The smoothness of the finish on drywall depends on the technique used to spackle the sheetrock and smooth it out. Whether the wall is new or has undergone repairs, it’s always nice to give it a smooth finish. Here’s how to spackle sheetrock to get the desired smooth and even surface to make it ready for paint.
How to Spackle Sheetrock
1. Fill holes and cracks with a bit of spackling paste. Use the edge of a putty knife to apply the putty into the hole, smoothing it over. Put some extra putty over the hole, because it will shrink and recede when it dries.
2. Allow the spackling paste to dry completely. This may take at least 3-4 hours, but waiting for a whole day is ideal.
3. If the hole is large, you will need to repeat the steps to spackle sheetrock up to 3 times more before it can be sanded. If the seams of the hole are bulging, this a good sign that you need to reapply more putty.
4. When the drywall is ready for sanding, make sure to prepare the work area first and wear a protective mask before proceeding. There will be a lot of dust when you sand down spackle, so you want to cover the floor, furniture, and any objects that are in the area. Prevent dust from travelling by taping up any doorway leading to other rooms.
5. Sand down the spackle using a sanding block or sponge. Start sanding with the side of the sanding block that has medium grit until you have an even wall surface. Then use the other side of the sanding block with the fine grit to sand the spackled area until you’ve smoothed out the surface and it is completely flush with the wall.
Spackling Can Be Difficult…
With the spackle all evened out, you can proceed with priming and/or painting the wall. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to spackle sheetrock yourself, there are qualified professionals who can do it for you. Let Talklocal find the best contractors in your area. We’re experts at finding the experts!
