Putty the walls with your own hands. Finishing putty under the wallpaper - we do it right! Why primed walls

Competent preparation of walls for all kinds of finishing work is to create a flat, smooth surface. To do this, you need to properly prime and putty. Puttying is not difficult. The main thing here is to perform a sequence of actions and be able to intelligently handle tools. How to properly putty the walls ourselves without resorting to the help of specialists, we will consider in this article.

How to properly putty the walls with your own hands. What tool is needed for puttying. If you decide to take care of the putty of the walls yourself, you will need at least the minimum set of tools you need for this. So what tools are there for you?

1. A drill equipped with a specialized attachment - a mixer. Often, the putty is available as a dry mix. Water is added to this mixture in a certain proportion. Only with a special mixer can you mix the putty mixture perfectly. As a result, a uniform putty without lumps should be formed.

2. A set of spatulas. The spatulas must be of different sizes. In work, you will have to act with both large spatulas (40-50 cm) and completely small ones. Since in problematic narrow areas it will not be possible to properly putty the surface with a large spatula. Just for this, small spatulas are used.

3. Rollers and brushes for priming walls. The priming is a rather important step and it is highly undesirable to neglect it. Upon completion of the primer, the surface is covered with a thin film. It not only further enhances its reliability, but also guarantees excellent adhesion of the treated surface to any facing materials (adhesion).

4. Rule. It is necessary in cases where the putty is applied in a thick layer to level uneven surfaces. For smoothing thick layers of putty, it is most convenient to use a long metal rule.

5. Spirit or laser level. Often the plane of the wall is rather curved. Because of this, a check is made in advance using an alcohol or laser level, on which beacons are placed for alignment.

6. Sandpaper. In the event that you want to create a beautiful wall that is pleasant to look at, use small skins for mashing. For example, rubbing with 240 sandpaper will give you optimal results. Use the finest sandpaper only for finishing putty. And at the stage of the starting initial putty, it is required to rub the surface with a coarse coarse sandpaper.

7. Manual skinner. Rubbing with sandpaper will be much more convenient if you use a manual skinner. This is a tool, on the handle of which there are special clamps for fixing the skin.

8. Well, and, of course, there is no way without a container in which the putty is bred.



Which putty mixture is best to putty the surfaces and how to choose it. Separation of putty by composition: gypsum, polymer (acrylic) and cement. Let's take a look at their disadvantages and advantages.

1. Gypsum putties attract attention at an inexpensive price, lend themselves well to leveling, do not shrink. The only drawback can be called poor resistance to water. This will become a significant limitation for their use in rooms with increased dampness.

2. Cement putties are distinguished by excellent moisture resistance, however, they have an important defect - a large degree of shrinkage.

3. And, in the end, polymer putties. Indisputable advantages: excellent water resistance, are not subject to shrinkage at all. With the help of polymer putty, an excellent quality of treated wall surfaces is obtained. However, at the same time, their price is quite high, which will turn out to be, perhaps, the only disadvantage of this type.

According to the purpose, putties can be divided into starting (leveling), decorative (finishing) and universal.

1. Description of leveling (starting) compounds: high strength, excellent adhesion, coarse grain. Used: for leveling walls after plastering. Application thickness: 3 -20 mm.

2. In order to form a high-quality decorative finish, it is advisable to apply finishing putties on the surface to be treated. With their help, you can create a completely smooth, even surface, removing minor imperfections. The strength of the finishing putty is lower than the starting one, its processing is not difficult. It is applied in a small layer up to four mm.

3. Universal putties combine the properties of decorative and leveling compounds. They are more expensive, but in terms of quality they are slightly inferior to the finishing and starting coatings. It makes sense to use it for processing walls without noticeable defects. The current market offers dry and ready-to-use putties. Dry varieties are attractive because they cost less and have a longer shelf life. Pre-prepared putties are more comfortable to use. You do not need to prepare a mixture and wield a mixer. In addition, time is saved and there is almost no dirt. However, ready-made putties are much more expensive than dry ones.

It should be remembered: these putties give strong shrinkage. In the event that a layer less than 2 mm in size is created, ready-made putties should not be used. They have a short shelf life. It is much less than that of dry building compounds.


Wall putty. Preparation of the wall surface for putty. The main thing is to make sure that the surface of the walls is absolutely clean. Be sure to remove grease, paint or grime stains. Naturally, there should be no loose layers of plaster, traces of scale, wax or parts of the formwork. Do not tackle frozen surfaces. This is strongly discouraged. Before carrying out puttying work, treat the surfaces with a primer. This guarantees high adhesion (connection) of the putty composition to the walls. Apply the primer to the base using a special roller. Aim to apply the primer solution evenly without creating gaps. 1 layer is enough. There are such types of putty: finishing, lighthouse, starting. We will study in detail the qualities and area of ​​use.

Starting plaster of walls. Putty is made using a coarse starter composition. Finding it is easy. When you buy it, it is called that - starting putty. In order to remove significant surface defects, mask grooves, holes, it is appropriate to use this putty. The thickness of a layer of this putty, created at one time, can be 1.5 cm. Allow the created layers to dry completely. And only after that you can continue the process and apply the next layer. For a better result, use a paint net, and place the putty mixture evenly over it. At the same time, the walls are completely solid. The advantage of this technique is that when using a paint network, the putty ideally lies on the surface of the walls. And the wall itself becomes stronger and more even. It is worth considering that the rougher the painting net, the smoother the treated wall surface.


Lighthouse putty of surfaces. The materials are the same as for the starter filler. One difference is that beacons are used. Lighthouse - wood, plaster or iron rail, which is set strictly vertically, confirming the verticality of the level. Lighthouses on surfaces are fixed with quick-drying gypsum mixtures, after they dry, you should go to work. The horizontal alignment takes place in the same way. In this case, you need a rule to smooth the putty layer. Following these recommendations, a smooth surface is formed after completing the starting processes. To make sure the work is correct, you can check the level. This type of finish is rarely used.The reason: its price is much higher than the starting putty, although outwardly they are almost the same.

Finishing plaster of walls. At the end of the starting or lighthouse putty, proceed with the finishing putty. It is created with finishing putty mixtures. It is this putty that adds complete smoothness to the surfaces of the walls. The smallest cracks or nostrils are closed. It is of great importance that the finishing putty completely converges on a plane with a previously prepared surface, so that it should be applied in a very small layer. Only the finishing putty will not be able to correct the mistakes made during the starting or lighthouse putty. Because of this, put more effort and care in creating the most flat surfaces. Only then proceed to the finishing putty. Its primary mission is a beautiful smooth wall surface. Puttying cracks in the walls. Gypsum compositions do a good job of filling up cracks in the walls. Santegypsum material is much more flexible in work, but it freezes many times longer.

Recommendations of competent specialists: first of all, it is advised to slightly widen the crack, slightly increase its depth and width. When there is a need to increase its roughness, scratch it with something sharp along the entire length of the crack. Then coat it well with soil. And only after that start applying the putty.


How to apply plaster to walls.

1. When using dry putty, it is required to properly prepare the putty mixture.

Cooking method:

Pour a small amount of water into the container;

Add putty;

Stir with an ordinary spatula;

To create a uniform mixture, use a drill with a mixer, gradually adding water if necessary.

Please note: the readiness of the putty must be determined by its density. It should become elastic and stick a little to the spatula. When it drips off the spatula, it indicates that the mixture is too runny. To fix this, gradually add dry powder to the mixture, without stopping stirring. When there are lumps in the solution, it means that the putty is too dry. Add water in small portions, stirring well to achieve perfect uniformity.

2. Apply the starting putty. It is convenient to use a large spatula. Apply the solution in medium doses, evenly spreading over the surface. Hold the spatula at an angle of about thirty degrees. The putty is applied diagonally with one stroke. Hint: in order to insure against transitions and bumps, each next layer should be overlapped.

Please note: when forming the starting coating, knead the putty in modest portions. This will make it possible to protect yourself from the formation of dried dry particles, which will lower the quality of work. Don't worry too much about ugly lines from the spatula. They can be easily removed with the help of further finishing with a finishing putty.

3. For right angles, it is advisable to use an angled spatula. Procedure: first, with a small spatula, apply a small layer of putty along the entire height of the corner or slope. Then carefully smooth the coating with an angled spatula. Drying time of the layer will be about 24 hours.

4. As soon as the starting filler is completely dry, proceed to the formation of the finishing filler. A large and a small spatula are taken in the work. Put putty on a large spatula with a small spatula in modest doses. Next, we apply the putty composition to the surface in a measured manner. The size of the layer is about 1.5 - 2 mm.

5. Before puttingty the wall for painting or wallpapering, wait until the created layers are completely dry. The starting and 1st layer of the finishing putty must be completely dry. This process will take approximately twelve hours. Then you can apply the finishing putty. 6. Once completely dry, proceed to final sanding.

Please note: For better adhesion of the putty layers to each other, it is good to prime each of them before forming the next one.


How to putty walls for painting and wallpaper. The surfaces are pre-leveled using several layers of putty. Thick wallpaper requires two coats of putty. When choosing thin wallpaper, it is worth forming 3 leveling layers of putty. Thus, the surface will be as flat as possible and no bulges or wrinkles will appear when wallpapering. More thorough preparation is required for wall decoration with paint. The paint will not mask even the slightest unevenness. For this reason, to level the surfaces, it is imperative to apply a finishing putty.

The putty procedure takes place in 5 steps:

Apply the first thin layer of leveling putty with a spatula;

With significant irregularities, two or three more layers are created;

Allow the putty to harden;

Apply a finishing putty to eliminate minor defects;

In order to achieve complete smoothness, after complete drying, the surface is thoroughly rubbed with a sandpaper.

Demands the closest attention to itself. I always really want to finish it as soon as possible, sometimes without even starting it. But in the process you still have to plunge headlong, while often solving the problem of irregularities on the walls, of which there are usually a huge number of them. Therefore, in order for the wallpaper to lie flat, it is worth studying with the HomeMyHome editors what wall putty is under the wallpaper, and understand that you can perfectly level the walls with your own hands.

Perfect interior is impossible with flaws in the renovation

When people find out how much it costs, many want to bypass this process, because this is unnecessary financial costs and labor. But neglecting the repair conditions will not work if you need perfectly flat walls.

The starting putty will hide large defects, and the finishing will prepare the leveled surface for, and even the ceiling if necessary.

What kind of putty to choose for walls under wallpaper: polymer, cement, gypsum

Hardware stores and hardware stores offer a wide variety of different fillers. Now we will not delve into brands and brands. Our task is more global: to determine what is the difference between the compositions of different types, because they are all finishing.

Polymer putty

This putty contains polymers, which is reflected in the name of the material. The surface dries very quickly and does not crack, which is an excellent property.

Polymers make it possible to combine the features of a cement and gypsum mixture in a material, collecting only positive qualities. And you have to pay for this, so the putty for the walls under the wallpaper has a considerable price.

High air permeability is considered good quality, mold does not threaten such walls - this is a natural antiseptic.

Related article:

What is the best putty for walls under the wallpaper: we are not mistaken with the choice

Whichever you choose, you must purchase materials from the same manufacturer and the same range. In this case, a good result will be guaranteed and full compliance with all declared product qualities.

The second factor of choice is the material of the surface to be treated: for a brick, cement or concrete wall, an appropriate putty is selected, therefore, cement. Gypsum is suitable for, polymers are a universal product.


The packaging of the material is also important: there is less fuss with ready-made mixtures, take it and use it, but its price is always higher. You can save just on dry powder.

Putty "Vetonit LR"

It is a white finishing product under the Weber Vetonit LR + brand: an excellent grain to perfectly level the surface before wallpapering, and also for painting or tiling.

The material is superplastic, which is convenient in work, and is consumed sparingly. The composition dries for 12 hours, and does not give any shrinkage.

Finishing putty "Knauf"

The Knauf company has a large selection of putty compounds. For example, Rotband-Finish is a dry mixture of gypsum and polymers. It is a quick-drying material that does not shrink or crack. The layer varies from 0.2 to 5 mm.

How to properly putty the walls under the wallpaper with your own hands: the nuances of work

So, it's time to start filling the walls with your own hands. We study the nuances of the work.

What to cook: tools and supplies

Prepare a container in which you will mix the mixture and what you will use to stir the composition. A drill with a mixing attachment is best suited for this purpose. To apply the material, spatulas are needed: one size 10-15 cm, the second 40-60 cm. Also prepare a trowel or trowel, graters for grinding.

Surface preparation

The surface definitely needs preparation, otherwise the composition will not adhere well. The walls are treated with a primer. It is better to select formulations that prevent the appearance of mold, prevent the appearance of pathogenic bacteria.

Leveling the walls with starting putty

First you have to remove the old wall covering, it doesn't matter if it's paint or wallpaper. Usually, under this layer, a lot of irregularities and defects are hidden. To eliminate them, take a starting putty with a large fraction.

Advice! The building rule will help determine exactly where the irregularities are. It is applied in different directions.

It is better to mark irregularities with a pencil. A spatula is used vertically or horizontally: in the case when the protrusions are vertical, then the movements of the tool must be appropriate.

At the same time, physical force must be applied to hold the instrument firmly in the hand.

Overlapping strokes are applied. After the square meter is putty, they take the rule and apply it to the wall: the tool is pulled down, removing the extra layer.

If necessary, after drying the layer, apply another one. The process is fully completed only after two days.

Applying a finishing putty under the wallpaper

For work, we take a narrow spatula and apply it with plaster on a large one, with which the composition is already applied to the wall, distributing the contents over the surface at a certain angle.

When applying the composition, it is better to carry out with a spatula in the same place several times, gradually increasing the coverage area.

Irregularities formed during work are subsequently eliminated by grinding.

There is another way of finishing: they apply clear strokes of a small size. This will make the surface perfectly flat and smooth.

For 1 m2, about 1 kg of the composition will be needed if the layer thickness is 1 mm.

Related article:

: how to choose a putty mixture, what tools are needed for work, the technology of applying putty from preparation to the finishing layer, videos and photos with recommendations from professionals.

Video: how to make do-it-yourself wall putty under the wallpaper

Do-it-yourself wall putty for wallpaper: how to process different surfaces

You already know which putty is better to putty the walls under the wallpaper, now we will consider the nuances of applying the composition to different surfaces.

Concrete walls

Due to the specifics of the concrete surface, it is very difficult to achieve: the material does not have sufficient hygroscopicity. The putty needs pores where it can penetrate, and there are very few of them in concrete. Therefore, the application result may not be as expected.

The process takes place in several stages: removing the old coating, degreasing oil stains, cleaning the surface, expanding cracks on the plane, sealing defects with cement mortar.

A construction vacuum cleaner will remove dust, after which the surface is primed twice.

Advice! The primer is best applied with a long-nap roller, but a wide brush will work as well.

Now you can mix the putty solution in proportions 1: 5. The composition is applied by sprinkling and then spreading with a spatula. It is good if fiberglass or reinforcing mesh is used. This will prevent the dried coating from cracking.

Dry surfaces must be sanded.

Brick surfaces

The brick surface also needs preparation: the old upholstery is removed, like cracked plaster, then they proceed to the primer.

The mesh is nailed to the upper and lower corners with dowels or self-tapping screws, not reaching 3 cm to the wall itself. This will allow you to set the desired distance on the grid map from all ends.

First putty with a starting compound with a two-handed trowel and a large spatula. The trowel is held horizontally and the spatula is held vertically. Alignment is performed using a trapezoidal rule.

Then they work with the finishing compound, bringing the coating to perfection.

Wooden walls

The process of filling wood surfaces is not particularly different from other types. But wood, although a porous material, does not adhere well, so you have to use a fixing crate or shingles.

For shingles, narrow slats 3-5 mm thick and 15-20 mm wide are used. The length of the slats is 1–2 m.

Advice! Heat insulating material soaked in an antiseptic such as 3% sodium fluoride should be added under the crate.

Two layers of lathing (45º) with 45x45 cm2 cells are sufficient. The second layer of shingles is stuffed with strips with a width of 15-20 mm and a thickness of 5 mm. As an easier way of lathing, a chain-link mesh is suitable.

Plasterboard for wallpaper

We analyze how the plasterboard putty is applied. Puttying of smooth material is necessary because of its joints and attachment points. Therefore, an even layer of finishing putty is required, and then the wall is primed.

The screws are putty in a crosswise method, the corners are pre-fixed to avoid chipping.

After drying a layer of 1-2 mm, the walls are sanded and worked with a finishing solution of the consistency of liquid sour cream. Now you can grind and dust the surface.

Corner filler

It remains to clarify how to putty the corners of the walls. The task is not difficult if the plaster layer is even. If there are irregularities in the starting layer, then proceed as follows.

  1. First, plaster the corners with a decent layer of mortar, then putty them with a wide spatula. A wide spatula is placed against the corner, the mixture is removed and the spatula is removed. Movements are carried out either from top to bottom or from bottom to top.
  2. First of all, they work with one side of the corner, and when it dries up, they move on to the second. Here you need to grind the surfaces before puttingtying. But if the joints are poorly sealed, or the work was carried out with plaster grade 150-200, then this method is not suitable.
  3. The corners are leveled with a finishing solution, but not once. We'll have to do this 3-5 times.

Finishing and starting putty - an overview of prices for material and work

Before starting work, it is worth asking what is the price of wall putty per square meter. This will help you calculate how much material should be cooked. The answer to the question of how much the putty costs depends on its type and manufacturer.

How to putty walls - this question is asked by most people who plan to carry out repairs in any room. It is always more profitable to do at least part of the work with your own hands. And careful preparation of the walls for subsequent finishing work implies obtaining a perfectly smooth surface, without flaws and roughness. The article will show you how to do it correctly.

It is not always necessary to putty the walls to absolute smoothness. For example, this should not be done if the wallpaper, after decorating the surface, hides small scratches from stripping. The putty allows you to remove cracks and pits on the wall, level it well and, if necessary, bring it to a perfectly smooth state.

After that:

  • Wallpaper is much easier to glue on flat walls than on curves. In this case, the glue will be absorbed evenly, and the risk of wrinkling of the sheets will be minimal.
  • With putty, various bumps visible in sunlight are removed from the plastered walls, which will make the surface pimpled.

Tip: The instructions for wall putty indicate: if the old putty falls off after removing the wallpaper pasted on it, it must be completely removed, and the surface must be putty again.

Tools Required for Putty

Before starting to putty the walls, you need to purchase a minimum set of tools for work:

  • Electric drill with mixer attachment. Usually, the putty is supplied in the form of a dry mixture, into which a liquid is poured in the required quantities - ordinary clean water. For ideal stirring of the putty mixture, a special mixer is used, which will allow to obtain a homogeneous mass of sufficient density without lumps and pieces.

  • A set of spatulas of different widths... In the process of performing the work, you will need a large and small tool. In hard-to-reach places, it is impossible to obtain a high-quality putty wall with a large tool; here it is required to use spatulas of small width.
  • Brushes and rollers for applying primer to wall surfaces... This step cannot be skipped. After priming, a thin film appears on the walls, which significantly increases the strength of the wall and ensures high-quality adhesion of the treated walls, regardless of the type of facing material.
  • The rule... It may be necessary due to large unevenness of the walls, when applying the putty in a very thick layer. For high-quality leveling of a thick layer of putty, it is convenient to use a long metal rule.
  • Construction level laser or spirit. Wall surfaces are often far from perfect. Before you putty the walls yourself, check beacons are installed, with constant monitoring by a laser or alcohol level.
  • Sandpaper... To obtain a beautiful and very smooth surface, so that it is pleasant to look at it, a very fine sandpaper should be used for the finishing mash, the ideal result will be processing with sandpaper two hundred and fortieth number. To grind the initial starting putty, grout should be done with a coarse, coarse emery cloth.
  • ... When using such a tool, sandpaper becomes more convenient. This is a special device, on the handle of which there are clamps for fixing the skin, as you can see in the photo.

  • Containers for the preparation of putty.
  • Brushes and rollers for wall priming.

Tip: Walls should always be primed. It provides a very thin film on the wall, which significantly increases its strength and improves the adhesion of materials.

How to choose the right filler

What kind of putty is better to putty the walls?

In terms of composition, they are:

  • Cement. They are distinguished by greater moisture resistance, but their big drawback is too high a level of shrinkage.
  • Acrylic (see Acrylic putty - types, features, application). They have excellent adhesion to the substrate.
  • Polymeric. They have good moisture resistance, they have no shrinkage. The use of polymer putty allows you to obtain a high quality area after processing the wall. A high price is a significant lack of material.
  • Gypsum(see Plaster putty: its advantages and problems of use). Such coatings do not shrink, their cost is low, they lend themselves well to leveling, but they have low resistance to moisture, which limits their area of ​​use.

By purpose, putties are:

  • Leveling or starting... Have:
  1. excellent adhesion of materials;
  2. increased strength;
  3. sufficiently coarse grain.

Coarse material is used for their manufacture. Such a putty is quite convenient to use for removing large drops on the surface of the walls, to hide existing holes, grooves. For the first time, you can easily apply a layer up to one and a half centimeters thick.

The application of repeated layers is carried out after the previous ones have completely dried. The maximum result can be achieved after installing a special masking net for even distribution of the putty.

The advantages of this technology - it allows you to lay layers of putty perfectly even. In this case, the surface will be smoother and more durable. The rougher the material of the painting net, the smoother the surface of the walls after processing.

  • Lighthouse... Such materials do not differ much from leveling putty. The only difference is the use of beacons. A lighthouse is a rail made of:
  1. gypsum;
  2. metal;
  3. wood.

The part is set strictly vertically, which is controlled by the level. Lighthouses to the walls are fixed on a gypsum mixture, which dries rather quickly, and then puttying is performed directly. This is how the wall is aligned along the horizontal lines. A rule is used to level the applied layers of putty.

Using such recommendations, after the end of the starting work, you can get a flat surface that is controlled by the level. Due to the high cost, this type of putty is used quite rarely, and visually they are almost the same.

  • Universal... They combine the positive properties of starting and decorative mixtures. Their cost is relatively high, but the properties are inferior to other coatings. Best used for leveling walls that do not have large defects.
  • Finishing or decorative(see DIY decorative plaster: how to do it right). After applying the lighthouse or starting composition, a finishing coat is performed, which gives the surfaces perfect smoothness, eliminates pores, the smallest cracks.

Tip: In order for the finishing putty to perfectly match the previously prepared surface along the plane, it must be applied in a very thin layer. Not a high-quality lighthouse or starting putty, fix it with a finishing solution, it will not work.

When applying the material, no great effort is required. The coating layer can be up to four millimeters. Dry and ready-to-use materials are available on the market today.

Advantages of dry putty:

  • Affordable cost.
  • Long shelf life.

Ready formulations:

  • More convenient to use.
  • You do not need to work with a mixer to prepare a uniform consistency.
  • A period of time is saved and there is practically no dust during work.

The disadvantages of the material include:

  • Higher cost.
  • Gives strong shrinkage.

Tip: If necessary, apply a layer over two millimeters, you should not use ready-made mixtures. Moreover, they cannot be stored for a long time.

How to prepare walls for putty

Before you putty the walls, they need to be properly prepared. The surfaces must be perfectly clean.

They are not allowed to have:

  • Soot stains.
  • Paints.
  • Fat.

Everything must be carefully removed. There should be no loose plaster layers, residues of applied wax, existing scale or formwork elements. Do not allow freezing of the ceiling and walls.

Before you putty the walls, you need to cover them with a primer to ensure good adhesion of the walls and putty. The walls are primed with a special roller. The solution must be applied evenly, without the slightest gaps. Usually one layer is sufficient.

How the putty is applied to the walls

Before you putty the walls yourself, you need to properly prepare the putty mixture.

For this:

  1. The required amount of clean water is poured into the container.
  2. Dry putty is added.
  3. Stir well with a simple spatula.
  4. With an electric drill with a mixer, the solution is stirred, so that as a result a homogeneous mass is obtained, if necessary, water is added.

How to quickly putty the walls? First of all, the readiness of the mixture for the putty is determined by its consistency. The solution should be flexible and slightly adhere to the instrument. If the material flows down - it is too liquid, it is necessary to add the dry mixture and stir. The presence of lumps in the composition indicates that it is very thick, you need to add water and stir thoroughly with a drill and mixer.

  1. A starting putty is applied. What is the best way to putty the walls? For this, it is applied with a large spatula in medium portions, and then the prepared mixture is evenly spread over the surface. The spatula should be held at a certain angle, about thirty degrees.
  2. In one motion, the putty is laid down diagonally.
  3. Each subsequent coating is applied with an overlap, which will make it possible to avoid the presence of transitions and bumps.

How and with what to putty in the corners?

Smooth wall corners should be processed with an angled spatula.

The order of execution of the putty:

  1. With a small spatula, a small layer of mortar is applied to the corner over the entire height of the slope on the wall or corner.
  2. The surface is leveled very neatly with an angled trowel.
  3. A layer of putty remains for a day to dry.
  4. Finishing putty is applied.

How to learn how to putty walls, how to prepare a solution, what tools you need, the video in this article shows.

Putty is one of the most affordable and fastest ways to prepare the surface of the walls for wallpaper. With the help of puttying, you can perfectly align the wall with potholes, cracks and other defects, so many want to know how to properly putty the walls under the wallpaper in order to achieve the maximum effect. It is much easier to glue wallpaper on flat walls than on curves - the glue is evenly absorbed and the risk of wrinkling of the canvas is reduced. In addition, the putty removes minor irregularities that will be clearly visible under the wallpaper, especially in sunlight. In order for the repair work to be carried out quickly and efficiently, it is necessary to follow some important rules, including when choosing a material for puttying.

To putty the walls before wallpapering, you will need the following set of tools:

  1. Drill with mixer attachment. The putty mixture is most often sold in dry form, and to bring it to the required consistency, it must be diluted with water. Ideally, the composition can be stirred until a homogeneous mass without lumps is possible only with the help of such a nozzle. In the absence of a mixer, you can purchase a ready-made putty, which does not require preliminary mixing.
  2. Spatulas of various sizes. A small trowel is used for corners and other hard-to-reach areas, and a 40-50 cm wide tool for the rest of the surface.
  3. Brushes and foam rollers. These devices allow you to perform high-quality priming of walls. It is not recommended to skip this step, as a thin layer of primer mortar ensures good adhesion between the wall and the wallpaper.
  4. Rule. This tool is necessary when working with uneven walls, when the putty is applied in a thick layer and the likelihood of uneven distribution of the material over the entire surface increases.
  5. Sandpaper. Used to eliminate transitions between layers, small bumps and depressions. Fine-grained paper and a hand-held skinner are best suited for this purpose, which makes sanding easier.

VIDEO LESSON: All About Plastering Walls

The choice of material for puttying

The general appearance of the interior depends on the quality of wallpapering, so the questions of how to putty the walls under the wallpaper and what material to choose will always be relevant.

Most often, the following material grades are used for filling surfaces under wallpaper:


For those who first decided to carry out self-plastering of walls, experts recommend using a ready-made water-polymer mixture, which is sold in plastic packaging, has an optimal consistency and is easy to apply.

Priming as an important stage of filling

The primer is a special compound that forms a waterproof film, thanks to which the wallpaper adheres better to the surface.


There are the following types of primer solutions:

  • Acrylic. Suitable for all surfaces, including concrete, cement, wood, brick, plywood and plastered. The material does not have a specific smell, dries within 5 hours and is most often used for pasting wallpaper.
  • Alkyd. Used to decorate wooden walls in country houses. Drying time for this primer is no more than 15 hours.
  • Glyphthalic. Designed for finishing wood and metal surfaces in rooms with low humidity levels, dry for about a day.
  • Perchlorovinyl. Suitable for concrete, metal, brick and plastered walls, drying time at room temperature is 1 hour.

Surface preparation for putty

To successfully refresh the interior, you need to clearly understand how to putty the walls under the wallpaper, otherwise all efforts will be reduced to zero.

Before proceeding with do-it-yourself puttying, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the walls from grease, paint, dust, falling off layers of plaster and wallpaper residues. When removing paper wallpaper, no difficulties arise; for this, it is enough to moisten them well. But often there are situations when removing old wallpaper becomes a real problem, this applies to fiberglass wallpapers or cloths glued to drywall. If the material adheres tightly to the wall and does not form voids and bubbles, you can putty on old wallpaper, while the layer should not exceed 1 mm, otherwise the hardened putty may peel off along with the wallpaper.

Important! If fungal damage and mold are found on the walls, it is necessary to treat the surface with an antiseptic solution. Sharp protrusions and bumps should be cut off with a metal spatula, and large indentations should be plaster beforehand.

The final stage of the preparatory work is the application of one thin layer of primer, after which it is necessary to wait until the solution is completely dry and proceed to puttying.

Starter putty

Even if at first glance the walls seem level and only need partial processing, at least two layers of putty should be applied. For gypsum plasterboard walls, one layer will be enough, while at the same time, the sections of the joints of the material should be carefully repaired first.

The starting putty is designed to eliminate significant wall differences, hide the grooves and holes, the layer thickness in this case can reach 1.5 cm.For starting finishing, a special putty is used, which is designed to fill the joints, seal breathing cracks and joints of floor slabs.

VIDEO: Initial plastering of walls

Advice! In order to perform the starting putty as efficiently as possible, experts recommend installing a special painting net on the wall and evenly distributing the mixture over it.

Each subsequent layer is applied after thorough drying and sanding of the previous one. If there are no significant defects on the walls, the stage of starting putty can be skipped.

Application of the finishing layer

If the wall is relatively flat, then one finishing layer will be enough, if the surface was previously plastered, then 2-3 layers of putty will have to be applied. The drying period for each layer can be up to 10-12 hours, after which the surface is sanded to eliminate sagging and other irregularities. The final layer before pasting the wallpaper must be applied with a wide spatula, from 30 cm, in a criss-cross motion with an overlap over the already treated area. In order for the layer to have an optimal thickness of 2-3 mm, and the putty does not leave bumps and uneven edges, it is necessary to hold the spatula at an angle of 25-30 degrees to the wall, while all movements should have the same pressure. After each layer, it is necessary to check the surface for evenness using a rule and a flashlight, and the next layer to eliminate the identified defects.


Another way to work the corners is to apply a little more mixture to them, and after drying, remove the excess by sanding.

After the wall dries for about a day, until the material finally hardens, after which the entire surface must be treated with a sandpaper or an abrasive plane.

VIDEO: DIY finishing putty under the wallpaper

It should be noted that the finishing putty is advisable for leveling old walls with significant irregularities and cracks, as well as before applying a single-color paint, which makes wall defects more noticeable. In new houses, as a rule, such a need does not arise, and small irregularities are eliminated by re-plastering. In addition, modern wallpaper is thick enough to independently hide existing imperfections and level the walls.

Do-it-yourself puttying of the walls is not such a complicated process, but rather painstaking. Everything is important here, from preparation to finishing.
Today we will look at how to do the filling of the walls with our own hands in detail. The cost of the mother is not high, but the responsibility of doing the job must be high.
After all, with this work, it is enough just to spoil a well-prepared surface.

Plastering and plastering the walls with your own hands is done in stages. First, look at the photos on this topic and decide on the amount of work to be done. How to putty the walls with our own hands will now be considered in more detail.

In what cases do you putty the walls for painting?

We putty the walls with our own hands begins with determining the level of application of the layer. To do this, it is worth pulling the line along the plane and you will immediately see the required amount of material that you need to apply.
The first coat is rough and not very difficult to apply. The main thing is to maintain a common plane.
Immediately, as soon as the layers of the starting putty are dry, apply the finishing:

  • For the finishing putty, a gypsum and cement-sand mixture is used. The principle of applying the finishing putty has some peculiarities. Here, applying a putty composition in thin layers, for this, a 350 mm spatula is used.

Attention: It is worth remembering that the layers of the finishing putty must be applied very carefully so that cracks and streaks do not appear.

  • Next, you need to start plastering. Plastering of walls is impossible without finishing putty. In such cases, you need to plaster with sandpaper. Using paper, you can smooth out all the unevenness of the coating, while avoiding various flaws.
  • The last step is the application of the primer. This must be done in order to improve the adhesion characteristics of the surface.
    If a person decides to carry out the procedure for applying a primer with his own hands, he must ensure that there are no irregularities, cracks. If the paint is applied to a primer, it will hold for a long time.
    Immediately after applying the layers of primer, you need to give it about six hours in order for it to dry and after that you can paint.

Wallpaper putty

To understand where the putty work begins, watch the training video in this article. After reviewing, it becomes clear that it does not matter at all that the wall is made of concrete, or it is plastered, the very first thing you need to do is to prime it.

Often, for such a case, primers are used that have deep penetration properties (see Primer before puttingty walls - is it needed). They are applied in order to increase the adhesion of wall surfaces. In such a case, this is very important.
The very putty of the walls with their own hands is carried out in several layers:

Layer oneIts thickness is 2-3 millimeters, applied with wide spatulas, their width should be at least 60 centimeters. But do not overdo it, trying to achieve maximum evenness and smoothness of surfaces. This effect is very difficult to achieve, and therefore it is necessary to apply the putty in several layers.
Main layerIt is better to apply it along the diagonal of the walls, so you can evenly distribute the material horizontally and vertically. Therefore, it is very important to apply the plaster correctly to the walls. The spatula must be guided strictly at an angle of 25-30 degrees, the material should be applied from the side of the unfinished surface, it must be pulled towards the putty area, as shown in the video clip. In this way, the material will overlap.
Finishing layerIt is applied after the surface is completely dry. Its thickness should not exceed 5 mm. This will already be the last stage in the surface putty.

So:

  • After completely finishing, you need to dry all wall surfaces well. Usually 12-14 hours are enough for this, but not less. As soon as the walls are dry, the already putty surface must be treated with fine sandpaper. How to do this correctly is shown in the video clip.
  • Now you can start priming the wall again, this will be the finishing stage of the putty. The last layer does not need to be applied thickly, because it is applied in order to level the wall surfaces. As soon as it dries, you can start gluing wallpaper (see Wall decoration with wallpaper in the correct design). You can find out how to glue it correctly by watching the training video.

Attention: If your plane is in a room with high humidity, then the primer must be done. It significantly enhances the adhesion of surfaces.

Plastered walls for painting

The process of plastering walls for painting itself is almost the same as for wallpaper. But still there are some differences, because for painting, the surface of the walls must be made smooth and even.
Smooth is very important. Here is the number of layers. It is often not three or two layers. Sometimes, in order to achieve results, you can repeatedly approach the wall. But in such cases, the layers should be made not thick.

Attention: Each layer applied to the walls must be treated with a primer that has the property of deep penetration. In addition, each layer must be individually primed and dried to the desired level.

Therefore, this process is time consuming. And one more point for successful work, the masters advise, during the puttying of walls under painting, to use a spatula, the width of which should be at least 60 centimeters.

Corner putty

The most difficult stage in all plastering works is finishing the corners of the room. What is the reason for this?
This is due to the fact that the corners need to be processed at 90 degrees, and at the same time make sure that they are even and straight.

So:

  • Professional specialists with extensive experience use a special angled spatula for such work. How to use it during work, you can look at the photo, which shows the instructions for the process.
  • Thanks to such a tool, it is quite easy to align the corner with your own hands in one go. Experts have a lot of experience, and such corners have been leveled many times. It is quite difficult for a beginner or a person without skills to do this, so there is a simple way that anyone can do. Working with it will be easy.
  • To start working in this way, you need to fix the plaster profile to the corner. It must be fastened before applying the first layers. The corner needs to be aligned along it.
    But you can also use another option. To do this, you need to leave a little more material in the corners, which after drying will need to be processed with sandpaper.

Do-it-yourself putty on the walls is not so difficult, here it is just important not to rush. Let the surface dry completely and prime it with high quality. Then the made plane will not require repair for a long time.