Puttying walls with your own hands - advice from an experienced master

If you decide to putty the walls with your own hands and not resort to the help of a specialist, then in this article you will find a lot of useful information for yourself. Let's figure out how to properly putty walls for wallpaper and painting. The matter is certainly not simple and requires skill, but we will try to understand as much as possible the question “how to putty walls?” I will not teach you how to hold a spatula or how to move it in any special way; you will learn all this yourself in the process of puttying. If any question is not covered, do not hesitate to ask it in the comments.

What is putty

Putty is a finishing material that is used to smooth out minor defects and create a uniform surface structure. Mainly consists of gypsum, acrylic and polymer materials.

Why putty the walls?

The walls are puttied in order to remove and level out minor surface defects and improve adhesion. Putty performs very well the function of preparation for finishing. In addition to its leveling qualities, the putty is environmentally friendly, vapor-permeable and can be easily processed or sanded.

Putty or putty, which is correct?

Especially for those who argue over correct spelling. In dictionaries, the words putty and putty have the same lexical meanings, so both options are correct. But there is one thing, but... Most construction literature and official information sources use the option (putty). It’s up to you to decide which option is more convenient for use, but still, it’s more fair to say – putty! But in this article, for certain reasons, I will use two options.

Types of putty for walls

And how to make the right choice when purchasing. First, let's figure out what types there are. Let us roughly divide the types of putties into 4 types. For convenience, we will consider them in this form:

• Starting
• Finishing
• Putties for special applications
• Facade

To understand what kind of putty you need and in what quantity, you need to start from two factors:

1. What kind of surface is there
2. What kind of finish will there be at the finish?

We will consider all possible options below, but for now let’s talk about the types of putty

Starting putty

Designed for rough leveling of small defects indoors with moderate humidity. The starting putty fills small and deep cracks well and does not shrink much when drying. The composition mainly includes gypsum and acrylic additives. It covers plastered surfaces well, and is well suited for preparing under wallpaper or fiberglass (cobwebs).

Finishing putty

Designed for final leveling of small defects indoors with moderate humidity. B consists mainly of polymers, so it does not have coarse grains. When filling deep scratches, it shrinks significantly after drying. It is used mainly on final layers in preparation for painting, decorative fine coatings. Well suited for fiberglass mesh reinforcement.

Putties for special applications

To this type we include all other varieties that will be useful to us in repairs. These are putties for sealing factory and non-factory drywall seams, for reinforcing and filling various joints and cracks. They dry quickly for ease of use, practically do not shrink, and have increased strength.

Facade putty

The scope of their application is clear from the name. It contains cement, so it has a greenish tint and is often called cement putty. It is used in damp rooms, loggias, basements and on facades. Frost-resistant when dried and has increased strength.

Why putty the walls?

It is not always necessary to putty the walls until they are completely smooth. For example, this should not be done if the wallpaper, after decorating the surface, hides small scratches from cleaning. Putty allows you to remove cracks and holes on the wall, level it well and, if necessary, bring it to a perfectly smooth state.

After that:

• It is much easier to glue wallpaper on smooth walls than on curved ones. In this case, the glue will be absorbed evenly, and the risk of wrinkling of the canvas will be minimal.
• Putty is used to remove various bumps from plastered walls that are visible in sunlight, which will make the surface pimply.

Tip: The instructions for puttying walls indicate: if the old putty crumbles after removing the wallpaper pasted on it, it must be completely removed and the surface must be puttied again.

Which putty to choose

So, which putty to choose? A few words about the composition and frequently asked questions.

Selecting putty based on composition

Here I will tell you what putties come in composition and which of the above mentioned types I can classify them as. At the same time, I will answer frequently asked questions. I think everything will fall into place here.

Gypsum putty

The main composition is gypsum, the rest is plasticizers and all kinds of additives. Gypsum itself has a coarse fraction compared to other types of putties. Therefore, it belongs to the type of starting finishing materials, well suited for preparation for wallpaper, cobwebs and rough decorative finishing.

Acrylic putty

Acrylic is such a multifaceted material that can be used in the production of putties of any kind, both starting dry and finishing in buckets. Acrylic putties are also widely used in wood processing of automobile bodies, etc. Therefore, it is probably not correct to use the term “acrylic putty” for a specific application. In this case, it can be either the start or the finish. Very often used in the production of wood putty.

Latex putty

Think about it, latex is rubber. Therefore, putty for finishing walls cannot be rubber; it simply contains a latex component. This putty is very flexible and can be used in damp rooms, although it all depends on the manufacturer.

Polymer putty

Basically these are all finishing putties, except gypsum. Acrylic and vinyl are also polymers, so acrylic and vinyl putty can also be called polymer.

Dry putty for walls

This is a starting material, mainly gypsum and acrylic. Again, suitable for preparation under wallpaper, cobwebs and decorative materials.

Which putty to choose for painting

The wall is prepared for painting as follows:

If there is plaster on the wall - 2 layers of starting gypsum putty, prime, if necessary, glue cobwebs or reinforcing mesh and 3 layers of finished finished putty, grind and you're done. If you are interested in specifics, then I use acryl-putz starting at the beginning and rotband pasta or sheetrock at the finish. This is about quality painting. If high-quality painting is not needed, then you can fill 3 layers with starting putty, grind and paint.

Which putty to choose for wallpaper

Under the wallpaper I use starting putty, which comes dry in bags. If we putty the plaster, then 3 layers of gypsum or acrylic starting putty are usually enough. I can recommend acryl-putz, prospectors, typhoon, knauf. (if they are sold in your regions). Pay attention to the price, cheap material is almost always bad. We'll talk about how to putty walls under wallpaper a little later.

Start-finish putty

Positioned as a universal putty. Very well suited for preparing wallpaper, cobwebs and rough painting. This mixture is not suitable as a finishing putty for spider webs, and I also do not recommend it for finishing the painting of ceilings and slopes. The finishing putty should be prepared in polymer-based buckets, not dry. There are no universal putties that perform their function well everywhere.

The best finishing putty

For a long time working in the finishing industry, I tried to work with different brands. I used them in different conditions and on different surfaces. As for the finishing putty, I can safely say that you need to take Knauf rotband pasta, sheetrock, Bostik finspakel (hardens very much). Finishing putty is often called “ready-made putty for walls”

Summing up the choice

A short selection of putty. For those who are too lazy to read the whole article, who just need to know the number of layers and what putty to buy:

We'll talk about this in more detail in the following chapters.

Main stages

The methods of applying putty depend on its type - starting, finishing, lighthouse. When working with starting putty, you will need to stretch a construction mesh onto the wall. This will allow you to apply the mixture in a thin layer. The walls must be covered completely, evenly distributing the material over the surface. This will help achieve perfect smoothness. Experienced craftsmen give this advice: ideal evenness can be achieved only with the help of a coarse mesh.

Two spatulas are often used in work at once. Source remontdoma24.ru

The optimal layer thickness is 1.5 mm. There will be several layers. Before applying the second and subsequent ones, you must allow the previous one to dry completely. How many layers to apply is decided by the master at his own discretion. The main thing is that the unevenness and differences in the walls are hidden, the grooves and holes are covered with putty.

The procedure for how to properly putty walls with lighthouse mixture is the same. Even the materials used are the same. You need to choose a suitable putty mixture and acquire tools. The only difference from the process of applying a conventional mixture is the need to use beacons.

Wooden or metal slats must be used. Fix them on the wall strictly vertically or horizontally. To ensure that the slats are attached evenly, you can check their position with a spirit level. They are fixed to the wall with a plaster mixture. Once it is completely dry, you can begin to putty. The mixture is applied in the standard way:

1. Apply a thin layer (1.5 mm) of the mixture to the surface and level it.
2. Allow to dry completely.
3. Apply the second and subsequent layers.

Lighthouse putty is rarely used. Visually, the wall with lighthouse putty looks the same as with the starting one. But the work process requires more materials and labor.

Calculation and consumption of putty for different surfaces

And so, how to calculate putty for walls... First, let's figure out what kind of surface we have, if these are plastered walls, then the consumption will increase significantly. Plasterboard walls will not require a lot of putty, but they will require a special putty for fugen and uniflot joints.

Putty consumption per m2

The average consumption of starting putty, indicated by the manufacturers, is 1kg-1.2kg per m2 of wall with a layer thickness of 0.6-3mm. Putty consumption per 1 m2 of wall is a very approximate parameter.

The consumption mainly depends on the characteristics of the wall (condition, porosity), and the experience of the “specialist” also plays an important role.

The consumption of finishing putty per m2 of wall is slightly less, 0.3-0.5 kg with a layer thickness of 0.5 mm. Again, it all depends on the surface being treated. For example, the consumption of putty on a cobweb will be significantly more than stated and will be approximately 0.5 kg per m2.

You won’t be able to calculate the exact amount of putty, so we take the average values, multiply by the number of layers (mm thickness) and multiply by the square footage of the walls. For example, if the total area of ​​the walls of a room is 40 m2 and we need to prepare it for wallpaper, then take the indicator 1 kg, multiply it by the number of layers (3 layers of 0.6 mm = 1.8 mm) and multiply by 40 m2

1kg*1.8mm*40m2= 72kg

One bag of putty usually weighs 25kg, so we need 3 bags of dry starting putty for a 40m2 room.

Calculation of putty for sealing plasterboard joints “Fugenfüller” and “Uniflot”

I recommend sealing the factory seams with fugen knauf, and not the factory seams (cut) with uniflot. There are usually not so many non-factory seams, so we buy the smallest volume of “uniflot” 5 kg. As for factory seams, the consumption of “fugenfüller” is approximately 1 kg per 4 m2 of installed drywall.

Preparing the wall surface

Falling layers of plaster should be removed

Before applying putty to the walls under the wallpaper, you should prepare the surface to be treated. It must be clean without any stains of grease, soot, paint, etc. Falling layers of plaster should be removed. It is strictly not recommended to start work if the walls or ceiling are frozen.

Before puttingty walls, it is necessary to apply a primer to improve adhesion. One coat of primer is enough.

How to putty walls (tool)

How to putty the walls? The main things we need from the tool:

• Spatula 10 cm
• Spatula 35 cm or metal grater, smoother.
• Mixer, whisk
• Roller and brush for primer
• Grinding grater, sandpaper
• Masking tape, knife, blades
• Water container
• Lighting, spotlight
• Vacuum cleaner

Paying attention! All spatulas, smoothers, handles for rollers must be non-rusting. This way they will serve you much longer and there will be no problems with rusty stains on the walls.

Preparation for putty

Any leveling of walls with putty begins with preparation. Preparing the wall is a very important stage; it will determine how well subsequent finishing materials will hold up. The surface must be well cleaned of debris, old wallpaper, and anything that does not adhere well and crumbles. All nails and protruding mortar are removed if it is plaster.

Next comes the priming of the surface, the wall should be well soaked with a deep penetration primer and wait until it dries completely, it is advisable to wait at least four hours, or even better, continue working the next day. The primer must not only absorb and dry, but also polymerize.

How to remove old putty from walls

If you need to remove old putty because it doesn’t stick well, then a 10 cm spatula and, for example, a hatchet are enough. If the putty holds well, you can try to wet it several times with water. It’s good to write it down and try to remove it with a spatula again.

If the putty is well primed and is not removed or soaked, then there are only two options.

• Knock down with a hammer until the plaster is finished (you will need to plaster the surface later)
• The second option is to make notches with a hatchet, prime with a deep-penetrating primer, wait until it dries completely, and then cover the entire wall with primer (sandy soil)

Ridding walls of old wallpaper

This is the first stage of work. Removing any wallpaper is quite easy if you treat it with water in advance.

1. Washable wallpaper has a waterproof layer, which makes the operation somewhat more difficult. To easily bypass this obstacle, go over them with a needle roller. If it is not there, then a brush with stiff metal bristles can be a replacement. Scratched walls are moistened with warm water - a sponge or a spray bottle.
2. Paper wallpaper is the most inconvenient option, since when it gets wet, it turns into a substance that tends to come off in pieces. To minimize labor, the surface is also treated with a needle roller, then generously moistened with water. After some time, remove the wallpaper with a wide spatula.
3. Vinyl wallpaper is a more convenient option, because this material absorbs water very well and is easily removed. The remaining pieces are simply cleaned off with a spatula.
4. Liquid wallpaper also comes off quite easily: it is first moistened with a small amount of water or treated with steam.

Alternative methods for freeing walls from wallpaper are using a steam generator or a hot iron. These devices will melt the old adhesive composition well, so separating the material from the surface should ideally be a fairly easy procedure.

Putty of various surfaces for different finishes

Puttying various surfaces is essentially the same process, the only difference is in the preparation and the number of layers. I’ll talk about the filling technique itself in another chapter, but in this one we’ll talk about preparation and the number of layers.

How to putty drywall

We’ll talk more about the puttying technology itself in the chapter “Do-it-yourself puttying of walls (step-by-step instructions).” We start by preparing the drywall. Preparation includes sealing the seams with sickle tape or paper tape. At this stage, we will need putty for a special application (this is mainly the application of sealing gypsum board seams). To seal factory gypsum board seams, we use knauf fugen. For non-factory seams we use knauf uniflot.

Primer of drywall before puttying

Apply the primer evenly to the wall using a roller, be sure to apply it evenly and without smudges, prime all seams and corners with a brush. Waiting for it to dry completely!

Puttying drywall joints with fugen and uniflot putties

This is a special putty for drywall developed by Knauf, which practically does not shrink and performs its function very well. We glue serpyanka tape onto the factory seams, coat the factory seams with fugen knauf, and not the factory seams with uniflot knauf. If we use paper tape, then first coat the seams with putty, then glue the tape and use a spatula to push it deep into the layer. Non-factory seams should have expansion gaps, and the cardboard at the edges should be cut at 45 degrees on each side.

Read on the packaging how to properly knead fugenfüller. Please note that you need to knead only in clean water and only by hand.

Puttying drywall before wallpapering

We wait for the sealed seams to dry completely, clean 35 cm of excess and small sagging with a spatula. Mix the starting putty and go through all the seams again. We wait for it to dry completely, then we clean all the seams with coarse sandpaper 80P-100P. Then we prime the entire wall again.

Do I need to putty drywall before wallpapering? Usually, the sealed seams should be enough for subsequent wallpapering (be sure to fill the seams with starting putty after fugen has dried). But, if you have very thin wallpaper, then it is advisable to putty the entire gypsum board wall with ready-made finishing putty in three layers. I recommend using knauf rotband paste or sheetrock finishing putty. We clean it with 140-180P abrasive, remove dust with a vacuum cleaner and re-prime it.

Plasterboard putty for painting

The seams are sealed using the above method. The seams must be cleaned and the entire wall primed. For high-quality painting, we use cobwebs, glue them with Bostik glue (I wrote about this in the article about gluing cobwebs). Then we putty the cobwebs into three layers and sand them with 180-240R sandpaper. Instead of cobwebs, you can glue a painting mesh with a 2x2 cell.

If you are not very interested in quality, but want to save money, then you can simply clean the seams and paint with a long-nap roller. It will work out a little better if you putty on 2 more layers with finishing putty and clean it with 180 rubles.

Putty walls for painting

The technology itself for puttingtying walls for painting is no different from others, only the number of layers, the presence of reinforcing material (if the painting is high-quality), and the number of sandpaper when sanding the putty are different.

If the surface is plastered, then the sequence of work should look like this:

1. Preparation, priming
2. 2-3 layers of starting putty (depending on the quality of the plaster)
3. Rough sanding with 80R sandpaper
4. Dust off, prime
5. Fiberglass (cobweb) or reinforcing mesh is glued (glued to the finishing putty)
6. Then 2-3 layers of finishing putty
7. Grinding with sandpaper 180-240R
8. Remove dust, vacuum, prime (white primer)

Fiberglass putty before painting

Many people wonder whether it is possible to putty fiberglass? Essentially, these are glass wallpapers and many people simply paint them, but I’ll tell you that this is complete nonsense. Practice shows that it is not only possible to putty on cobwebs, but also necessary!

Here only ready-made wall putty (finish) will be used. We putty the first layer of putty “to tear it off”, smooth the putty into all the pores of the web in different directions and completely remove it. We putty under good lighting, making sure that there are no gaps. We try not to move the spatula for too long; if the web is of poor quality, it will get wet and drag on the spatula. The next two applications of putty are applied in a thin, neat layer.

How to properly putty walls under wallpaper

Puttying walls under wallpaper is the easiest preparation, in my opinion. No reinforcement is required if the wallpaper is thick; finishing putty is not even required. Easily rubbed with coarse sandpaper. The main thing is to follow the minimum technology, which I will describe below.

1. Clean and dust the wall
2. Prime and wait for it to dry completely
3. Large holes and cracks are sealed separately
4. The first layer is applied
5. After drying, the wall is cleaned with a spatula to remove excess debris.
6. Apply 2 layers
7. Cleaned with sandpaper 100-120R
8. Removes dust
9. Prime with white primer and wait for it to dry completely.

I recommend buying thick non-woven wallpaper, they are easier to apply and better hide small nuances of the walls. Finishing putty for wallpaper is needed if the wallpaper is very thin and any defects will be visible. This also applies to photo wallpapers; it is also advisable to use finishing putty under them.

Puttying concrete walls

Puttying concrete walls without plaster is acceptable in panel houses with relatively smooth walls; in other cases, plastering of the surfaces is required. It is enough to prepare well, remove all excess from the wall, and prime it. Then, using 3 layers of starting putty, prepare it for the wallpaper.

Putty on penoplex (how to putty on penoplex)

I don’t know what kind of situation a person must have in order for him to need to putty penoplex, but we often receive such questions in the mail. Most likely, a person does not understand what putty is and has no idea how penoplex is finished. Or maybe he just needs to finish the facade, or the loggia, and he calls it all penoplex putty... I don’t know, but I’ll write a few words about this.

Penoplex cannot be putty with materials for interior decoration, and in this article we are talking about it. Consider the option of a loggia, for example, we have it insulated with polystyrene foam, timbered and we need to prepare the surface for painting.

We cover all the holes and dowel-nail heads with insulation glue. We glue the façade mesh and rub it all over with plaster. After complete drying, prime. Now the walls can be filled with cement façade putty. Personally, I recommend not to putty with cheap facade mixtures, but in this case it is best to use decorative plaster (for example, 1.5mm pebble)

The façade putty must be rubbed down immediately after complete drying. If you wait a couple of days, the emery abrasive will not take it.

Putty on plastered walls

The plastered wall needs to be thoroughly cleaned with a 35cm spatula, removing all sagging and everything that crumbles. Then you should prime the entire wall well and wait until it dries completely. If we are preparing it for wallpaper, then we apply 3 layers of starting putty. We coat all the cracks well with the first layer, fill in all the unevenness of the plaster, often this first layer is called “scraping putty.” Then follow 2 layers approximately 1mm thick. After drying, grind and prime (if under wallpaper). If it is for painting, then we prepare the wall further; I will describe it in more detail in the chapter “putty for painting”

Is it possible to putty over paint?

It is not advisable to putty on paint. If you need to putty acrylic paint, you first need to make sure that it adheres well, then prime it well and wait until it dries completely. Now it is permissible to fill it with several layers of finishing putty.

If you need to putty oil paint and there are no other options, then you need to cover it with sandy primer (for example, Caparol Putzgrund 610), after which you can putty the surface in several layers. I repeat, it is not advisable to putty the paint; it is recommended to remove it.

Putty without plaster

If you don’t want to level the walls with plaster, but simply putty the walls with your own hands and stick wallpaper, then first check how crooked the walls are. This can be done using a level or a rule. If the distortions are not very large and the quality of the wallpaper is of little interest to you, then you can simply putty on 3 layers and sand with coarse sandpaper 80R. We use only starting putty.

How to putty a balcony (loggia)

Such cold rooms are usually finished with facade materials, so facade putty is suitable for us. The facade putty contains cement, so it has a fairly large fraction. I recommend using high-quality, expensive material (for example, Caparol). Cheap - when rubbed with sandpaper, it becomes stained and behaves poorly when applied. If you need to decorate a loggia, it is better to use decorative plaster on the walls.

How to choose a coating?

The compositions differ in binder, degree of readiness and purpose.

According to the degree of readiness they are divided into:

• dry ones are used more often than others. They require preparation, but they are convenient to store and are quite affordable;
• Ready-made formulations are more expensive than dry ones, but no problems will arise with them. They are ready to use.

There are also universal compositions; they are applicable as leveling and finishing putty. When choosing a composition, it is important to remember the filler of the putty mixture. It contains small particles of lime, chalk, and gypsum. The smaller their fraction, the smoother the surface will be. This is especially true if the walls are to be painted. The optimal particle size in the mixture is up to 0.3 mm.

Material Types:

• The cement mixture is moisture resistant and suitable for bathrooms and kitchens. It is produced on the basis of white or gray cement. Due to slight shrinkage, it is recommended to apply several layers of material to the walls;
• gypsum-based finishing is not applicable in rooms with high humidity. But it is environmentally friendly and is perfect for treating walls with light wallpaper due to its white color. It does not shrink and is suitable for treating walls made of brick, concrete, and plasterboard;
• polymer compositions contain special additives, due to which they have plasticity and are easy to distribute on walls and level.

The time it takes for the composition to harden in air is also important. The gypsum material loses its plasticity after approximately 2 hours. For cement material this time will be 2-5 hours. Polymer putty retains plasticity for up to a day.

Do-it-yourself wall putty (step-by-step instructions)

Here we will talk about how to putty walls with your own hands step by step. We have already talked about preparing different surfaces, etc. In subsequent chapters, we’ll look at the putty technology itself in a little more detail and talk again about preparation for wallpaper, painting, and learn how to apply putty correctly.

We carry out work in dry rooms with temperatures from +5 to +25. The material is transported at the same temperature.

Step 1: preparing the walls

I already wrote about the preparation of walls above in the chapter “preparation for putty”; here I will repeat myself a little so as not to confuse everything even more. We clean the walls with a 35cm spatula (preferably an old one). After such cleaning, the spatula is not very suitable for subsequent putty. We clean the corners well, often after plastering the corners are slightly rounded. Pay attention to the connection to the ceiling and floor. The plane should be flat and neatly adjacent to adjacent walls and ceiling.

Step 2: priming the walls before puttying

Which primer is best? The soil should be coarse, I recommend Caparol Tiefgrund, ceresit st17. Although any concentrated deep impregnation primer is not bad. We dilute the primer according to the instructions, pour it into a bucket or bath and use a brush to saturate all the corners and junctions of the wall. Then, using a roller, apply primer to all surfaces that require puttying. The walls are primed for putty evenly. We wait for complete drying from four hours, but preferably a day.

Step 3: how to thin the putty

Pour approximately 2 liters of clean water into a bucket and add 5 kg of dry putty (all figures depend on the manufacturer). Then use a mixer or a whisk with a drill, mix everything until smooth. If necessary, add water or putty to achieve the desired thickness. If you take the putty on a 10cm spatula and turn it over, it should not flow down. Also, the solution should not be very thick, but rather elastic. After the first stirring, wait 3-4 minutes and stir again. After which the solution is ready for use. The solution should resemble thick sour cream.

If you need to putty with a ready-made finishing putty, I recommend adding 0.5 liters of clean water to a 10 liter bucket and mixing with a mixer. The putty will become more elastic and more convenient to apply.

Step 4: putty technology

Finishing and starting putty are applied in essentially the same way, the only difference is in the thickness of the application.

How to apply putty

If there are large potholes and cracks on the wall, then we putty them in advance and wait until everything dries. Then we apply the putty in an even layer on a 35cm spatula and, starting from the corner, begin to apply the putty on the wall. If the wall is plastered, then after application we remove the putty “by scraping” with a spatula so that the first layer penetrates only into all small cracks and irregularities.

Don’t forget that we are leveling the walls with putty, so we try to fill all the holes and small irregularities

After the first layer has dried, we clean the wall again with a spatula to remove particles of excess putty, sand from plaster and other debris. Then we evenly apply the second layer of putty, but we do not remove it completely, but apply approximately a 0.5 mm layer; in places of unevenness, the layer can reach up to 5 mm.

We must putty with good lighting, preferably under a spotlight or light bulb.

The third layer can be applied without waiting for the second layer to dry completely. We apply each layer in different directions so that the final movement of the spatula does not coincide with the direction of the next one. The third layer can be applied generally in a fan-like manner, smoothing with arc-shaped movements.

Pay attention to the back of the spatula. Periodically remove dry particles of putty and debris from it.

How to apply finishing putty (liquid putty for walls)

Wash your instrument frequently to prevent it from becoming completely overgrown. To do this, you need to have a bucket of water and dish sponges on hand.

The finished finishing putty is applied in exactly the same way as the starting putty (described above). We try to apply a thinner layer. Be sure to putty the walls so that there is good lateral illumination. Finishing putty has the property of strong shrinkage, so it is better not to level it with layers of 2-3 mm.

Step 5: how to putty corners

Puttying the corners of the walls is an important step; you need to make sure that the corners are well filled with putty and that dark empty cracks do not show through.

Internal corner

The inner corner of the adjacent ones is puttied alternately. First, one wall, wait for it to dry completely, remove excess putty particles from the corner with a spatula, then putty the adjacent wall.

Outside corner

In modern renovations, perforated corners have long been used; aluminum corners are used for painting work. They are leveled; after drying, the corner should be pulled off on both sides with putty. (I recommend pulling the fugen knauf, it gives a little shrinkage)

Puttying drywall corners

The inner corner of the gypsum board is glued with sickle tape or special paper tape and pulled back with “uniflot” or “fugen” putty. If you use sickle tape, then thoroughly press the putty into the seams of the drywall. If the tape is paper, then the seams are filled before applying the tape, the excess putty is pressed through and removed with a spatula. The outer corner is also placed on the “fugenfüller” and pulled out on both sides. (in some cases the corner is pulled twice)

Reinforcement

Reinforcement during putty usually occurs at the stage when our wall is puttied in 1-3 layers. Reinforcement such as painting mesh and cobwebs protects the wall only from small cracks. In addition to the reinforcing effect, the web creates a uniform surface and smoothes out minor irregularities.

Cobweb (fiberglass)

In one of the articles, I described the detailed technology for gluing cobwebs, so I will describe it briefly here.

1. 2-3 layers of starting putty, sanded with 80P sandpaper\
2. Prime and wait for it to dry completely
3. Apply glue with a roller (I recommend glue from Bostik or Oskar)
4. Fiberglass is applied and smoothed with a spatula
5. Reapply a layer of glue with a roller
6. Smooth it out with a 35cm spatula, as if we were putting it with glue.
7. Subsequent strips of fiberglass are glued end-to-end, or cut with a knife at the joints

Painting mesh

Autumn protects walls well from small cracks and is great for preparing for painting or decorative finishes.

1. 1-2 layers of starting putty (wait for complete drying
2. Cleaning the wall with a spatula
3. Apply the mesh and smooth the top with finishing putty
4. Excess is trimmed with a paint knife
5. After which 2 more layers of finishing putty are applied

How long does it take for putty to dry on walls?

The putty dries in about 6 hours, it all depends on the temperature and humidity of the room. It is advisable to wait a day and then start sanding. It is not recommended to wait several days; some brands of putty harden greatly.

Processing for wallpaper

A correctly applied layer of putty is the key to ensuring that the wallpaper will be smooth, without wrinkles or bubbles. For wallpaper with a thick base, a layer of putty is applied twice. For thinner materials, one is enough.

After removing the old finishing materials, the wall is plastered in places where there are defects on it. After this, the plaster is allowed to dry, the surface is sanded and treated with a primer. Water-based paint is removed from the walls by soaking and removing it. It is enough to treat the oily one with sandpaper. Then the surface must be degreased. A soap solution is quite suitable here.

After applying and drying the base putty, the surface is sanded, cleaned of dust and primed.

When the primer has dried, the finishing putty is applied.

Sanding walls after puttying

So we figured out how to properly putty the walls, now we will answer the question of how to sand the walls after puttying. There is nothing complicated in grinding, there are only a few small nuances, which I will talk about now. Hand sanding

In manual sanding, a “hand grater” is used - this is a tool for sanding walls after puttying; I recommend purchasing one made of white plastic because... black ones leave streaks in the corners when sanded. It is better to use sandpaper that is not the cheapest. The most important thing and the very first thing to say is to remember to use a respirator!

Sanding the walls after puttying occurs exclusively in circular movements and under the illumination of a spotlight!

If we use a household vacuum cleaner, there is a possibility of damaging the equipment. Therefore, we first remove large debris with a spatula and sweep. And we vacuum up the remaining dust.

Mesh for grouting putty

Personally, I don’t use mesh; the ones sold in my region are of poor quality and scratch the surface. As far as I know, it can be used with special graters that are connected to a vacuum cleaner. You only need to connect industrial devices, for example, bosch gas50.

Material selection

What finishing putty is better to putty on walls? Based on its composition, putty can be divided into: gypsum, acrylic, cement. Let's pay attention to considering the positive and negative aspects.

1. Gypsum composition. It has an affordable price, good recommendations during the work process, and no shrinkage.
2. The cement included in the composition shows excellent resistance to moisture, but significant shrinkage occurs over time.
3. Polymer products. They have a lot of advantages: they are resistant to moisture and do not shrink. The treated walls are of high quality. An excellent option to consider for those who are wondering how to level walls with finishing putty and are looking for quality materials. The only disadvantage is the cost of putty.

There is also a division by purpose.

1. Starting mixtures. They are distinguished by their strength, excellent adhesion characteristics, and coarse grain size. Suitable for correcting uneven walls.
2. Decorative. Application is recommended to obtain a perfectly flat surface with correction of minor unevenness. The strength is also quite high, the work process does not cause problems.
3. Universal. The product combines leveling and decorative properties. Their cost is slightly higher, although they are inferior to the coatings described above. Use is recommended for eliminating minor wall imperfections.

On the modern market you can purchase both dry mixtures and those already completely ready for use. The dry product is more attractive due to its cost and the possibility of longer storage.

Ready-made material is, of course, more convenient to use. You won't have to knead it, making the process faster and cleaner. However, such putty can cause significant shrinkage.