A while ago I made a video about how to fill holes in walls when you're in a rush, using 2-part filler designed for decorative use such as Bonda Decorfill. Today I'm showing you how I go about filling a LOT of holes using Gyproc Easi Fill 60. This is my filler of choice if I'm not in a rush to paint it. Really easy to work with and you just mix up however much you need. I have 180 holes to fill here and I'll show you a few different scenarios of different fixings. Easy enough DIY job if you work methodically.
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Great video - I've been a subscriber since happening across your reviews of the fishcher duo wallplugs. I was wondering which of the different methods you'd use to tackle removing those particular plugs?
That pencil mark/filler tip is an absolute KEEPER! Thanks for the video 👍🏼👍🏼
Cheers! Found that one many years ago... by accident! 😂👍
OK, I was doubtful when I started watching, but three tips hit the mark. 1. Snapping of the top of the expanding metal plugs (I only use these as a last resort usually, but useful to know for when I need to remove them) 2. Filling from the middle out. 3. Using the filler as an abrasive. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? As for counting the holes.....That way lies madness young man! 😂😂😂
Cheers! Lol perhaps the counting holes thing is just my OCD. 😂
I use a countersink bit in an electric drill to take the tops off plastic plugs to just below the surface, then fill.
Good tip! 👍
Thanks for sharing Andy. Great tips as always! My tips for similar situation is that I sometimes prepare the filler with water AND some of the paint I'll use later. It saves time. My second tip is for bigger holes where I use some paper or even a piece of fabric, soaked in the filler.I stuff it in the hole and let it dry, giving me a solid surface to apply the filler on. Cheers from Greece where the is a new 3 weeks lockdown from today. Be well and stay safe everyone 🤜🤛
Cheers bud and great tips! My mate is trapped in Symi! 😂😬 We're locked down again until 2nd Dec. 🙄
@@GosforthHandyman Hope he enjoys staying there! Symi is one of the safest regions in Greece.
“I’m going to give you a few tips in this video to make the “HOLE” process easier! 😂👍
Sorry 😂😭
A deep video that covered all the mistakes to aVOID... :-X
It's always good to see how someone else goes about filling holes in walls great tips.
Cheers! Always takes longer than planned. 👍😂
Handy tips as usual! For what it's worth here are my top tips for plug hole repairs- For removing plastic plugs from solid walls, I use a body shop slide hammer with a screw of suitable diameter fixed to the business end...screw it in - one whack and it's out. When mixing filler I use some old plastic measuring cups that came in boxes of washing powder to gauge the right quantities of filler and water and then just add tiny amounts of either to adjust the consistency. Finally, for rubbing down softer types of filler, you can't beat a mirka hand sanding block with 100 grit abranet connected up to an extractor. It flattens the surface and makes no mess at all.
Great tips! I might have to invest in a slide hammer. 😂👍
Great tip. I'd never even heard of a slide hammer.
Just checked out that Mirka product, looks great, I’ve just finished drylining 24 sheets with hand sanding... 😅😢😂😂
Being female and completely new to DIY, on another vid they say there are three ways to remove plugs, but the best way is to enter a screw, and pull it out with pliers and the plug will normally come with it? I'm surprised if there aren't standard universal ways to do it, it would be helpful for newbies like me.
If there’s 1 thing I’ve learned from your videos, it’s always have an old milk carton to catch my dust 🦾
I thought I could see them at the end.. Turns out my screen just need a good clean ha! Great video!
Ha ha kinda glad to hear that! 👍😂
OMG 😮 You are a genius! I love the paper and bubble wrap tip!! Fantastic, thank you!
I've started using a Mirka (Abranet) Handy Sander. Plug it in to your hoover stick on which ever grit on you need. Best £30 I've spent for decorating.
Need to check that out! I've got loads of Mirka sanding disks - accidentally bought a batch in bulk then hardly used them. In the hoarding pile as usual. 😂
6 months later it’s up to £48.27. Happens every time I see a good product tip in YT comments. Must be some evil corporate bot monitoring for praise then ramming prices up and presumably you didn’t even see a penny in commission 😂
For the expanding fixings I’ve found it quite effective to put the machine screw back in a few turns, and then tap it with a hammer. The whole fixing can then be pulled out.
Good stuff, Andy. Learned a lot there. Many thanks for posting.
Perfect timing Andy. I’ve booked next week off to decorate the boys’ bedroom having recently moved. There are LOADS of holes. Thanks. Hope your move progresses soon.
Great stuff - hope it helps! Easifill is great. 👍
Maybe don’t put the dartboard back up after the redecoration?
Excellent video! When I've done this I've gone round marking each hole first with a piece of masking tape and an arrow in red felt tip, pointing to the hole that needs filling. It's surprising how easy it is to miss a hole, but this also helps to mark mark small blemishes and scratches, etc. which just need a touch up on the painting stage.
Defo - good tip. That's why I keep count - so easy to miss a bunch if you're doing a lot of them. 👍😂
The only thing I would add would be about white paint. Make a note of the brand and type when you paint, because there are differences and your patch may show up.
Great tip! I'll do some testing with that one. 👍👊
Onya Andy, thank you. I'm diy renovating and was at a loss on how to remove the expanding metal fixings. The snip pliers worked a treat. Many thanks, Jamie
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm 75 and never having done any filling in my life. Now we've moved into an old house and I'm having to do 2m pieces of filling. Cringing but determined.
Cracking info Marra.keep the vids coming.
Love this guy! Really good and just love listening to his voice/accent! Love it! Keep the vids coming, great content, thanks
Good man, excellent tips. Very practical.
So much good information. Many thanks.
Wow this really helpful vlog thanks for sharing
Nice tips Andy. Take care.
Cheers - and you! 👍
Invaluable video, thank you so much
Thanks for the tip for getting rid of the metal expanding plugs. I just redecorated our downstairs loo and left them behind a cabinet as I was told they’d take the whole wall out if I tried! Know for next time 😆
Ha glad to be of help! They do vary by brand as to how easily the fronts snap off... but they're normally designed to snap off. 👍👊
@@GosforthHandyman great to know thanks!! Hope all the house move stuff isn’t effected too much by lockdown II. It must be a nightmare!
I suspect you now of listening to my conversations; first the shower, just as I was about to do the shower, then the fixings loads, now this! Seriously though, great vid and was impressed with the sensitive way you spoke about the issues the previous owners had. All the best and thanks for the useful content.
Ha ha cheers bud and I'll stop listening now! Perhaps... 😂😉
It's the Google effect
I can't believe anyone actually fills holes before moving out! Nice thought though. 😊
Ha ha we've moved enough that we know what can potentially cause problems down the line. Bit of a gamble not doing it. 👍😀
If you are renting your home, then you will need to fill the holes before moving out and knowing that it can take up to three days to do a good job is useful.
I'm a fan of the lightweight filler you can buy, so easy to use and can be painted straight away
I just learned a new trick (for me) from an older fella for fixing holes in a hollow wall. Inflate a balloon through the hole and tie off the neck pushing it back inside, then fill the hole with filler.
I love the dust catcher. Very clever.
Cheers - I have a video on it somewhere! 👍😂
I missed you mate. A great video as usual.
Hi Andy just watched your video on how to fill large hole in plaster board. Nice to see you do it the same as me. Tissue bubble wrap then fill . 😊 Love watching your videos, keep posting 👍
brush then roll! Thanks for the tips!
Andy, you are the man!
Cheers Neil! 👊👍
Great video 👍🏻
Great tips as usual matey.
Cheers Ian! 👍👊
From Brunswick and exiled in France, I could just listen to you talk all day long 😉
Hope life is well in France! Eternal lockdown here - looking forward to getting back to some normality. 👍😀
13:15 I usually make the tissue paper wet and with plaster on it but not dripping. It helps it bind to the plaster I apply after and makes for a very strong plug that you can still safely drill through when dry.
Good tip! 👍👊
Wouldn't kitchen roll be better and stronger?
Hi , im glad I came across your channel. As need to fill in some holes in the walls. As had metal rails to hold the curtains back. But unfortunately my 34 months old daughter decided to pull it down 😱. Will have ago in fixing it today. Will update u. Thank you.
That’s pretty much what I do, my filler of choice for some years now has been Red Devil Onetime, ready mixed, lightweight, quick dry & easy to sand 👍.
Great stuff! Haven't tried the red devil. 👍
Hi buddy a really useful video and cheers 😁🌈
Amazing! I learned that myself before the video was made available. I believe you might clearly count Time and Effort if you have few if such activities to do in tight timelines, so you schedule them accordingly, because many small stuff like this involves waiting time (for filler/paint to dry, for delivery to come etc). Basic PM stuff
Good idea, good know how. thx.
And though the holes were rather small They had to count them all A day in the life of the Gosforth Handyman
And John Lennon refused to apologise to the Royal Albert Hall as the song suggested there were four thousand holes in the auditorium and they got banned from playing there!
😂😂
@@mda5003 Didn't know that. Beatle facts are always welcome. Thanks
Hi Andy, thanks for the vid, really handy. I’ve got a 70mm deep hole (10mm wide) in the wall, any tips on the best way to fill something that deep? Would expanding foam before using filler work? Cheers!
I do have to say as a handyman I do know how to do these kind of jobs however I do enjoy watching other Handy people how they do the same kind of job in the way you have done your one is almost exactly the same as how I do mine great video keep up the great work hope your well great watch
Cheers Matthew! 👍👊
Great video. Do you have one on a skimmed wall or side wall of the window which has dents and needs filling so no marks ?
Thanks for this video, lots of really good tips. I'm by no means new to this sort of thing but I learned a few things. BTW how many holes would you think it would take to fill the Albert Hall?
Great tip about the pencil marks
Cheers! 👍👊
Easyfill is the muts nuts. They do it ready mix in square tubs, I was dubious at first, it goes off and sands exacly the same. I dropped something and cracked the lid six months ago and it doesn't seem to go of in the tub either. Great for small fixes. I have never minded filling holes, but always dreaded the sanding as all fillers seem to blooming hard for walls. But easy fill four light wipes with 40g and finish with 120g. done. And if it is bone dry, you could use that same piece of sandpaper for maybe 20 years, lol
Thanks, and what about deep channel in the wall for hifi cables and electrics?
What about doing a mist coat on larger areas of filler like you would with new plaster? Is it not needed?
For strong/dark colours mix a bit of the emulsion into the filler so it's a closer colour match. Saves a coat or two of paint.
Great tip! A few folk have mentioned this and I need to give it a try! 👍👊
@@GosforthHandyman No problem. I've been a handyman down here in London for nearly 20 years but have still picked up some good ideas from your videos so thenk you.
I could have done with this video two weeks ago mate 🤣 should make filling future holes nice and easy though, so thank you!
No worries Tom! Hope you got sorted! 👍
I have a tip for getting rawl plugs out. Just halfway screw in a screw (by hand) then pull the screw. Voila, it's out!
On this job right now I have that plaster too here we go :)
Great tip on how to get rid of pencil marks Andy
Cheers bud! That's a handy one. Don't rub too hard. 👍👊
Question for the larger holes... wouldn't expanding foam be a better option as it is more solid?
After trying out various mixing containers, my all time favourite is actually the lid off a 10l paint bucket. The flat surface makes mixing out the lumps easy and any dried out filler cracks off dead quick.
Good tip! As you can tell I use that jug for everything 😂👍👊
@@GosforthHandyman My tiler suggested me that one, as well as cutting up the lids as mini flexible spatulas for those hard to reach areas.
I use 2 part filler for deep holes 🕳 then skim with a powder filler. Speeds my day up a bit, however it can be more costly!
Vice grips are handy for pulling challenging plugs out of walls
13:05 I've had filler take over a week to go off doing that and also with the foam gun with filler over the top, it can take for ever for the filler to go off without that background sucking moisture out.
Yeah if it's a deep hole you have to be careful as it can take a long time to dry. 👍👊
For the hollow wall anchors, I put in a longer bolt, a few taps of a hammer and it's straightened out the splines enough that you can pull out.
That method works too! I find snapping the front off is faster though. 👍😀
With plastic plugs I simply use a drift bar to hammer them into the hollow wall. It's much quicker and they do no harm sitting in the cavity for evermore.
Great tips. BTW, thought you'd missed a bit and then realised it was muck on my phone's screen! 😄
Ha ha cheers Mark! I thought the same when editing and it was muck on my monitor! 😂
Lol, me to, one of my kids pointing at me monitors again, lol
Hi Andy, you said white coloured walls makes repainting much easier. I'm always surprised how many shades of white there are, or black for that matter. Yes, they are easier, but certainly not without their issues. And a big thumbs-up for water based fillers. The "ready mixed" fillers are just too hard for easy and reliable sanding. I would recommend not oversanding, otherwise the surface of the plasterboard ends up looking like suede. Ask me how I know. Finally, I can't believe you didn't cover up your AV kit.
White walls - tell me about it! Great tips! 👍
For the metal plugs I've found the best way is to insert a small flathead screwdriver and pry the tops off, does even less damage than using snips as suggested.
Hello please advise Just wanted to know if its vital to prime the filled areas with something like zinsser123. I'm about to paint my flat and don't want any flashing of the filler. Also please advise what the grit sandpaper I should use for different tasks eg, filler, whole wall/ceiling, skirting, doors etc Thanks in advance
Every rental I've moved into has holes patched with filler but not sanded or painted. Worst we saw was multiple 60mm holes drilled in the brick walls and they had extension leads sticking out instead of having an electrician put in a power point.
Yup - our current rental is full of badly filled holes! 👍🙄
Nice video. Question: I'm putting.up a floating shelf, drilled the hole into dot and dab wall. Drill went offline and left me with a hole off centre and a bigger hole in the plasterboard. Problem is need to use.that specific hole location as the shelf is going above a radiator so moving up won't look right. Any suggestions?
I was trying to fit a roller blind this week in a window recess. I was fixing the brackets to the top of the recess but when I drilled the holes, the side of my drill ended up scraping against the wall/recess and causing a scuff that I need to fill. Any tips for drilling in a tight spot like this?
To fill holes in concrete use a Marinade Injector filled with concrete patch "putty". No, not kidding - it actually works to get the stuff into the hole without having to fight the air trapped in the hole :)
Good tip! 2-part filler works well in concrete too. 👍👊
Smooth
Would you ever use expanding foam to nearly fill bigger holes then finish off with plaster?
Certainly an option! 👊👍
Great video. Would there be any need to put a coat of primer or undercoat on or are they so small areas of plaster that they wouldn't need it? Cheers.
It's so small I wouldn't worry too much about primer. 👍
Would this filler work for the screw ‘pops’ in plasterboard? (New-build house... 🙄)
Can you screw into this filler when its set? Hanging a mirror up. Done my two holes Wasnt level 🤦🏻♂️ Have to patch one up Put the hole 4mill lower Will that be ok? Thank you
Cheers. So many tips, especially drilling out some of them. I have always used Polyfilla, so is Gyproc easier to use, or gives a better finish?
It lasts longer. If you only do this sort of job every time you move house, then pollyfilla is fine. However, if you move house every six weeks like Andy appears to, then you'll need industrial quantities.
Once you've used Easifill you'll never use Polyfilla again. Easier to work with, easier to sand and just mix what you need. 👍👊
@@GosforthHandyman agreed, easifill is brilliant stuff, I wonder why they don't make polyfilla perform as well?
Hi there . . . . The easiest way I've found to remove plastic plugs is to insert a screw and pull that with a pair of nail pullers ( using a small scrap of wood ) to protect the wall . . . . Also the best way I've found to remove the expanded plugs, is to insert the original screw ( only screw in a couple of threads ) then tap it with a hammer ( which will elongate it to its original form ) and then again using the nail pullers and a scrap of wood, pull the expanding plug out . . . . ps : enjoy your video's & recently, re-siliconed my shower, using some of the tip's you gave and ( touch wood ) no leaks as yet ) So thank you for taking the time to pass on your experience. Regards
Looking forwards to the new home project buddy im two months into my new home so i'll be stealing your tips n tricks, stay safe buddy
I find a damp grout spong works excellent and no sanding. It blends into the wall
For applying the filler? Interesting.
Can do! Can sometimes drag the filler back out of the hole. Needs sponge skills. 👍😂
A bit off topic, but do you have any tips/videos on how to get more customers as a handyman/joiner. I’m currently running business part time and working a ‘normal’ job part time, but I’d like to do the handyman business full time. Cheers for any advice!
Not trying to be picky but your emblem isn't quite right on your 'patented' dust catcher. Great video with some really handy tips. Often view your videos and each one is a great help. Thanks 👏
Andy. I really enjoy your choice of music during the videos. Any chance you could include the music titles and artists in the "description below!
Hi cheers! I'll try but I think it's only available through Epidemicsound with a subscription - it's all licensed for use on KZhead videos. 👍
I normally insert a suitable size screw a couple of turns into plastic plugs and just hammer them into the wall just below the surface.
Andy, how would you fill deep but thin / holes in masonry so that they can be re-drilled?
Re-drilling in the same place? Why fill the hole? 🤔👍
@@GosforthHandyman the holes are very over sized and it's the only position to attach the bracket. (curtain in this case.) I'm probably not explaining it correctly.
@@UndieingLust You have to go old school with that. You have to drive a hardwood wedge in the whole, a pointy dowel. then use the wood as a the fixing, you can coat it in epoxy if your worried. I used to be in the curtain trade, done some castles in Germany with realy crap massonary. And pole brackets have to go where they have to go and you see all around them. I had to drive foot long 2x2 in the walls, think it was beach. Dunno how my dad put up the 6" poles in the place, they where 4 mt span and about 6mt long lined and interlined curtains. I just loaded the van on that one 8 years previous.
Some questionable tips but some great ones also. Excellent video cheers!!!
Questionable? How very dare you. 😉😂
@@GosforthHandyman a little bit of toilet / kitchen roll but I recently found the entire roll in the wall 😂 was quite crispy. Looking forward to the next videos.
Q. You mixed up the filler in the sink....? I use plaster of paris type materials etc and the warning reads, 'do not put down the sink - let left overs set and put in a bin'. Plumbing can be paggered up as it sets in the pipes. Not sure if fillers are the same, but it probably makes sense to err on the ide of caution.
Tiny bits of filler are fine. Need to be a bit more careful with plaster as it goes off quickly but this filler is long washed away before it gets a chance to set. Never seen any solidified in wastes. 👍😀
@@GosforthHandyman thats a relief - and an easier clean up!
grout is the worst for it, the amount of places I have had to rip out all the waste pipe because of budget kitchen and bathroom fitters. Plaster and filler breaks up with a drain screw.
Andy do you ever mix a bit of the paint in with the filler? Helps with less coats of paint then when dried.
I haven't tried it but a few people have suggested it so watch this space! 👍👊
I’ve never been brave enough to try yet! But I will give it a go!
You counted your holes? Mix shredded tissue with filler for larger holes. Probably better to back fill with that the day before. I've used wet newspaper before.
I once had a roommate who was an expert at mixing various toothpastes to get any color. Just to get out with his security deposit. Place smelled minty fresh when we got our exit inspection.
I think toothpaste would probably dry to quite a hard-wearing surface, so your roommate may just be a genius!
Can a filled hole be used to take another fitting if some time later you need to put something on the same wall or must you avoid the old repairs?
Absolutely! If you hit the metal back off an expanding anchor things might get a bit messy... but not the end of the world. 👍
Hi I have used lots of the heavy duty metal fixings, Rawlplug Interset threaded fixings over the years. As time went on shelves etc got moved from room to room I was left with a lot of these metal fixings in walls I needed to remove. And as I wanted to remove them completely I devised a process to do this. The threaded part of these fixings are only about 10mm or so deep so I screwed in the screw about 15 mm or so and left it protruding from the wall. Some users then hit the screw head with a hammer forcing the fixing to un-set....don't do this as you may damage your plasterboard wall. So I got a piece of wood about 20mm thick, a spare piece of skirting, I think. If the screw in the fixing is a 5mm thread them drill a 7mm hole in the centre of the wood. Either way the hole in the wood should be bigger than the shaft of the screw but not bigger than the head of the screw. Then use a small saw, I used a junior hacksaw, to cut a slot in the wood up to the hole. This now allows you to place the slot over the screw until it lines up with the hole in the wood. The wood should now be flat against the wall with the screw going through the wood into the metal fixing. There should be a good gap between the screw head and the wood as the screws for the fixings I had were quite long. If there is not a good gap between the screw head and the wood then use a longer screw of the correct thread. The piece of wood is going to protect your plasterboard wall. Now...get your hammer and hit the head of the screw a good sharp smack. The screw should now be up against the wood but in the process it should have un-set the metal fixing by contracting the wings of the fixing. You can now remove the wood and the fixing altogether and fill the hole as Gosforth recommends in the video. By the way...I have only ever tried this in walls...not on a ceiling. Good Luck
I always remove the red plugs ( or other colours if larger or smaller) by running a screw a few turns and then pulling out the screw and plug together with a claw hammer. Quick and simple. Much quicker than drilling them out.
Yup - that was one of the tips. 👍😂
@@GosforthHandyman I posted my reply a bit early!
A 2 inch roller is ideal for this type of job and cost next to nothing and saves wasting much paint and clean up is very quick. Ideal addition to the painting kit. Axus do a range of rollers in this size and cost less than a fiver for 10.
What? People actually fill in holes in walls when they move out of a house? Where is this eutopia or is it something to do with losing rental deposits? Serves me right for buying?
I did, seemed the right & proper thing to do.
The much easier way with most plastic plug type fixings is to just slightly insert a screw, then hammer it in beyond the finished surface. Saves on filler, and doesn't risk making the hole bigger. With hollow wall anchors, put the screw in, give it a few taps with a hammer, this often resets the fixing enough to allow it to be pulled from the wall. Doesn't always work though! If you want to avoid the dust when sanding, you can use a slightly damp scouring pad instead of sandpaper. Or a sharp, wide filling knife can often produce pretty good results, and usually forms thicker dust that just falls straight down, creating a smaller area of mess.
Good tips! Depends on the fixings as you say. The GP's expand as soon as you put anything in them. 👍👊
How's that for timing, I've just been doing this job, took down 13 shelves each held up with 4 screws, although whoever put them up didn't always manage to drill the holes in the right place first time 😁 Some cabinets and pictures had also been taken down leaving a load more holes.
Perfect! Always a fun job! 😂
I've got a ton of holes to fill too. Plaster isn't in that great shape so a few holes were blown.