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Had to pick between spackle and joint compound for that hole in the wall
Been patching up some holes in my living room from an old shelf... wasn't sure which to grab. I went with joint compound since I had a half-used tub from a bigger project last summer. It took like 3 coats to get smooth and I left it too thick on the second try, had to sand forever. Still, it blended in better with the textured wall than spackle would have. Anyone else have a clear favorite for small holes or am I overthinking this?
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mia44210h ago
It's just a hole in the wall, not brain surgery.
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drew80512h ago
Start by mixing a tiny bit of water into that joint compound if you're doing a small hole. I learned this the hard way after patching a bunch of nail holes in my hallway. The pre-mixed stuff is usually too thick straight out of the tub, so a few drops of water make it spread way smoother and you don't get that lumpy mess that needs a ton of sanding. For tiny holes like screw holes from a shelf, I actually use toothpaste sometimes if I'm in a rush and don't care about perfection. Just let it dry overnight and it sands down pretty decent for a quick fix. You're not overthinking it though, matching the texture is the real trick and joint compound is definitely better for that since you can feather it out more.
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