How to Fill Nail Holes in a Wall (and Make Them Disappear)

How to Fill Nail Holes in a Wall (and Make Them Disappear)

A nail hole is one of the smallest bits of damage a wall can have, and one of the easiest to fix. Done well, the repair disappears completely. Done badly, it leaves a lumpy patch that looks worse than the hole did.

This guide takes you through the whole job: what you need, how to fill the hole, how to get a smooth finish, and how to paint over it so nobody can tell it was ever there. It works whether you are tidying up a rented flat before you move out or just changing the pictures on your own walls.

It is part of our wider guide to end of tenancy wall repairs.

What you will need

You do not need much, and most of it is cheap.

• Ready-mixed filler or spackle suited to small holes (see below)
• A flexible putty knife or filling knife, about 25 to 50 mm wide
• Fine sandpaper, around 180 to 240 grit, or a sanding sponge
• A damp cloth or soft brush for dust
• Touch-up paint that matches your wall, plus a small brush or mini roller
• A little primer, if you are painting over a patch of filler on a dark or glossy wall
• A dust sheet or old towel for the floor

Which filler should you use?

For ordinary nail and picture-hook holes, a lightweight ready-mixed filler or spackle is the easiest choice. It comes ready to use, goes on smoothly and sands easily. Powder fillers that you mix yourself are cheaper and suit bigger jobs, but they are fiddlier for a few tiny holes.

If you want a quick one-product fix, some people prefer a one-step filler, which is designed to go on and dry without much shrinking. We looked at one popular option in our Red Devil One Time filler review. For a side-by-side look at the main types, see our guide to the [best filler for small holes].

Whichever product you choose, read the label. Drying times, recommended depths and surface types vary from one product to the next.

How to fill a nail hole: step by step

1. Prepare the area

Brush or wipe away any dust, loose paint or crumbs of plaster from around the hole. If the nail left a small raised lip of paint or plaster around the edge, press it flat or lightly sand it so the filler can sit level.

2. Apply the filler

Take a small amount of filler on the tip of the putty knife. Press it firmly into the hole, then draw the knife across at a shallow angle so the filler sits just proud of the surface. Slightly overfilling is intentional, because many fillers shrink a little as they dry and you can sand off any excess.

3. Smooth it off

With a clean part of the knife, scrape across the filled hole once or twice to remove the excess. The goal is a flat surface with as little to sand off later as possible. Wipe the knife and clean up any smears around the edges while the filler is still wet.

4. Let it dry, then sand

Wait until the filler is completely dry. Check the pack for timing, as it depends on the product and the depth of the hole. Rushing this step is the most common reason repairs show through the paint.

Once dry, sand lightly with fine sandpaper using small circular movements until the patch feels perfectly flush when you run a fingertip across it. Wipe away the dust with a damp cloth and let the area dry again.

5. Paint over the repair

Apply touch-up paint with a small brush or mini roller, using thin coats and feathering the edges outward so there is no hard line. Let each coat dry before judging it. For tips on getting the colour right, see our guide to [matching touch-up paint].

Deeper holes: fill in layers

If the hole is deeper than a nail would normally leave, perhaps from a screw or a wall plug that has been pulled out, a single pass of filler may sink as it dries. Instead:

1. Remove any loose plug or debris from the hole.
2. Fill the hole about halfway and let it dry fully.
3. Add a second layer, again slightly proud of the wall.
4. Sand and paint as above.

For holes left by TV brackets and shelving, our guide to [fixing screw and anchor holes after removing a TV mount] covers the extra steps. For anything larger than a few centimetres, a filler alone will not hold, and you will need to patch it. See [how to patch a large hole in plasterboard].

Tips for different wall types

• Plasterboard and plaster: the easy case. Standard lightweight filler works well, and the repair sands smoothly.
• Brick or masonry: use a filler suitable for masonry or a general-purpose one that says it works on it, and expect to press it in a little harder.
• Wood or skirting boards: use a wood filler, ideally one that can be stained or painted to match.
• Textured walls: harder to disguise. You may need to dab the surface with a sponge or brush while the paint or filler is wet to recreate the texture.
• Wallpaper: gently press any lifted edge flat with a little adhesive, and use a touch of tinted filler or a pen the same colour as the pattern. A neat hole in a busy pattern is often easier to hide than one in a plain wall.

How to make the repair truly invisible

The difference between a repair you can spot and one you cannot is usually in the finish rather than the fill.

• Sand until it is smooth, then stop. Over-sanding digs a dip around the patch, and under-sanding leaves a bump.
• Prime if needed. Filler soaks up paint differently from the rest of the wall, which can leave a dull patch known as flashing. A small dab of primer before you paint avoids this.
• Use matching paint. Old paint fades, so a fresh tin of the same colour can look different. Test it in a hidden spot or repaint the whole wall if the match is poor.
• Thin coats beat thick coats. Two thin coats blend better than one heavy one.
• Look at it in the right light. Check the repair with the room lit the way you normally see it, and again with side-lighting from a window or lamp, which shows up lumps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the dry time. Painting over damp filler is the fastest way to a patchy finish.
• Using too much filler. A thick blob needs a lot of sanding and is harder to blend.
• Not cleaning the dust. Filler dust under paint leaves a rough surface.
• Painting without checking the colour. Test first, especially on older walls.
• Pressing too hard when sanding. It leaves a dip that catches the light.

Renting? Fill the holes before you move out

If you are leaving a rented home, neat repairs are usually the cheapest way to protect your deposit, particularly if the tenancy agreement was strict about hanging items. If you are unsure what a landlord can fairly claim for, read our guide on whether a landlord can charge for nail holes, and photograph the walls before and after your repair using our [end of tenancy photo checklist].

Fewer holes next time

The easiest hole to fill is the one you never make. When you put up pictures, mirrors or shelves in your next home:

• Measure and mark carefully so you drill or nail once.
• Use the right fixing for the wall type.
• Consider no-drill options for lightweight items. See [hanging pictures without making holes].

For heavier items, or if you would simply rather have it done properly the first time, we can help with professional wall mounting and same day TV mounting across Camden, Islington, Hackney, Barnet, Brent, Westminster and Haringey.