# Filling nail holes & caulking type



## Mstrlucky74 (Jan 19, 2013)

Mstrlucky74 said:


> Is it better to fill nail holes in the mouldings with joint comound or caulking? If caulking the what kind? When i caulk all the mouldings what is the best type that wont shrink or discolor? Also is there any technic to filling all these holes? Thanks a lot


Well I just bought the Dap glazing compound. Hope it works well for the nail holes


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

First, you have to give us more than a couple hours on a weekend to respond!

Just to confirm, we are talking interior trim right?

Glazing compound is for sealing or "glazing" between glass and the frames that hold it to provide a waterproof seal. It is not at all what you want to fill nail holes or caulk trim and is not meant to ever be used for such purposes. Please do not tell us a box store apron person told you it is what you wanted? If so, I think you got the worst advice I have heard from one of them so far. 

What you want to caulk the trim is a quality, paintable caulk and a decent, not $2 rickety, caulking gun to go with it. Look for the ones around $10 retail that swivel.

Then cut the extension tube on the caulk at a slight angle to get the size bead that will work best for the gaps you have. You can seal opened caulk with a wire nut. Extrude a manageable length of caulking bead from the caulking gun then disengage it. Follow along the bead you extruded from the caulking gun to even it out. You can buy a plastic finishing thingie but most of us have found our finger works as well. Have a bucket of water and soft cloth handy to wipe off any excess. 

You can fill nail holes with caulk as you move along the trim. Or, you can use drywall compound. Allow either to dry. Then prime and apply two coats of finish.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I use Painters putty since that's what it's made for, or Fast N Final.
Your going to find the caulking will shrink and leave low spots.
http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?BrandID=152&SubcatID=24


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

joecaption said:


> I use Painters putty since that's what it's made for, or Fast N Final.
> Your going to find the caulking will shrink and leave low spots.
> http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?BrandID=152&SubcatID=24


Fast N Final or other such painter's putty is great for nail holes but not for caulking between the trim and walls or ceiling although you could make it work I guess.

And Joe is right, if you use caulking or drywall compound on deep nail holes, it may "pucker" a dimple you have to go back and hit a second time if it is too soupy.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I only fill the nail holes with the two products I suggested.
I use Dap 230 for the gaps.


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## funfool (Oct 5, 2012)

I think spackle is the correct terminology, while there are many different kinds of spackle by different manufacturers. Fast and final is a good one.
My little pet peeve about others spackle jobs, they like to putty the nail hole and then wipe it off flush and then paint over it.
Seems the nail holes always show back up, either because they did a crappy job wiping it off, or it shrank and now see it after paint.
Only takes a couple of min to come back over it with a sanding sponge when dried, looks so much better.

Alex + latex painters caulk is what I use to caulk the trim with. Does not matter if you are painting it, I prefer clear caulk. I buy it by the case and can use it almost everywhere.
Colored caulk like white, I only pick up a few tubes as needed.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

It's funny. The term "spackle" conjures up very expensive tiny plastic containers of that foam stuff only good for patching the tiniest of holes from picture frame hooks. It is outrageously expensive. I realize others have different products in mind when thinking of the same term.

Clear paintable caulk is not a bad idea at all. Just don't buy the high content or pure silicone stuff you cannot paint over. And carving it out of your way is a PITA. 

Good point about letting whatever dry to see what surface you are left with.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I think the biggest mistake a lot of DIY'er make when doing this is they cut the hole in the tube too large, that makes it hard to control, and applies too much caulk you have to go back and clean up.And if you fill the nail holes with spackle (which you should use) don't push it in with your finger tip that makes it concave and it will show. Leave it proud then come back and sand. Just to prove something take a piece of wood then put some caulk on it, let it dry real good then go back and try to sand it. Then take that by how many nail holes you have.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

I've always used glazing compound to fill nail holes. It's very similar to painters putty, maybe not as oily. It does fine under enamel, but can show a oily bleed through flat paint. Certainly nothing wrong with using it that I can see. It doesn't shrink and show a divot like caulk will. 

To fill the holes completely, push the compound into the hole leaving a little excess, then sand it smooth with 220 sand paper. You don't wait for it to dry because it doesn't dry.(for a long time) it will gum up the sand paper after a while. 

I've probably filled a million holes with it and never a problem under enamel.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

SD is right, glazing compound is made for glazing windows primarily. But it's often used as a substitute for putty. You can hardly tell the difference. I like it better than putty.


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

funfool said:


> Alex + latex painters caulk is what I use to caulk the trim with. Does not matter if you are painting it, I prefer clear caulk. I buy it by the case and can use it almost everywhere.
> Colored caulk like white, I only pick up a few tubes as needed.


Obviously you're not a painter. What might be the problem with clear caulk? Once it dries clear it's hard to know what's done and not done. I accidentally bought a case of clear one time and learned the hard way that a paint shop is no place for clear caulk. Might be okay for a single frame or stretch of base but not on a large caulking intensive job. Until you start putting paint on, everything still looks missed, and after the paint is on you find out that some actually was.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

It has been awhile since I have had reason to use glazing compound for anything but seems to be there was a recommended 7 or so day wait period before trying to prime and paint it? That makes it impractical for use on most jobs.


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## cdaniels (Dec 27, 2012)

I have used glazing on interior trim but I always dry it with a little joint compound dust mixed in it.Painter's putty works good because you can ball it up and take it with you instead of dipping your finger in a container for every hole.With a little practice you can have a ball of putty in your hand and fill nail holes pretty quick.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

cdaniels said:


> I have used glazing on interior trim but I always dry it with a little joint compound dust mixed in it.Painter's putty works good because you can ball it up and take it with you instead of dipping your finger in a container for every hole.With a little practice you can have a ball of putty in your hand and fill nail holes pretty quick.


 Yea, I dry it sometimes too. You can use a ball of glazing too( I stick it on the side of caulk gun for easy access). 
Lately I've switched to the newer spackle that won't flash paint. Some of the newer stuff is denser than the light weight spackle. 
The thing I like about using glazing/ putty is that you don't have to wait for it to dry(for small applications anyway) so you only make one trip around filling holes.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I must say I learned something today.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Now granted, we are talking just little interior finish nail holes I hope but I still think there are more appropriate products. Anyhow, from the actual data sheet... 

Product Painting  


1. DAP33 Glazing must be painted after it has skinned over and attained a firm set. Firm set is typically demonstrated when a light finger touch to the surface does not leave a fingerprint. Firmset may occur in as little as 7 days after application, but more likely 2-3 weeks after application.Painting must be done only after firm set is achieved.  


2. When painting, use only (i) a high quality exterior-grade oil-based paint, or (ii) prime with a highquality oil-based primer and topcoat with a high quality exterior-grade acrylic-latex paint finish.The paint line must overlap onto the face portion of the glass, as well as the bedding area wherethe sash and glass meet.


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## Mstrlucky74 (Jan 19, 2013)

sdsester said:


> First, you have to give us more than a couple hours on a weekend to respond!
> 
> Just to confirm, we are talking interior trim right?
> 
> ...


Got it based n some comments here

http://www.contractortalk.com/f18/filling-nail-holes-trim-6066/


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Mstrlucky74 said:


> Got it based n some comments here
> 
> http://www.contractortalk.com/f18/filling-nail-holes-trim-6066/


And it sounds like some get it to work so go for it I guess.


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## funfool (Oct 5, 2012)

jsheridan said:


> Obviously you're not a painter. What might be the problem with clear caulk? Once it dries clear it's hard to know what's done and not done. I accidentally bought a case of clear one time and learned the hard way that a paint shop is no place for clear caulk. Might be okay for a single frame or stretch of base but not on a large caulking intensive job. Until you start putting paint on, everything still looks missed, and after the paint is on you find out that some actually was.


Ding ding ding, we have a winner. 
I am a remodel carpenter, which makes me a jack of all trades and master of none :laughing:
I simply call that touch up. Clear goes on white, you can see what your finished product looks like while it is drying and turning clear.
You need to know its limitations, know it will shrink in gaping holes and need to be reapplied. If you missed a spot while caulking, is not the clear caulks fault :whistling2:

For some reason to me, colored caulk is just dirty. You apply it and 6 months later it looks dirty, is hard to clean, I just prefer not to use it.
With clear I do not have this issue.

I just changed the trim last week in several rooms, went from 2 1/4" to 3.5", is plaster walls and a total caulk fest.
The house which I believe was a union carpenter who built his own house, or was built from union carpenters. Block house with all steel headers and all the doors are metal commercial, meaning the door frames were in place before framing and framed to them.
These frames have built in plain jane 3/4" Bumps for trim, you can slide your drywall right up to the bump and call it finished.
I took a sawzall and cut that bump off, I then took the new 1"x4" mdf trim and made a dado in the back where it sits over the cut metal. Trust me, I have opened case of caulk in my van, I did not even look to see how much. Just picked up another case while getting the trim :yes: 
I even think I invented a new word, caulkAbull:jester:


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## ltd (Jan 16, 2011)

are we talking bout painted trim ? If so spackel and white caulk ,fill with a flexable putty knife and scrape it clean this will do a very nice job .if you want to make it perfect over fill slightly then sand flush when dry .my personal choice is ready patch and Sherwin Williams 950 a WHITE caulk


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Funfool, exactly, missed spots are not the caulks fault. :whistling2: Painters and carpenters have different usage and needs for caulk. The most I see carpenters need caulk for is to hide gaps in their trim from the customer until the painter gets there, and they do me NO favors by doing that. 

If I look at a white door frame with gaps, the gaps are "black". If the frame doesn't get painted, and the caulk dries clear, the frame is still going to have "black" gaps. White caulk colors the gap and hides it. And clear will attract dirt, may not show it as readily but it will. And I can't tell you the last time I caulked something that didn't get, or wasn't getting, painted. All caulk should be painted. But, we now live in an age where everything is finished painted, then put together, and then caulked, where the caulk doesn't get painted. It's called new construction express painting. 

The job I was talking about on the clear was new construction. Everything needed caulk, full. The caulking was done well in advance of painting so when I got there all the caulk was clear. Standing there looking at the rooms, all I could see was the "black" where the caulking was supposed to be. It was all caulked, but didn't look that way. If using white, I could have walked the rooms and touched up any misses by looking for the black. With the clear I didn't find them till after the first coat. It's just more comforting to see the solid look that white caulk provides.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

I really see no advantage to clear I have always used white. If you use clear on a gap it will still look like a gap so why bother.


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## Mstrlucky74 (Jan 19, 2013)

joecaption said:


> I only fill the nail holes with the two products I suggested.
> I use Dap 230 for the gaps.


Does it need sanding?


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## Mstrlucky74 (Jan 19, 2013)

Jmayspaint said:


> Yea, I dry it sometimes too. You can use a ball of glazing too( I stick it on the side of caulk gun for easy access).
> Lately I've switched to the newer spackle that won't flash paint. Some of the newer stuff is denser than the light weight spackle.
> The thing I like about using glazing/ putty is that you don't have to wait for it to dry(for small applications anyway) so you only make one trip around filling holes.


Don't you need to sand it after applying it?


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## kimberland30 (Jan 22, 2008)

Fast 'N Final claims that it doesn't need sanding after it dries, but I'm a messy spackler and always sand after. It's not really a big deal if you use a spackle, nail hole filler from a tube, whatever...just a light sand with a sanding block or fine grit paper and you're done.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

Mstrlucky74 said:


> Don't you need to sand it after applying it?


You don't have to no. You can just push it in the hole and wipe it smooth with a finger. I have better luck filling the holes completely if I leave a little excess and sand the excess immediately .
The easy way is to make a ball out of it and use the ball to fill. Kinda hard to explain.


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