A Guide to Filling Gaps Around the Home

There is nothing more frustrating than having a room in your home that is beautifully decorated and noticing a dent or hole in the wall. Maybe you have just moved into a new property, and it needs some fixings up. Whatever the situation you are going to want to fill the hole to restore it back to its former glory.

Preparation is Essential

As with most DIY and home improvement jobs, preparation is the most important first step. To start with you will just need to assess the damage to try and understand what level of repair is required. Once you have done this you can start working out the best way to fix the dent in the wall.

If you are only dealing with a light dent or scratch then it’s probably something you can deal with yourself by getting some supplies online or from the local hardware store. If you think the problem may be more serious and has impacted on electrical wiring or caused structural damage you will need to get a professional out right away to give you their recommendation on how to proceed.

Choose the Right Filler

Once you have fully assessed and understood what you are dealing with you will have a clearer idea about the tools and materials you are going to need to fix the problem. For a very shallow hole you might be able to just use some kind of mix-up wall filler and apply it with a smooth pallet knife or with a wallpaper scraper.

For holes that are slightly bigger or deeper where the filler will not be able to adhere on its own, you will need to buy some kind of mesh to help it stay in there.

The other option is to buy some expanding foam like that sold by https://tradefixdirect.com/expanding-foam. Expanding foam is very easy to use and can fill some pretty substantial holes. It’s also a very versatile material and can be used in other places around the home. This includes filling gaps around pipes and poles, soundproofing and for filling cavities in the attic or in walls.

Sand to Complete the Finish

Once you have completed the filling aspect of the job you will want to ensure that it looks professional and is completed to a high standard. To get that smooth finish, you will need to purchase some fine sandpaper and gently sand away any bumps and scratches that may be present in the filler or foam.

Once you have got the surface nice and smooth, it will be ready for an application of paint or wallpaper. It’s important to let the filler or foam fully dry or cure before you start adding additional materials like paint to it. Some may take more than 24 hours to fully set so it’s best not to disturb it during this time. Once you have completed the job hopefully it will look just as it did before the dent, and no one will know an accident even happened.