How To Use Wood Filler On A Door

Flooring & Stairs

How to Employ Wood Filler to Repair Piece of furniture, Flooring, and More than

Use wood filler to effectively and efficiently repair scratches, fries, gouges, and other surface imperfections in the woodwork around your dwelling house.

how to use wood filler

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Badly scratched hardwood flooring, rotted window frames, and chipped article of furniture are common bug that can be time-consuming and expensive to repair. Or they can exist dealt with speedily and affordably past homeowners who know how to use wood filler. If you've never worked with this stuff before, go excited: It might soon be your favorite particular in the tool box. Simple in concept and like shooting fish in a barrel to utilise, wood filler works wonders to remedy surface imperfections in a vast and varied range of household items.

At beginning blush, using wood filler may seem like a messy procedure, simply precise results are not only possible, they are besides in fact rather easy to reach. Information technology's important to note, yet, that wood filler is intended strictly for superficial bug, such as scratches and gouges. If the damage calls for a proper repair, wood filler is no substitute. That said, there'southward no shortage of ways in which to use wood filler to improve the look of both practical and decorative elements that have seen better days.

Is Forest Filler Stainable?

There are a few dissimilar kinds of wood fillers, and the answer to which type is best to use depends largely on the job.

As the name suggests, stainable wood fillers are receptive to staining so that later it's applied, you tin stain over it to ensure the repaired department matches the remainder of the piece that you're fixing.
Typically, water-based wood fillers may also be stained (or painted), but unlike other products in the same category, these are specially formulated for use indoors. Common applications are filling scratches and dents in molding, paneling, and cabinetry.
Heavy-duty solvent-based wood fillers are meant primarily for outdoor use and perform well on exterior siding and trim.

how to use wood filler

Photo: istockphoto.com

half-dozen Quick Steps to Repairing Wood Using Wood Filler

Our researched guide to the best wood fillers can help you select a product that's tailored to your specific project. Once yous have the correct supplies, proceed with the following steps for how to utilize woods filler so that your repair is nearly invisible.

Tools & Materials

Sandpaper
Store vacuum
Tack material
Wood filler
Wood stain preconditioner
Putty knife
See full list «
Polyurethane sealer
Pigment
Wood stain

Footstep ane: Sand and make clean the wood surface in demand of repair.

Starting time past preparing the damaged surface. Get-go, remove whatever loose chunks of wood or flaking pigment. Next, sand any rough edges in or immediately adjacent to the damaged area you wish to repair. Finally, clear away all lingering grit and debris past means of a shop vac or moistened tack fabric. If you use a damp cloth, wait for the area to dry completely before you proceed to the next step.

how to use wood filler

Photograph: istockphoto.com

Footstep two: Use a preconditioner on the damaged area to prevent color discoloration.

Woods filler is dissimilar from the wood existence filled, and the surface of the forest that's in contact with the wood filler is susceptible to absorbing the stain or colour of the wood filler. Protect the exposed parts of the wood by applying a forest stain preconditioner to seal the damaged area and surrounding surface. Let the conditioner fully dry.

Stride three: Apply the wood filler using a putty knife.

how to use wood filler

Photo: istockphoto.com

Get-go at the edge of the damaged area, pressing the woods filler into the depression. Overfill slightly to let for the fact that the filler shrinks as it dries. Once yous take applied as much filler every bit necessary, smooth over the filled area with a make clean role of a putty knife.

STEP iv: Allow the wood filler to dry out completely.

Check the packaging for manufacturer recommendations on how much time is needed for the forest filler to dry. Depending on the depth of the application, it could accept anywhere from 15 minutes to 8 hours.

STEP 5: Sand the filled area and so that its superlative is flush with the surrounding forest.

One time dry, work with a light mitt to sand the expanse shine. When y'all run your hand over both the undamaged and freshly filled parts of the detail you are fixing, you should feel only the slightest deviation between the ii.

STEP 6: Complete the projection past applying your option of finish.

In most cases, the goal volition exist to make the repair virtually unnoticeable. If you've been working on a baseboard painted white, concealing the fix is simply a matter of painting over the filled area in the same colour.

how to use wood filler

Photo: istockphoto.com

Stained woods is trickier to bargain with. For the best possible friction match, it's recommended that you lot dab some woods filler onto a piece of scrap wood. Wait for it to dry out, then examination the stain to run into how information technology looks. Depending on the test results, you lot may then choose to sparse out the stain, use a unlike color, or (if yous got a close plenty friction match) proceed to apply the stain to the item that you've now successfully fixed—cheaply, hands, and maybe in less than an hour.