If you’re a renter who doesn’t want to risk losing their security deposit or if you’re a homeowner who’s about to put up their house for sale, then you won’t want to leave the property with a multitude of ugly-looking nail holes in the walls.
Leaving any nails sticking out from the walls is even worse, so the only good option for you will be to patch up all nail holes before you move out.
With enough time and confidence, you can use the proper way to cover nail holes when moving out – using spackling paste, sandpaper, and paint. On the other hand, if you have to move out too quickly or there are only a few small holes on the wall anyway, then you may choose to use one of the DIY ways to fix those wall holes that do not involve painting.
Read on to learn the best ways to fill nail holes when moving house.
How to fill in small nail holes the PROPER way (with painting)
Here’s how to properly fill in small nail holes before moving out of the place:
1. Purchase the supplies
Luckily, you won’t need too many supplies in order to fix small nail holes in the walls.
Visit the nearest hardware store and purchase
- a package of spackling paste,
- a putty knife,
- fine-grain sandpaper (or a sanding sponge),
- a small paintbrush,
- paint that matches the color of the walls.
To ensure that you’re getting the right color and shade of paint, take a photo of the walls in natural daylight for comparison at the hardware store.
2. Apply the spackling paste
Take a tiny amount of spackle with the corner of the putty knife and push it gently and slowly into the nail hole. When you’re done, use the flat side of the knife to even out the paste. Do your best to smooth out the spackle over the nail hole but don’t worry if there’s some excess paste left over it.
Let the spackling paste dry out – 2-3 hours should be enough.
3. Sand the spackled zone
Check whether the spackle is completely dry – if yes, then it’s time to sand it down. Use the fine-grain sandpaper and sand the spackled area carefully so that it becomes even with the wall.
Don’t press too hard while sanding it down for fear of taking too much and creating a slight dent in the wall. Should that happen, go back to step 2 and apply more spackling paste, then let it dry, and try again with the sandpaper.
When you’re done sanding, the small area over the nail hole should feel perfectly smooth and flush with the wall.
4. Apply the paint
Use the small paintbrush to paint the entire spackled and sanded area so that is blends in naturally with the original wall color. The small paintbrush will give you more control over the painting process – remember that you only need to paint over a really small area of the wall.
See also: How to get back your security deposit when moving out
How to fill in large nail holes the PROPER way (with painting)
Larger nail holes are a bit trickier to patch up, so you’re going to need an extra step to apply a supporting material over it for added stability.
Here’s how to properly fill in large nail holes before moving out of the home:
1. Purchase the supplies
Go to a good local hardware store and get all the supplies mentioned above (for covering small holes in walls) plus one pack of self-adhesive fiberglass mesh. The mesh will add the needed reinforcement when nail holes or screw holes are half an inch in diameter, or larger.
2. Position the fiberglass mesh
Now that you have the required supplies, you’re ready to complete the nail hole repair.
Cut a piece of the fiberglass mesh so that it extends to about 1 inch around the nail hole in all directions. Position the mesh right above the hole and press it down onto the wall – it should stick in place thanks to the available adhesive.
3. Apply the spackling paste
Use the putty knife to apply the spackle in the same way as described above. This time, give more time for the spackle to adhere to the mesh – at least 5-6 hours, or more, if possible.
4. Sandpaper the spackled mesh
Check to see if the spackling paste is completely dry. If yes, then smooth out the area using the fine-grain sandpaper.
The layer right above the mesh will be thinner than you need it to be, so you’ll need to apply a second coat of spackle to get the job done properly. Wait until it dries out, then sand it a second time for best results.
5. Apply the paint
When the surface above the big nail hole is perfectly smooth and flush with the wall, use the small paintbrush again and paint carefully the zone using paint of the same color and shade as the original ones.
Read also: How to clean your apartment before moving out
How to fill nail holes the DIY way (without painting)
Sometimes you may only need to patch up a few tiny nail holes, so the whole hassle of covering those holes with spackling paste and then painting over the area will not be worth it. Also, you may not have the needed time to do it all, or the confidence to manage the spackling, sanding, and painting steps.
Here are some quick and easy DIY ways to fill in nail holes:
Toothpaste
Using toothpaste to fill in small nail holes in the walls is the quickest way to patch them up, let’s say when your landlord is coming in an hour to take a look at the place you’re moving out of.
Make sure you use the white paste, not the multi-colored ones or the ones with whitening microgranules in them. In most cases, toothpaste will crack and that’s why it’s not suitable for filling up larger nail holes.
To prevent the toothpaste from cracking up, what you can do is mix a bit of toothpaste with a small amount of crushed aspirin (1-2 tablets should be enough), creating a white paste that will not crack with time. Apply carefully the newly-formed toothpaste-aspirin paste into a nail hole, then let it dry, and you’re ready.
Using toothpaste to fill a nail hole can only work on white walls.
Baking soda
There are several DIY hacks to fill in nail holes in the walls before moving out – which one you’ll choose to use will depend on a number of variables such as time, home, wall color, and personal preferences.
Another way to patch up small nail holes without painting is to mix a small amount of baking soda with white liquid glue. The result should be white, thick and consistent paste-like mixture that you can use to fill in the nail holes.
Liquid glue
Alternatively, you can use white liquid glue with a Q-tip (for example, Elmer’s liquid glue) as a nail hole filler before you move out.
Be extra cautious not to get glue over the rest of the wall, as removing it will prove to be an issue. For best results, have a piece of cardboard underneath the liquid glue tube to prevent any spills.
Ivory soap
Soap should be your very last option because it’s not really a permanent fix but rather, a quick way to fill in any nail holes by masking the real issue.
Take a bar of white Ivory soap and rub it gently over the hole until it gets filled up with… soap. Then, use your fingers or a dry cloth to wipe away any excess soap in the zone, and you’re done.
Just keep your fingers crossed that your landlord won’t decide to inspect those walls too closely.
Good to know: How to get an accurate moving estimate
