours, depending on temperature, humidity and how deep you fill a hole. This type of material is stronger, though, so you can fill wider holes — up to about five inches — if you use mesh and apply it in layers. Standard spackle is more likely to shrink than lightweight spackle, so you may need at least two layers. This type of spackle is available in color-changing formulas, which help you allow the right amount of time between steps. DAP DryDex dry time indicator spackling ($9.48 for one pint) for example, changes from pink to white when it is dry enough for the next step. It costs more than a similar spackle that’s always white, however.
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Fast-dry spackle is a third type. It combines features of lightweight and standard spackles. DAP fast-dry premium spackling ($12.48 for one pint) dries enough to paint in as little as 15 minutes if it’s less than ⅛-inch deep. Fill deeper holes in layers and allow about 30 minutes for each layer to dry. Use mesh for wide holes. Fast-dry spackle has a sandy texture, making it stronger than lightweight spackle but harder to sand. You can apply it slightly thicker than needed to fill a hole, wait for it to dry, then sand the patch smooth. Or apply the spackle flush with the wall, sand lightly, then skim-coat the area with drywall compound, which is easy to sand smooth for a flawless finish.
If you have holes wider than five inches, install patches cut from drywall. Home centers often sell pieces two feet by two feet that you can cut to the size you need. Add one or more strips of wood in the wall cavity behind the existing drywall. Screw through that drywall to secure the wood, then screw through the patch to hold the patch against the wood. Cover joints between existing drywall and the patch with mesh or perforated-paper tape covered in drywall joint compound. Follow the same general process you’d use to cover smaller holes with mesh and spackle.
If you need to paint over patches and don’t have any matching paint, go to a paint store and get samples of several shades that seem close. Take those home and compare the colors to pick the best match. Check spackle labels to see if you need to prime first; you probably don’t. If you’ve used joint compound, though, you do need to prime. A small roller works well. Feather out the paint edges by running the roller out beyond the patch until it is almost empty of paint.
Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@washpost.com. Put “How To” in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.
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