Tip Ten: Filling nail holes
That is one other tip that I should not must say, however first… Fill your nail holes even if you happen to do it poorly. Solely the trashiest of baseboards do not make any try and fill nail holes. If you’re prepared not solely to just accept that, however are prepared to fill your nail holes correctly, learn on.
Not like many ideas right here, the nail gap ideas are usually not interchangeable from paint to stain-grade trim.
Paint grade:
Worst: The best and worst technique to fill your nail holes is just by smearing a dap of caulk in your nail gap. That is tempting as a result of it’s straightforward, and the white caulk even seems to match the white base. You may even assume you will get away with not touching up the holes with extra paint. There are a few issues with caulk, although. First, it shrinks. Because it dries, it should pull again from the floor, revealing what seems to be like a bit of dimple in your base. The second downside is that if you happen to do not contact up the caulk with paint, the recent white will quickly acquire mud and seem like a dingy smear that positively does not match that white paint. All of that mentioned, it seems to be higher than not filling in any respect. However there are higher choices.
Higher: The following most suitable choice is not that unhealthy in any respect. And that’s to make use of wall spackle to fill the holes. Spackle is reasonable, straightforward to make use of, does not shrink, and straightforward to restore if crucial. The most effective technique I’ve discovered for utilizing spackle is to press a small quantity in and scrape off the surplus with the again of a chisel. If you happen to do it effectively, you will not have any spackle left aside from immediately within the gap. It dries in a number of hours and simply sands in case your filling was a bit of proud. Add a bit of touch-up paint, and you’ve got a very acceptable nail filler.
Greatest: I completely love utilizing automotive Bondo for nail filler. Nonetheless, it’s gradual to make use of, smells fairly bizarre, and does not sand as simply as spackle. So why is it the very best? As a result of it yields the very best outcomes. Bondo is available in two elements and reacts pretty shortly. So solely combine up sufficient for use in 2-3 minutes. The chisel technique additionally works effectively for filling holes. However a Bondo spreader additionally works. The Bondo will likely be exhausting sufficient to sand in simply half-hour or so, which is handy for smoothing out any blemishes. Bondo sands extraordinarily effectively and leaves a close to glass-smooth end while you’re executed. Not like spackle, that form of leaves a end like if you happen to have been to sand a graham cracker. Bondo won’t ever shrink and holds as much as fairly average abuse.
Bonus tip: Think about filling bigger gaps in outdoors miters with Bondo and touching up with paint. We do not at all times get that excellent joint, and typically now we have to faux it. Simply do not inform anybody.
Stain grade:
I examined many various nail fillers for my baseboards and located that the very best outcomes have been from wax filling sticks. There are a number of completely different wax fillers, however the ones that labored finest for me did not require any warmth to soften the stick first. A few of these sticks have been designed for use like a crayon. The place you simply scribble over your gap to fill it. Then wipe off extra with a fabric rag. I did not like this technique for my natural-finish trim, although. This left a waxy halo across the nail gap that was nearly extra noticeable than the outlet itself. I opted to make use of a tiny flathead screwdriver to scoop out a small quantity. Then I’d try to insert it immediately into the outlet. Any extra was scraped off with a small plastic scraper. The fillers are available a ton of various colours. A few of which have been remarkably near my trim. However I discovered I might get an excellent nearer match through the use of a furnishings marker to paint within the nail gap if it was just a bit too mild.
Bonus tip: you probably have a variation in shade in your trim, attempt taking a dab of two colours, then urgent the combo into the nail gap. The variation can match the pure variation in wooden if executed accurately.