Buying guide for Best wood fillers
Is the wood around your home’s window frames water damaged and rotted? Is there a gouge or nick in your handsome hardwood floor? Scratched furniture, rotted wood trim, and chipped flooring are common household problems that can be time-consuming and costly to repair. Not to worry: if you are a handy do-it-yourself homeowner, you can use wood filler to repair dents, divots, voids, and blemishes quickly and affordably.
If you have not used this helpful product before, we think you will love it. Wood filler, also commonly known as plastic wood, wood jam, and grain filler, in a spreadable compound, filler, or grout used to fill imperfections in wood before finishing. Cabinet makers and expert woodworkers use wood filler to fill nail holes and open cracks in wood joints that require filling before finishing. Wood filler can be sanded, stained, or sealed to make wood flaws virtually invisible.
While you can fill holes, nicks, gaps, and scratches with wood filler or wood putty, the two products, although similar, have significant differences.
Key considerations
Types of wood filler
When shopping for wood filler, you will find several types. Some are formulated for general application; others are more specific. The type of wood filler you choose depends largely on the job.
Water-based wood fillers: Water-based wood fillers, also known as latex wood fillers, are specifically formulated for use indoors. They absorb stain similar to soft woods such as pine, and they resist shrinking and cracking. The product is inexpensive, easy to apply, and easy to sand.
- Ingredients used in the manufacture of latex-based and water-based wood fillers include clay, pulverized wood fiber, calcium carbonate, colorant, water, and binders. Wood fillers are also made from synthetic materials with a propensity to accept wood finishing products.
Household applications include repairing cabinetry, wooden doors, trim, and paneling before staining and sealing. Water-based wood fillers are also useful when it comes to repairing surface damage to wood furniture and in filling imperfections on wooden household items such as photo frames, memory boxes, toys, shop art, and craft projects.
Solvent-based wood fillers: Formulated for outdoor use, solvent-based wood fillers (also known as petroleum-based wood fillers) are used for filling and repairing wood exposed to the elements: decks, siding, molding, and so on. Made from wood waste (wood scraps, sawdust, and wood dust) suspended in a petroleum-based glue-like resin binder, solvent-based wood filler dries rock hard.
Stainable wood fillers: As the name implies, this type of filler is receptive to staining. You can easily match the exact shade of the wood you are repairing with a stainable wood filler.
Prefinished wood floor filler: Prefinished wood floor filler is a product fairly new to the market. It is an excellent choice if you want to make minor DIY repairs to costly hardwood flooring. Damage from moving furniture, nail holes, and cracks disappear with a careful application of this easy-to-apply product. The filler is designed for use on floors that are already installed and finished and well as prefinished hardwood floors.
Prefinished wood filler compares to latex wood filler, except a polyurethane is used in the manufacturing process instead of water. It becomes waterproof after it dries. Therefore, it does not need a topcoat. The drawbacks to using prefinished wood filler are that it dries out quickly after the jar is opened, it becomes ruined if the product is allowed to freeze, and it is rather expensive.
Expert Tip
After using wood filler, you will generally want to use the softest sandpaper (which is the highest grit) to get the job done while preventing unnecessary lines.
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Two-part epoxy wood fillers: Epoxy wood fillers, widely used in architectural conservation and restoration, can be a cost-effective and labor-saving way to repair wood flaws due to weather-related or pest-related damage. Areas that are difficult to replace, such as porch columns and brightwork, can also benefit from epoxy wood filler repairs.
Select an epoxy wood filler when the element cannot be easily repaired or replaced without taking apart other components. Pegged window sills and dovetailed drawers are examples of home features where epoxy wood filler excels.
Viscosity
Wood filler has two primary purposes: to fill voids such as holes and dents and to fill pores and achieve a smooth finish when working with open-grained hardwoods such as mahogany, oak, walnut, and ash. The consistency of a product designed to fill large voids may not work well for filling small dents and porous grained wood. The reason: the wood particles used in the manufacture of the product may be too large to work into small nail holes and miniscule wood grain openings.
- Latex wood filler, made from wood flour (dust-like wood particles), can be thinned with water or a water-based colorant to the ideal consistency or viscosity for filling grain. When looking for a fine grain filler, choose a water-borne grain filler that cleans up easily, works with all types of film finishes, and dries clear.
Application
Apply wood filler with a small, flexible putty knife. Begin at the edge of the damaged area, pressing the filler into the void. Overfill slightly to make an allowance for shrinkage. Then, sand and finish the project. Small repairs are ready for sanding within 20 minutes. Deep or large repairs or patches may require up to eight hours to dry. Sand lightly to achieve the desired smoothness, stain, and finish.
When applying latex or oil-based wood filler, always follow the manufacturer's application instructions carefully to achieve the best results.
Wood filler vs. wood putty
While most folks, when talking about household tasks, use the terms “wood filler” and “wood putty” as one and the same. However, expert woodworkers note that there are important differences between the two products. Once applied, wood filler dries to a hard, dense consistency that can be cut, sanded, and stained to blend smoothly, easily, and unnoticeably into the wood around it. Wood putty is a flexible material that remains somewhat pliable even after it dries.
Features
Package size
Wood filler is packaged in half-pint, pint, quart, and gallon plastic, metal, or glass resealable containers as well as 3.25-ounce tubes.
- When using wood filler, be sure to tightly seal the container after use to keep any remaining material from drying and hardening. While most brands of wood filler must be discarded if allowed to dry out, some latex wood fillers can be reconstituted to a workable consistency by adding water or water-based stain to the dried-out filler.
Color
Most wood fillers are a neutral beige color and can be stained to match any type of wood. However, there are some that are pre-tinted, allowing you to quickly select a filler that matches the wood you are working with.
Expert Tip
Consider storing tubes and tubs of filler in a resealable plastic bag pressing as much air out as possible. You can also place plastic wrap snugly over the tub before replacing the lid. These can help prevent your wood filler from drying out.
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Accessories
From big jobs to small, wood filler fills scratches, gaps, and voids. Wood filler is easy to apply with a few simple household repair tools.
Sandpaper: Miady Assorted Grit Sandpaper
This value-pack of sandpaper contains assorted grits, from 120 to 3,000. It’s perfect for crafts and small jobs. The handy pre-cut sheets are ideal for wood applications including sanding, buffing, and polishing. Manufactured from premium waterproof silicon carbide for smooth wet or dry sanding, the set includes 36 sheets.
Putty knife: Warner Manufacturing Putty Knife
The Warner stainless steel putty knife is crafted from quality stainless steel and fitted with a solid rosewood handle. Flexible, lightweight, and durable, it should provide years of service and is an excellent value for the money. Designed with a full tang for maximum strength, this putty knife will spread wood filler with ease.
Wood filler prices
Budget-friendly
For general home maintenance and repair as well as craft projects, wood fillers in the lowest price range cost from $2 to $8 for a 3.25-ounce squeeze tube. For furniture touch-ups and small household repair jobs, this may be all you need.
Mid-range
From $8 to $18 per pint, shoppers will find reputable brand-name wood fillers with excellent adhesion. These wood fillers are unlikely to crack, chip, shrink, or sink.
Expensive
Artisans and professionals who work with expensive hardwoods can expect to pay $18 and up for a custom-blend pint of latex wood filler. High-end solvent-based wood fillers cost from $32 to $50 for fine-grain wood filler blended from flour of the same hardwood the product is intended to repair. Prefinished hardwood floor filler costs $100 a gallon and upward.
Expert Tip
Always buy the smallest amount of wood filler needed for your project, so if or when it does dry out, you have less waste.
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Tips
- Wood fill capability and relative shrinkage vary depending on temperature and humidity. For best performance, apply outdoor wood filler on a dry, sunny, warm day.
- For small touch-up jobs around the house, choose a wood filler that firmly holds anchors and screws in place, is solvent free, can be used with a high-speed sander, and resists cracking and shrinking.
- When purchasing a wood filler, choose one with a satisfaction guarantee from the manufacturer. Many companies offer a 30-day money-back guarantee or a one-year product replacement.
FAQ
Q. When filling gaps in crown molding, how wide of a gap can I fill with wood filler?
A. Wood filler can be used to fill gaps up to an inch wide and an inch deep. However, many woodworkers carve a plug or wedge from a solid piece of wood slightly smaller than the divot they are attempting to repair, glue the plug or wedge in place, and then use wood filler to fill the remaining void.
Q. I am repairing an antique dresser with a deep gouge in the front of one of the drawers. How can I match the wood color exactly?
A. For small touch-up jobs, several brands of wood filler package their products in premixed small tubes of white, cedar, red sandalwood, black walnut, red oak, mahogany, teak, and black and grey shades to match almost any wood color. With this type of product, if you can find the right match, you can easily repair damaged furniture by yourself.
Q. I heard that in a pinch, I can use auto body repair putty, also known as Bondo, to fill gaps in wood if I am out of wood filler. Will this work?
A. Yes, auto body putty will work for a temporary fix, but it is a waste of time. Over time, auto body putty will dry, crack, and fall out of the hole or crack it was used to repair.
