My buddy swore I'd regret skipping the filler on my wall patch, but he was dead wrong that time

He told me at Home Depot that if I didn't use spackle before painting, the patch would crack in a week, but I went ahead with just sanding and paint on my living room wall and it's been three months with zero issues, has anyone else gotten away with cutting corners like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethwhite8d ago

Wait, you're really sure that patch is still holding up after three months? Because I'd bet money there's a hairline crack already forming under that paint that you just can't see yet, especially if you skimped on the spackle. The issue with skipping filler isn't just about visible cracks right away, it's about the paint bonding differently to a porous patch versus the surrounding wall... that tends to show up as a weird sheen or texture difference when the light hits it just right. Plus, temperature changes and humidity shifts can make that patch expand and contract differently than the rest of the wall, which is exactly what causes those invisible cracks to pop through later. I've seen too many people brag about their "perfect" shortcut only to call me a year later after their paint started flaking or bubbling up around the edges. You might feel smart now, but give it another six months before you start celebrating.

sanchez.blake8d ago

Alright, @elizabethwhite I gotta push back a little on the spackle thing though. You're right about the temperature and humidity stuff causing cracks later, but skipping filler isn't really the problem here. The real issue is if you don't sand the patch flush with the wall, you get that texture difference you're talking about. I've used straight joint compound on drywall patches for years and it holds up fine because it bonds to the paper better than spackle does. Spackle is actually worse for big patches since it shrinks more as it dries, which is what gives you those hidden hairline cracks later on.