-In addition to universal putties for finishing work, there are a number of specialized mixtures for simulating wood. First of all, the difference between them is in the color scheme - universal putties are either white or tinted to match a specific paint. When repairing flaws in wood - chips, fallen knots, dents and nicks - it is very important not to spoil its natural appearance.
What types of wood putties are there with examples and photos, their advantages and disadvantages, application rules, an overview of leading manufacturing companies - further in the article.
Types of putties
In addition to the color scheme that imitates wood species (pine, oak, alder, ash, spruce and others), there are differences in the chemical composition of various putties. They are divided into the following types:
- putties based on synthetic solvents;
- water based;
- oil;
- polymer;
- plaster.
Self-production
At home, you can prepare high-quality putty, but only in a small amount at a time.
- The most inexpensive way to prepare putty is to combine regular PVA glue and chalk. The consistency should be pasty; wood shavings are added to the mixture to mix the finishing putty. This putty takes a long time to dry, but it turns out good and durable.
- The second method is also simple, but instead of glue, chalk must be combined with acrylic water-soluble varnish. The paste can be painted in any suitable color using pigments from water-based coloring compounds.
- Putty with nitro varnish is used for processing particle boards. It is made by combining nitro varnish, chalk and sawdust, which are a necessary component. The paste is of high quality, dries quickly and forms a durable protective layer. The disadvantages of this mixture include a strong toxic odor.
Putties based on synthetic solvents
These also include nitro putty. They were among the first to be developed for working with wood, and have not lost their relevance today.
They have good mechanical strength, dry quickly, but before complete drying they emit an unpleasant, pungent odor and are toxic, so you need to work with them while protecting your respiratory organs with a respirator, in a ventilated room, or better yet, outside. They are used in the restoration of floors and parquet due to their increased abrasion resistance.
How to use putty materials
Let's consider the main areas of application of this material. This is the elimination of defects on a wooden floor, sealing various kinds of cracks, imitation of wood texture on the surface.
Putty for wooden floors
Putty for wooden floors must contain components that will prevent the material from quickly wearing out from mechanical stress.
If you try to save money, then after 2-3 years the sealed surface will deteriorate and crack
Aqueous, paste-like and gel-like compositions are suitable for the floor. If the product contains fiber fiber, then the durability of the finished coating is guaranteed.
Nitro-based putty will also be stable. In the composition you need to look for cellulose ether components, acetone, resins. Products containing wood flour have a high level of adhesion to any type of wood. Nitro putties, for all their positive qualities, have a rather pungent odor.
Homemade compounds mixed with wood flour ideally fill cracks and seams on wooden floors
Wood putty: what to use to fill cracks
A small gap in a wooden floor is sealed either with a putty of a suitable color, or with a composition of any shade, followed by priming and painting the floor.
Cracks 3-4 mm in size are sealed with acrylic products; larger defects should not be touched, as the finished material will crumble and fall out.
The solvent-based product is well suited for sealing cracks up to 1 cm, and can even eliminate defects on heated floors.
Oil compositions for eliminating narrow cracks should be mixed with chalk, and for wide flaws - with wood dust.
Imitation of wood from putty as a way to decorate the surface
To make imitation wood, a number of tools are required. You need to get a palette knife, a textured roller, a roller with a picture of a wood cut, several types of rubber spatula, and a stencil.
Acrylic, gypsum and silicone bases are suitable for interior finishing.
Beautiful imitation wood made of putty
Water based
Unlike synthetic solvents, water is not toxic and does not have a pungent odor; therefore, water-based putties are harmless to humans and animals at all stages of work and upon completion. It dries relatively slowly and has good adhesion, which allows it to be applied to carefully sanded and even polished wood.
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To wipe off excess from the surface, simply use a damp cloth. After complete drying and varnishing, it is not susceptible to moisture. It is elastic, has a long service life, is fireproof and is not susceptible to heat and cold.
Recipes for making your own wood putty
If you wish, you can make a putty mixture with your own hands, which will not be inferior in quality to store-bought ones. It's all about good, quality ingredients.
The most popular component is crushed chalk, which must be mixed with PVA glue until it becomes sour cream. It is permissible to add small sawdust.
This product will take a day to dry.
The second method is to dilute the chalk with water-soluble acrylic varnish. The paste should be moderately liquid.
Important! Homemade mixtures are not prepared in large volumes, and unevenness and smudges are removed immediately.
Oil based
The only type of wood putty suitable for outdoor work; it can be used outdoors even without further varnishing or painting. Suitable for processing wooden facades.
It has strong water-repellent properties, is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, exposure to open air, including sea air. Available in packaging from 500 grams to 15 kg.
What other materials are used for woodworking?
In addition to putty products, other compounds are also used for working with wood. Their list includes primer and plaster. Each product has its own functions and characteristics.
Primer for wood
Primer is a mandatory material for use in many areas of surface treatment. It is designed to bind substances on different layers of the surface, which creates a waterproof varnish film. This is the protection of the tree from the negative effects of external factors.
Important! The primer seriously saves the consumption of materials, and, therefore, finances.
But all this will only work if the primer is of high quality and suitable for woodworking. A soluble primer protects the material from destruction, and a waterproof primer protects it from moisture.
There are oil and acrylic compositions. In any case, they will be the base layer for subsequent finishing.
Wood plaster
Plaster protects the wood from rotting, but the condition is to first coat the surface with antiseptic compounds, which must dry completely.
A plastered wall resists the appearance of mold if the initial humidity threshold does not exceed 12%. Plaster protects the surface from termites and rodents.
Use lime, cement, lime-gypsum, gypsum plaster
Polymer
Polymer, also known as acrylic wood putty, is currently more common than others. This is due to its relative cheapness, durability, ease of use, good water-repellent properties, elasticity, and low shrinkage coefficient when drying.
Thanks to the modifiers it contains, it is suitable for both living rooms and rooms with high humidity (bathroom, toilets, sauna, kitchen). Also good for restoration of parquet and floor boards.
Creation of models and furniture
The art of sculpting, finishing and creating furniture from wood requires special putties. The characteristics of such wood putties are different.
The main criterion here is the post-processing method.
- Classic one-component putties are excellent for filling small cavities or cracks.
- One-component putty, which is relatively soft, is definitely better suited for hand processing, while harder ones, usually two-component, are easily processed by machine.
- It is important to know how thick a layer of putty can be applied at one time. Some solutions can dry evenly even a few millimeters thick; for others, a millimeter is the upper limit.
- Sometimes putty mixed with dust or sawdust is used. They are available in the form of a liquid base, but when working with the material, dust and sawdust are formed; for example, you can wipe off the wood from the invisible side of the object with thin paper.
Such putties are perfectly matched in color and allow you to achieve an aesthetic effect at the cost of a lot of work.
Application rules
The wood on which the putty will be applied is rough sanded, then dust is removed from it with a brush and a rag, or even better, blown off with a pneumatic gun. Next, apply a spatula with a small slide to the flaw. No matter how much manufacturers praise their product, the putty still shrinks when it dries.
Opinions differ about wood primer. The fact is that putty holds much more firmly on “bare” wood. But after removing its excess, stubborn stains of ingrained putty remain on the wood around the repaired defect.
A primer solves this problem, but the adhesion of the putty to the primed wood is noticeably worse. It is advisable to keep the spatula clean - this will simplify the work. If you need to apply a thick layer, you need to do it in several passes, allowing the intermediate layers to dry. After drying, excess putty is removed with sandpaper.
Review of manufacturers
European and Russian brands produce universal putties and wood products:
- Tikkurila . The company offers a large selection of ready-to-use products that can be diluted with water. Can be used without additional paint. Some putties give a shade of mahogany, oak, pine or beech.
- Eurotex . The brand’s compositions perfectly eliminate minor defects and are suitable for subsequent painting. They dry quickly and adhere firmly to the surface, creating a matte layer.
- "Belinka". The putties are made in 6 “woody” shades, dry quickly and are easy to use. They have virtually no odor and are well suited for treating large areas.
- "Rainbow". The product has high mechanical strength and minimal shrinkage. Dries in 3-4 hours at temperatures up to 22 degrees.
- "Bolars." Finishing putties are used for external and internal work in the temperature range from -40 to +60. One of the best frost resistance indicators on the market.
When choosing a putty for wood processing, one is guided by the tasks that it must solve and the operating conditions of the object. You need to give preference to well-known brands, buy products in places where they can present certificates for them.
Algorithm for using putty
If, for example, putty is used for a board floor, then the work must be performed in the following order:
- Only prepared surfaces can be puttied. If local defects are being repaired, then it is necessary to run a grinding machine over the area next to the crack or chip. The inside of the defective object can be cleaned with a simple knife or other sharp object;
- if in the future you plan to replace the existing floor covering, then, first of all, it is necessary to examine the flooring for rotten and poorly secured boards. Then they are replaced, the surface is ground and sanded. Very deep cracks must be cleaned;
- After preparing the surface itself, it is necessary to eliminate existing deep defects. Any cavities must be filled. However, starting putty is usually used for these purposes. If work is carried out with the finishing composition, then it is not advisable to prepare two mixtures and spend money on their purchase. It would be more practical to use twine or rope of suitable sizes. The element is impregnated with an adhesive mixture and pushed into the crack using a screwdriver. After the mixture dries, you will get an almost uniform coating, ready for processing; the putty process itself is carried out using a rubber spatula. The applied composition dries in about a day, but if defective areas with a deep structure were eliminated, then you should wait 2-3 days.
You can give a woody tint to our putty by adding certain additives to the composition. The cheapest way to prepare the composition yourself is gouache or ocher.
The best finishing putties
The purpose of this finishing material is to create a finishing coating, which should serve as the basis for painting or wallpapering. For analysis, 6 mixtures and liquid compositions were taken, of which only 3 combine high quality, safety, affordability and ease of use.
Danogips Sheetrock SuperFinish
Danogips Sheetrock SuperFinish putty is sold in ready-to-use paste form. You can find two volumes on the market - 5, 5.6 and 28 kg in buckets. The mass has an optimal consistency, does not spread over the surface and does not dry instantly. This makes it possible to adjust the applied layer, which, according to the instructions, should be thin - about 2 mm. The scope of application of this material is quite extensive - processing of concrete, drywall, lime plaster. It is used both for complete finishing of walls and ceilings, and only for closing seams or small cracks.
Danogips SuperFinish putty mixture is suitable for use in both industrial and residential construction. It can be applied either manually, using a spatula, or mechanically. This material is intended only for indoor work; the temperature at this time should be within +13ºC. The composition has a uniform texture and allows you to obtain a smooth white coating.
Advantages
- Does not require mixing components;
- Good astringent properties;
- Tight fit to the base;
- Does not crack or chip for a long time;
- Easy to sand.
Flaws
- During processing, the surface splashes a little;
- A special application tool is required - a gun, brush, etc.
TEX finishing Pro
We present latex finishing putty in a ready-to-use form. According to reviews, it is not difficult to apply due to its soft texture and optimal consistency. It is actively used both for complex wall finishing and for partial treatment of seams, joints, and cracks. The composition fits perfectly on a concrete, plasterboard, or plastered base, and you can safely glue wallpaper or apply paint on top.
TEX Pro works well on both ceilings and walls, but can only be useful when carrying out interior work. For their successful implementation, the air temperature in the room should not be lower than +5ºC, and the humidity should not be less than 80%. This composition is not obstinate in application, but thorough cleaning of the base from contaminants still cannot be avoided.
After this, it is important to let the coating dry, which will take up to 4 hours. If desired, a primer from the same manufacturer can be applied over the putty layer.
Advantages
- Easy to apply;
- Levels the surface well;
- The finished coating does not crack;
- Wide selection of packaging - 1.5, 5, 8, 16 and 30 kg;
- The coating dries quickly - about 4 hours.
Flaws
The maximum permissible layer thickness is 3 mm.
TEX Pro putty is applied using an ordinary spatula, and it is better if it is wide and long enough to prevent the composition from spreading.
Hercules GT-33
Finishing putty “Hercules GT-33” was created for leveling joints in gypsum fiber boards and gypsum boards, as well as ceilings and walls. It is sold in dry form, and the powder must be diluted with water in the proportions of 0.55-0.7 liters of liquid per 1 kg of raw materials. It is not recommended to prepare a lot of composition at once due to the rapid loss of elasticity. Thanks to the fine grinding (the largest particle size is 0.3 mm) and good solubility, there are no lumps left in the mixture and it does not require intensive stirring.
This composition has high plasticity, facilitating surface treatment. It is primarily intended for work on concrete, but the finished coating can be painted or finished with wallpaper. Due to the combination of polymers, gypsum and fine mineral fillers, high-quality adhesion to the base is ensured. Its minimum permissible thickness is 0.3 mm, but there is no maximum limit.
Advantages
- Beautiful white color;
- Homogeneous texture;
- Shelf life – 2 years;
- Adequate consumption of the working mixture is 1.0 kg/m2;
- Tightness of packaging;
- Good density.
Flaws
- Must be applied strictly at a temperature not lower than +5°C;
- Not intended for use outside buildings.
Dry putty mixture “Hercules GT-33” is available for sale in two volumes - 5 and 15 kg; if you choose a larger quantity, you can save a little.
Preparation of working tools
To carry out puttying work, you will need to purchase some tools to make application easier and get the most even, smooth surface:
a fairly wide brush with soft bristles or a roller, with which the façade surface is primed;
Maklovitz brush
Rollers for priming walls
a construction mixer or electric drill with an attachment for high-quality mixing of the putty mixture;
Construction mixer
Several spatulas of different sizes allow you to process large areas of the facade, as well as corners or hard-to-reach areas.
Spatulas
Construction mixer price
Construction mixer
If paint is to be used as the final finishing of the facade, then the surface must be absolutely flat and smooth, so a well-dried layer of putty will need to be rubbed with a special fine-grained mesh.
Mesh for grouting putty
FAQ
How large potholes can be filled with putty?
Most manufacturers do not recommend applying a layer thicker than 2 mm. Gaps and cracks should also not be wider than 2-3 mm. If they are larger, you need to glue in pieces of the same wood, then sand the crack and putty it (if necessary).
Which putty should I use to fill shallow dents on a polished or varnished surface?
The best option is to use a transparent composition. Epoxy materials can be used. For shallow flaws, it is more correct to use varnish - it is applied with a thin splinter, trying to get exactly into the recesses.
If you plan to do a solid painting, what kind of putty should you choose?
Any putty is suitable for solid painting. Here the selection criterion will not be the type of finishing, but the ease of working with putty, drying speed and cleanliness of processing. The best and inexpensive option is acrylic putty, but other types can be used
What tool is used to apply the material?
If the processing area is large, use the usual finishing tools - a spatula, a grater, an emery net. For small and delicate work, they use appropriate tools, even homemade ones - for example, cutting and sharpening narrow strips of plastic.
What is the duration of intermediate (interlayer) drying?
This indicator is different for all types of putty. Detailed information can be found on the material packaging. It is important to keep in mind that minimum values are usually indicated. It is recommended to leave the layers longer to allow them to set properly.
