How to Repair a Wall Ruined by Holes, Cracks, and Peeling
How to Repair a Wall. Cracks, stains, peeling, holes in the wall: how to put it back together? Here are several useful tips to repair it and make it new again in a few simple steps.
You’ve decided to freshen up the walls of your home but have noticed that the walls have holes, cracks, and peeling. Before painting, it is basic to fix these annoying issues.
Living daily in clean and well-maintained rooms is recommended not only from an aesthetic and hygienic point of view but also to prevent future damage to the walls.
A welcoming home needs the immediate resolution of these unpleasant “headaches.” Walls may have, for example, old holes from past work, such as the insertion of dowels to fix a curtain, peeling resulting from the presence of moisture, or other critical issues.
Whatever the causes of ruined walls, we explain in this guide how to take action to make them as good as new.
How to repair a ruined wall: what is needed
Before explaining the various steps to follow to repair a ruined wall, let’s point out what materials and tools to get.
Stucco is great for covering small holes, as is having a trowel handy. Plaster, an abrasive sponge, and tape cannot be missing either.
Depending on what needs to be done, other tools and materials may also be needed, such as a trowel or mortar. Now let’s find out, depending on the case, how to intervene.
Repairing a ruined wall: preliminary hints
Before engaging in , it is necessary to assess in advance what interventions are most appropriate to repair the walls and the most appropriate materials.
Observe that plaster should be mixed with water. Suitable for porous surfaces, it is particularly absorbent and recommended for covering cracks and holes. The mortar stands out for its marked elasticity and good moisture resistance. It can also be used on nonporous surfaces, proving functional for covering even large holes and cracks. Putty, on the other hand, is a very common paste used for rather small holes.
How to repair holes and small cracks
Putty is the most convenient solution for repairing holes but also rather small cracks. It is a ready-to-use paste, mainly characterized by quick drying, allowing sanding and painting within minutes of application.
To cover the holes, simply spread the putty well with a spatula. Once dry, all that remains is to smooth the surface using an abrasive sponge, and then clean up. At this point, all that remains is to paint. A rather simple little job.
wall crack repair
If the walls have larger cracks, you may need to call in professionals to fix the problem, including understanding what caused these cracks in the walls. However, if you are handy and the crack is small, here are the steps to take:
Open the crack with the help of a trowel.
Apply a fixative and wait for it to dry.
Pass paste filler inside, filling the crack.
Sand with sandpaper.
Lay down fiberglass tape.
Pass the fixative again.
Apply breathable paint.
Repair large holes.
If the plaster is damaged and the holes are quite large, instead of putty it is recommended to use a mortar. There are several ready-made products on the market, although depending on the intervention to be done, you should know how to choose the most appropriate type.
When in doubt, contact qualified personnel. The procedure to follow is similar to that described in the previous section. Before applying it, we recommend covering the floor properly, possibly with plastic sheeting, so as not to make it excessively dirty.
Repairing a damaged wall: removing moisture and mold
Moisture is among the main causes of peeling paint on walls. Before taking action, a careful analysis of what caused the problem is required. From a perspective, one must first sand the wall, thus removing the peeling paint. To remove mold stains, simply spray a sanitizer and wait for it to dry. Next, use a cloth to rub vigorously and apply a fixative. After it dries, all that remains is to apply a good anti-mold water paint.
On the other hand, to remove moisture from a wall, it is necessary to scrape with a squeegee and pass the insulating fixative. Once dry, sand with sandpaper and apply a new coat of fixative.