Fixing bumpy spackle patches


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Old 10-30-18, 04:06 AM
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Fixing bumpy spackle patches

When we moved in a few years ago there where a lot of 4 inch holes in the wall and my brother in law used a mesh and then some spackle and just used a putty knife and didn't sand the splackle down at all over a few of these holes.

I want to smooth them out so that they blend into the rest of the wall. Can I just sand them down and then prime?

Do I have to sand them down and then do a skim coat with joint compound instead?

I've never used joint compound before.
 
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Old 10-30-18, 04:57 AM
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Try sanding, the odds are it won't be effective [latex paint doesn't sand well] but it doesn't hurt to scratch up the area first before you apply joint compound. More than likely you'll need to feather those repairs out over a wider area to make them visually disappear. Joint compound isn't hard to use. The neater you apply it the less sanding you'll have to do. Sanding is the messy part. Once you are satisfied with the repair, wipe off the sanding dust and prime. Pay attention to how the repair looks while the primer is still wet - that will let you know if you need to do a little more mud work.
 
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Old 10-30-18, 05:36 AM
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Currently you are looking at fixing a bump which started when the BIL slapped on way too much spackle. I'm not optimistic that you can sand and re-coat and get it much better than it is.

My approach would be to neatly cut out the affected areas, install backer boards, add a carefully cut new piece of drywall, and then proceed with a very thin layer of mus and tape and feather it out as needed to blend it in.

Tip, use something straight and two or three feet long and place it across those bumps, The gap you see will give you an idea as to the work ahead. But you can't sand down beyond the original mesh tape.

How many holes and pictures would help?

Bud
 
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Old 10-30-18, 09:03 AM
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If repair is solid go for it.

If not another option, slip a small piece of wood through the hole with glue on ends and drive drywall screws into the ends, when it dries patch.

Make sure you put on 2-3 heavy coats of PVA primer and blend into surrounding area.

If you just brush on primer that smooth repair patch will stand out like crazy after it's painted!
 
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Old 10-30-18, 09:29 AM
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For all I remember they may just be small nail sized holes that he slapped on, There are are about 5 or so areas all within a foot of each other I think and when natural light shines in through the window it all sticks out like a sore thumb.

We also have a table lamp underneath the area and at night when you turn it on it shows all the shadows of each bump.

I don't really want to cut into the drywall though if I can help it. I may just try and sand them down real flush.

The texture of the areas (being smooth compared to the drywall) doesn't bother me as much as the shadows that the areas create.
 
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Old 10-30-18, 10:28 AM
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The texture of the areas (being smooth compared to the drywall) doesn't bother me as much as the shadows that the areas create.
It will stand out just as much, an easy fix with one of those small pink 4" rollers and some primer!
 
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Old 10-30-18, 10:50 AM
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I guess what bothers me is this:
" there where a lot of 4 inch holes in the wall and my brother in law used a mesh and then some spackle and just used a putty knife and didn't sand the Spackle down at all over a few of these holes."

Then you say they may be just nail holes, big difference. But mesh tape with a careless application is unfortunate. If these bumps are in a limited area then feathering them all into one new smooth area may work. Don't sand the mesh but remove as excess spackle much as possible. Then check the area with a straight edge. (a picture sure would help)

You might add a half teaspoon (very little) of water to the joint compound so you can apply thin layers, but apply the first few around the trouble spots and not on top of them. Once you build up the areas around the bumps to where they blend in then a final skim coat over everything.

When I repair multiple spots that are close to each other I treat them all as one and make the repair large and smooth.

Good luck and if the results are not acceptable, then you cut it out and start over, been there done that.

Let us know how it comes out.

Bud
 
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Old 10-30-18, 11:14 AM
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When I repair multiple spots that are close to each other I treat them all as one and make the repair large and smooth
That's how I do it also.
Repairs almost always need some type of texture to make them blend. A slick finish wall is still apt to have roller stipple. I usually thin down joint compound to make the texture, even with roller stipple it's easier/quicker to roll on a coat of thinned down j/c than to have to roll multiple coats of primer to achieve the same thing.
 
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Old 10-30-18, 02:21 PM
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So after I sand down the areas I can't use "Spackle" to "blend" all the areas together?

I've never used JC and am a little afraid of making a mess. I don't have a stir thing and don't really understand what I'm doing with jc and skim coats and stuff.

If I buy the ALL PURPOSE in the green cover bucket, can I just add a little water to it in a separate bucket or is it more complicated?

I was watching the "Drywall Doctor" (I think that's his name) on YT and he made it seem like there's a lot of complications and skill involved in skimming and stuff.
 
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Old 10-31-18, 02:44 AM
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First, spackle is the right product for only very small holes and that is not the case for you so forget about that product.

Second, joint compound straight out of the bucket is fine so quit getting so worked up about this and just dig in. If it isn't right, you can sand it off and start over. Odds are that it won't be that bad anyway.
 
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Old 10-31-18, 02:59 AM
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Thanks

I am doing a tiny bathroom right now that had 3 towel holders on the wall and I removed them and spackled where the screws had gone into the wall plus it left ring impressions sort of where they were.

I spackled over them and sanded down real good, but I have applied a zinsser primer one coat so far and now I can barely see the 3 spackled areas slightly darker than the rest of the gray primer.

I'm assuming that even after another coat and then two top coats I'm still going to see these spackled areas no matter how well I sand them down?

Would this same thing happen if I put JC over the 3 areas to make on big area?

I don't want to have to "skim" the ENTIRE wall if that's the case.

Maybe I'll go get some all purpose today and try it out.
 
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Old 10-31-18, 03:40 AM
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Spackling can only be applied in small amounts and doesn't lend itself to being feathered out. IMO joint compound is easier to use than spackle.

The color of the primed patches doesn't mean much. How do they look/feel otherwise? It's not uncommon for bare areas to suck up primer different than the surrounding painted areas. If you can feel a hump and/or putting a straightedge across those patches show them to be uneven - then the repairs need more work.

If I'm just making minor repairs I don't thin the entire bucket with a paddle but just put a knife full of mud [or three] into my mud pan and use the drywall knife to mix the mud in the pan. Joint compound usually flows better if it is mixed slightly.
 
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Old 10-31-18, 02:35 PM
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Thanks Marksr!

A friend of mine who works drywall said to "always do at least 4 coats and sand between each coat when applying mud and covering patches, etc. I don't know if I'll sand between each coat though, nor if I'll have to do 4 coats. Then of course he said to prime the area and then two topcoats.

By the way, I finished the outside of my house a couple weeks ago and it looks great!! On;y took me 5 months lol!

Now woodpecker(s) have been attacking it in a few places, but they seem to have left now which is good.

I'm trying my first "mudding" tonight over the 3 areas. They're each about the size of a fist and I can feel a little bit when I go over them. I thought that I had feathered them well with a 220 block, but I guess they're slightly high.

I accidentally primed over them already and I don't feel like sanding the heck out of them to flatten them totally. Most people would never see them and maybe I'm being to picky.

All three "fist sized" (diameter) areas are within a total of about 1 1/2 feet wide area, so I think (hope) I can just go over them and make one area with the USG ALL PURPOSE (pre-mixed) JC.

I've never done this before , save for spackle , which most likely is similar to work with , so hopefully I can do it.
 

Last edited by stickshift; 11-01-18 at 01:33 AM. Reason: Removed quoting of entire post
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Old 10-31-18, 03:58 PM
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couple questions:

1. How do I wash my spatulas and mud box? I washed them in a 5 gal with cold water.

2. Do I have to wash everything completely clean after each use?

3. Where do I dump the water from the bucket ? Someone said you can't put it down the drain because it will clog pipes?


4. Am I better of using something like the 20 or 45, etc since if I have to do 3 or 4 coats, it'll take 4 days, letting each coat dry 24 hours?

5. How thick should each coat be? I think I made my first coat over the 3 spackle patches to thin.

thsnk
 
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Old 11-01-18, 03:09 AM
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woodpecker(s) have been attacking it in a few places, but they seem to have left now which is good.
That can be a concern!! Woodpeckers only attack wood when they think it's harboring insects. Sometimes they'll mistake styrofoam insulation expanding and contracting for insect activity.

#1 - Wash them with water. The cleaner they are the nicer they are to work with. Pour the water on the ground outside. I prefer to wash my tools outside but a lot depends on the weather. A small amount of j/c shouldn't hurt the plumbing but it's not good practice.

#2 - yes

#4 - Ready mix joint compound is more diy friendly than setting compounds. Setting compounds should never be cleaned up and poured down the drain!

#5 - Hard one to answer, I'd rather apply an extra coat of mud than have to do extra sanding. Done correctly only the final coat of mud needs to be sanded. If the mud is applied level a sanding sponge works well. If you have dips and high spots you are better off using a sanding pole [or just the head] as it will help you sand level or a larger area.
 
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Old 11-01-18, 12:45 PM
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When a coat is dry you can run your knife over it to remove small imperfections instead of sanding. The moisture from the next coat will also help smooth out the first coat.

Too thin, not a problem as more coats just keep accumulating.

Bud
 
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Old 11-01-18, 03:17 PM
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I did my second coat today. I didn't sand the first. Everything is looking good so far in my opinion. I have to wait 24 hours to do another coat.

1. Should I do just one more and then sand if everything looks smooth?

I'm using the USG All purpose. I did go out and buy a bag of 90 USG, but Marksr talked me into staying with the ALL purpose.
 
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Old 11-01-18, 09:19 PM
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You only sand at the end, not between coats.
 
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Old 11-02-18, 12:43 AM
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Do I need to use "drywall primer" on the mudded area after sanding the final coat or will something like Kilz Latex 2 be ok?
 
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Old 11-02-18, 02:30 AM
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Kilz Latex 2 will never be ok for anything other than throwing away - that is one of the worst primers out there.

I prefer Zinsser primers, any of their latex primers would be fine. I think XSleeper likes something from PPG, he may chime in as well.
 
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Old 11-02-18, 02:55 AM
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I never use Kilz2 as there are better primers out there. It doesn't matter a whole lot what primer you use over the j/c. Be sure to brush/wipe off the sanding dust! 3 coats of j/c is the norm but it all depends on how it looks. Shining a bright light and looking at the repair at an angle often gives you a better perspective on how good the repair is.
 
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Old 11-02-18, 10:30 AM
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Thanks guys!

I put the final (3rd) coat on today and it will dry overnight tonight. Everything came out very well in my opinion and it looks really flat, etc. I wish I could post a pic, but it says I've reached my quota on the forum.

So you're saying I should use Zinsser instead? I've got some gray, but I need to go get some white cause I'm painting the bathroom with SW Minor Blue which is a light powder type blue.
 
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Old 11-02-18, 01:24 PM
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Your Kilz2 might be ok. It has poor stain hiding properties and there have been some reports of adhesion issues. Most primers and paints adhere well to bare joint compound. Not a primer I would buy but if you already have it .....
 
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Old 11-02-18, 02:55 PM
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Thanks.

I just remembered though that I do have white Zinsser 123. It's a couple years old, hope it's still ok to use. It looks ok.

The bathroom had a white glossy finish. Do I just primer the JC part(s) first and then the rest of the wall after sanding a little of the gloss down. It also had a lot of hairs and bumpy areas where whomever painted it before did a crappy job.

So will it end up that the JC sections will have an additional layer of primer to kind of match the rest of the wall hopefully?

I'll be using a roller.
 

Last edited by stickshift; 11-02-18 at 04:40 PM. Reason: Removed quoting of entire post
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Old 11-02-18, 03:01 PM
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Usually there isn't any need to prime painted walls, a light scuff sanding should be sufficient.
 
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Old 11-03-18, 09:22 PM
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I tried skim coating a small wall. I forgot to prime it before coating, but it already had paint on it, I don't know if that's considered "primed".

Anyways, the first coat I did straight out of the can of ALL purpose JC and then I read that you're supposed to thin it down like "butter" or "mayonaisse" so I added a small amount of water right in the pan and just used a paint stick to beat it up.

Everything came out "ok" and I'll sand it down Monday, but I noticed it was still difficult to spread past about a foot or foot and a half. Maybe I'm just not putting enough JC on the trowel.

Anyways, it all spread out after a while, but it wasn't as easy as I thought and I also have to get the thing down where you lift a side so that a line isn't created with each successive pass. It most likely also didn't help that I was skim coating with a 10 inch and most likely should of had either a 12 at least?
 
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Old 11-03-18, 09:39 PM
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10" is fine, I do a lot of my work with my favorite 6" blade.
I've only done this a couple of times but watched a BOBBY V show where he had a guy doing a plaster job. As he was finishing up he used a spray bottle with water to mist some areas so he could more easily smooth them over. Mist would be a key word and being careful to not spray too much, but when I did it it really helped feather out the edged.

Maybe the pros will comment.

Bud
 
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Old 11-04-18, 02:26 AM
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Getting the knife wet or misting the applied mud with water acts like a lubricant and will help the knife glide better.
Nobody is perfect at skim coating right out of the box but j/c is easy to sand so it's not a big deal to fix your imperfections. Like most things - practice makes perfect
 
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Old 11-05-18, 02:26 PM
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My "Skim coated" wall came out well and today I sanded it nice and painted it with a coat of Zinsser white 123. The color topcoat is going to be SW Minor Blue which is a light blue.

Anyways, the coat of primer came out good , but in a few places it looks like it didn't quite fill in. Should I do a second coat of primer or is that overkill?
 
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Old 11-06-18, 03:10 AM
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Not sure what you mean by 'didn't quite fill in'
Primer doesn't need to have complete coverage, as long as all the bare drywall and j/c has been coated - it's fine. Normally it's better to apply an extra coat of finish than an extra coat of primer.
 
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Old 11-06-18, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by marksr
Not sure what you mean by 'didn't quite fill in'
Primer doesn't need to have complete coverage, as long as all the bare drywall and j/c has been coated - it's fine. Normally it's better to apply an extra coat of finish than an extra coat of primer.
Thanks, it seems to have come out very nice after applying my first topcoat and letting it dry. I'm using SW Duration home paint which I think goes on very well compared to other paints I've used from HD.

I have a 5x2 wall that I did some fills with jc on (nails holes, and a paint "tear off" , etc. Would it be good to do a quick skim coat after the patches dry tomorrow over everything to make it uniform?

I'm wondering if I don't do it (I don't mind since it's a small wall and I need some practice) if those patched areas will flash to some extent?
 
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Old 11-06-18, 02:38 PM
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When paint flashes - that is a sheen difference, often caused by lack of primer or not enough paint. Hard to say if your line of little patches will show or not but generally one large patch is easier to disguise than a bunch of little ones.
 
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Old 11-06-18, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by marksr
When paint flashes - that is a sheen difference, often caused by lack of primer or not enough paint. Hard to say if your line of little patches will show or not but generally one large patch is easier to disguise than a bunch of little ones.
Thanks Mark they're not close enough, so i would most likely have to do just a skim coat I guess. The wall is literally about 2x5 or so next to the vanity top in the bathroom. So it won't take long, save for it drying 24 hours. It's not that rough, I hope one coat will suffice, but might need 2, not sure.
 
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Old 11-07-18, 03:00 AM
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Now I've got another problem,

I had a 4 inch section that was behind a picture where the drywall paper came off. Well before reading how you're supposed to "seal" it before applying compound, I applied compound and now it's dry.

Is there a way to remedy this without digging out the dried JC?
 
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Old 11-07-18, 03:20 AM
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If the surrounding paper hasn't lifted it should be ok. The reason for Gardz or oil base primer is to prevent the moisture in j/c or latex primer/paint from causing more damage. Sometimes you get lucky.
 
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Old 11-09-18, 10:42 AM
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I did another small wall in my bathroom with 2 coats of jc and it came out nice and smooth.
I just primed it with Zinsser 123 white (painting light blue) and saw some real tiny holes in about a 8 inch area or so.

They're not very noticable unless you point them out and there maybe are 20 of them or so I guess. Are those from air bubbles?

Should I "fix" them or just paint over them?
 
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Old 11-09-18, 11:20 AM
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Paint doesn't always fill those pin head bubbles, I'd thin some j/c down and apply a thin coat over them.
 
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Old 11-09-18, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by marksr
Paint doesn't always fill those pin head bubbles, I'd thin some j/c down and apply a thin coat over them.
Thansk Mark! Thats what I was thinking but not sure!
 
 

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