Puttying: questions, answers and tips

What is filler?

A good question to start with: ‘what exactly is putty?’. First of all, it is important to distinguish between putty and filler. 

What is the difference between putty and filler?

Both serve to provide a smooth, finished surface before you paint, but each is used in different, specific scenarios. Filler, as the name suggests, is used to fill larger damages such as holes or cracks. With putty, you're more likely to smooth out small irregularities, or level the surface.

^{source image: Dalapro}

Which putty or filler do you use for what?

Again, it is important to first ask yourself what you want to do. Do you want to fill or level something? Then you already know whether you need putty or filler. Then you start looking at the surface you want to work on. Is it indoors or outdoors? What material is it made of? Wood, for example, requires different products than plaster, and products for indoor use cannot always be used outside. 

Find your way to the right product using the overview below: 

What is the difference between paste and powder? 

Broadly speaking: paste is premade putty and powder is for making your putty yourself, with the addition of water. Pastes are usually in a jar or tube. Powder is usually in a bag or in a box. You can normally store powder for a very long time in a dry place, in a well-sealed container (as long as it is still in powder form). Pastes can harden faster if you haven't sealed the jar or tube properly. An example of a powder is Le Reboucheur from Toupret. Dalapro's putties are then another example of ready-to-use pastes and come in jars, as does the versatile renovation paste Red Devil Onetime. Polyfilla has a lot of ready-to-use pastes in tubes.

Getting started with puttying 

Now that you have hopefully found your way around the different products, you might also like to get started with them. We'll tell you what you'll need below, and give you some more professional how-to's. 

What do you need to putty? 

Apart from your putty itself, of course, you will also need some tools. To apply the putty, use a putty knife that is preferably slightly wider than the diameter or width of the damage you want to remove. For levelling, there is also roller putty, which you can apply with a roller. If you work with powder, you also need a container to mix powder and water. It is best to choose a round or oval container, or one with rounded corners, because then there is less chance of something not being mixed properly in the corners. When you have finished applying the putty, you will also have to use sandpaper or a sanding block to remove the last irregularities and possibly also lightly sand the surface in preparation for painting. 

What is the best way to putty? 

As mentioned before, if you work with a powder, the first thing you will need to do is prepare your putty or filler. Normally, you will find the correct ratio of powder and water on the packaging or listed in the product's technical data sheet. The easiest way is to first put your required amount of water in your mixing tray, and then gradually add the corresponding amount of powder, while continuing to stir in the water/mixture. That way, you are less likely to have lumps and the powder is actually mixed in the correct ratio with the water. With pastes, it is as simple as opening the jar or tube and you can get started! 

Apart from your putty or filler, of course your surface also needs to be prepared. Make sure you remove any loose or protruding pieces first, so that you can neatly fill or smooth out any unevenness in the surface afterwards. You can do this with a putty knife, possibly using paint remover, or sometimes with a coarse grit sandpaper, depending on what you want to remove. You can also avoid dirt, dust, grease and moisture. As with painting, it is best to start with a cleaned, degreased and dry surface. For example, Berdy Clearline is a good cleaner and degreaser to prepare your surface with. 

Then you can get to work with your filler or finishing putty, some of which you take on your putty knife. When filling large damages, such as holes and wide(er) cracks, hold your putty knife a little flatter so that you can push the filler well into the opening. In other words, you mainly use the flat surface of the putty knife. For smaller damages, make the angle between your surface and the putty knife slightly larger (around 45°). You then also still use the flat side, but in this way you make slightly more use of the straight edge of the knife, which scrapes away the excess putty. 

After the putty has fully hardened, you can use some (coarse) sandpaper or a sanding block to smooth away the last irregularities if necessary. Before painting, it is also advisable to go over your putty again with a fine sandpaper. That way you will get the best result! 

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