How to Fill Holes in a Wall

Contents:

• Tools & materials
• What wall filler should you use?
• How to fill cracks
• How to fill holes in plasterboard
• How to fill large holes in plasterboard
• How to fill holes in a brick wall
• How to fill large holes in a brick wall
• FAQs

If there’s a hole in the plaster in your wall, don’t worry. Even if you’ve knocked out a big piece of plaster, you’ll be able to fix it yourself. Patching up holes in plaster walls isn’t difficult. All you need is a bit of know-how and a few tools and materials.

Holes can happen for lots of reasons. Sometimes, cracks develop by themselves. Taking out some shelves might leave a few holes. Otherwise, you might damage a wall when you’re moving a piece of furniture. You might even knock a big hole right through a plasterboard wall.

In this guide, we’ll tell you how to fill a hole in your wall. The method you need to follow depends on the size of the hole and what the wall is made from. Small holes are easy to fix in both plasterboard and masonry walls. There are a few different methods for how to fill large holes in a wall.

Here are all the basic tools and materials you need to fill a hole in a wall.

• Wall filler - for filling the hole

• Filler knives - to apply the filler to the hole

• Sanding paper and block, or a drywall sander - to smooth the surface over when you’re finished

• Cleaning equipment - for preparing the hole for filling

• Safety equipment - Dust mask, safety glasses, gloves and hearing protection (if you use tools)

You might need some extra tools or materials for filling larger holes in walls, depending on the method you follow. We’ve provided a list with each method. 

A crucial part of knowing how to fill holes in a wall is wall filler selection. There are many different types of wall filler available. The best approach is to read the label on various products and compare them to find one that fits with what you need.

There are, however, some main types:

• Fine filler – for minor surface imperfections, cracks and fine finishes

• Ready-mixed lightweight fillers – for small holes and cracks

• Multi-purpose fillers – versatile fillers for medium sized holes

• Flexible filler – where flexibility will help

• Exterior fillers – for outdoor use

Foam and putty can also be useful sometimes.

Filling cracks is easy in any wall, whether it’s made from plasterboard or plastered brickwork. Just be aware that it’s a good idea to get particularly large cracks checked by a suitably qualified professional. 

Step 1. Clean out the crack

Scrape out any debris or loose material in the crack and clean inside it with a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you get all the dust out because this will help the filler to stick.

Step 2. Apply filler

Scrape some filler, such as a fine filler, onto your filler knife and sweep it over the crack. Smooth it over, and make sure the crack is completely filled. 

Step 3. Let the filler dry and sand it back

Check the instructions on your filler pack for drying times, and leave it to dry for as long as it needs. After that, sand over the crack to leave a smooth surface. Run your hand over it to test it after you’ve finished. If you find it doesn’t feel smooth, apply another layer of filler and repeat.

In this section, we’ll explain how to fill holes of all sizes in plasterboard walls. 

The method here will work for dents and small holes where the hole doesn’t penetrate right through the plasterboard, leaving an open hole.  

Step 1. Clean the area

Scrape out any debris or loose material in the hole and clean the inside with a vacuum cleaner. Get all the dust out so the filler sticks properly.

Step 2. Apply filler

Scrape some filler, such as Polyfilla, onto your filler knife and press it into the hole to fill it up. Smooth it over with your filler knife, aiming for the filler to be finished so it’s slightly raised above the hole.

Step 3. Let the filler dry and sand it back

Check the instructions on your wall filler pack for drying times and then leave it to dry. After you’ve waited long enough, sand the filler back to leave a smooth and flat surface. If you find there are any holes or imperfections after you’ve sanded, reapply a new layer of filler and repeat.

Bigger holes often happen when people are moving furniture around or when something gets knocked over. The method for how to fill large holes in a wall is easy to follow. For holes up to about 6 x 6 inches in plasterboard walls, you can use a wall repair patch. 

The maximum size hole you can repair depends on the size of the patch. Patches are normally available up to about 6 x 6 inches. If you can’t find a patch big enough for your hole, skip to the next section.   

Step 1. Clear the hole

Scrape out debris, pull off any loose bits of plaster, and clean the inside of the hole with a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you also clean the area around the edge of the hole because this will help your wall repair patch to stick.

Step 2. Attach the wall repair patch

Attach your wall repair patch over the hole, and check the instructions for how long you need to leave it before you can apply the filler.

Step 3. Apply filler in layers

Next, you can apply your filler to fill the hole in the wall. Apply it gently, making sure you don’t disturb the wall repair patch.

Step 4. Sand the hole back

Refer to your filler instructions to see how long you need to leave it to dry. After you’ve waited long enough, sand the filler back. If you find any imperfections after you’ve finished sanding, reapply filler and re-sand.

Here we’ll look at how to fill a hole in the wall when it’s too big for a wall repair patch. This method works for holes up to about 12 inches square.

Here are all the extra tools and materials you need to fill a really large hole in plasterboard:

• Plasterboard - for patching in the hole

• Plastering trowel - for applying filler and smoothing over the surface

• Wooden batten - to attach your plasterboard patch

• Drywall screws - for attaching the plasterboard

• Screwdriver - to attach the drywall screws

• Fibreglass mesh tape - for strengthening the edge of the patch

• Utility knife - to cut plasterboard

• Jabsaw - for cutting out damaged plasterboard and preparing the hole

• Measuring equipment - for measuring the hole and the plasterboard patch

Step 1. Cut out the old plasterboard

First of all, measure out a square around the hole in your plasterboard wall and mark it with a pencil. Then use your jabsaw to cut the square out of the wall.

Step 2. Clear the hole

Pull any loose bits of plasterboard out of the hole, and clean any dust out with a vacuum cleaner.

Step 3. Fit battens behind the hole

Next, cut two lengths of batten that are about 8 inches wider than your hole. Position one near the bottom of the hole, behind the plasterboard, so it extends 4 inches behind the plasterboard on either side.

Use drywall screws to attach it to the old plasterboard. You should screw the screws in far enough so they are just sunken beneath the surface of the plasterboard.

Repeat the process with another piece of batten near the top of the hole.

Step 4. Measure and fit the new plasterboard

On a new piece of plasterboard, measure out a square of new plasterboard that will fit in the hole. Then cut it out with your jab saw.

Fit it into the hole and attach it to the batten with some drywall screws.

Step 5. Apply fibreglass mesh tape

Apply fibreglass mesh tape along the entire edge of your new piece of plasterboard to cover the gap between the old plasterboard and the new plasterboard.

Step 6. Apply the filler

Apply the filler with your jointing knife to fill the gap behind the fibreglass mesh tape. Then use your finishing trowel to neatly apply filler to the entire surface of your new piece of plasterboard.

Step 7. Sand the hole back

Last, sand the new filler back to leave a level and smooth new wall surface. If you find any imperfections after you’ve finished sanding, reapply filler and re-sand. You can also repaint the wall, preferably with the same emulsion paint as the original, to get it looking as good as

In this section, we’ll explain how to fill a hole in a wall made from plastered brickwork. Filling holes in a plastered brick wall is generally easier than in a plasterboard wall. The only problem is that on large holes you might have to wait longer for bonding plaster to dry. 

You also need to be careful to check there isn’t a problem with the plaster on walls with large holes.  

Here are extra tools and materials you might need for repairing holes in a plastered brick wall:

• Bonding coat plaster - to create an undercoat of plaster in deep holes

• Plastering trowel - for smoothing over the surface on large holes

• Plastering primer - to help the filler to adhere properly. You can use PVA mixed with water and sand as a substitute

• Paintbrush - for applying the plastering primer to the hole

If you have a plastered brick wall with a small hole or a large but shallow area of damage, you can fix it with filler. It’s easy.   

Step 1. Clean the area

Scrape out any debris or loose material in the hole and clean the inside with a vacuum cleaner so you get all the dust out.

Step 2. Apply primer

Paint the surface of the hole with plastering primer and allow it to dry. You can test it with your hand to see when it’s dry. 

Step 3. Apply filler

Scrape out some filler and press it into the hole to fill it up. You can use a filler knife for small holes. On large holes, it will be easier to get a flat and smooth finish with a plastering trowel. Smooth it over, aiming to finish so it’s slightly raised above the hole.

Step 4. Let the filler dry and sand it back

Check the instructions on your wall filler pack for drying times and leave it to dry. After you’ve waited for it to dry, sand it back to leave a smooth, finished surface. If you find there are any holes or imperfections, apply another layer of filler and repeat.

The method for how to fill large holes in a masonry wall is also easy, but it takes a bit longer because you have to use bonding coat plaster.

This applies to holes that are deep and wide enough so that the brickwork is exposed underneath the plaster. Normally, this is holes that are at least 6 x 6 inches wide. 

Large holes in masonry walls are rare. They can be a sign the plaster needs replacing. If you have a large hole in a plastered brick wall, you should always check the plaster for signs of decay. If the plaster is decayed, it’s better to plaster the wall again rather than repair it.  

If your wall is repairable, here’s how to do it: 

Step 1. Clean the area

Scrape out debris and loose material in the hole and clean the inside with a vacuum cleaner so it’s completely clean and free of dust.

Step 2. Apply primer

Paint the surface of the hole with plastering primer and allow it to dry. Test it with your hand to see if it’s dry. 

Step 3. Apply bonding plaster

Next use a filler knife or a plastering trowel to fill the hole with bonding plaster. You should aim to fill the hole while still leaving a thin surface layer unfilled that you can finish with filler to get a smooth surface.  

Step 4. Let the bonding plaster dry

You need to leave the bonding plaster to dry before you can do the final layer of filler. Normally, this takes 24 hours. 

Step 5. Apply the filler

Once the bonding plaster has dried, you can finish filling the hole. Scrape out some filler on a plastering trowel and fill the hole. Smooth the surface over, aiming to finish so it’s slightly raised above the surface. There are various types of ready mixed fillers and plasters you can use for large holes in plastered brick walls. 

Step 6. Let the filler dry and sand it back

Check the instructions on the package of the product you’re using for drying times. After you’ve waited long enough, sand it back to get a smooth and level finished surface. If you find there are any holes or imperfections, apply another layer and sand it again.

Holes in plaster walls aren’t a big problem. Once you know how to fill a hole in the wall and what tools you need, it’s just a case of finding the time to do it. You can follow the methods in this guide for how to fill holes in walls of all kinds. Your choice of filler, foam or putty is an important part of the job. Take the time to compare different products and choose the one that works best for your wall and the size of the hole in it.