This video provides a step-by-step guide on replacing or repairing an interior window sill and bottom trim. If the sill is made of drywall, cut out the damaged area and patch it with drywall compound or Spackle. Do this through several thin layers until you reach the original surface. If the sill is wood, remove the casing and lift the window sill off and replace it.
Spacckle is used to fill in dings, dents, nail holes, or any small damaged areas on walls. It dries faster than joint compound, typically within half an hour. It is made for small repair jobs and is thicker. If your windowsill is damaged, you may be able to repair it yourself. To choose the right spackling compound, determine the size of the damage you’re repairing. Lightweight spackling is for small repairs, while the standard or all-purpose compound is better for slightly damaged areas.
To repair a hole in the wall using spackle, prepare the damaged surface by cleaning and removing all dust and debris. If the surface has a wallpaper, remove it for a length more extensive than the mesh patch. Step 2: Apply the self-Adhesive patch by peeling back the paper liner from the patch and apply it over the hole.
Repairing holes and dings in walls with spackle and paint is one of the easiest home improvement projects to vastly improve the look of your home’s interior. In today’s tutorial, you will learn how to properly spackle to patch small holes, cracks, and other imperfections like dents in drywall, plaster walls, and sometimes in wood.
📹 How To Fix Cracks Around Window Frame. #caulk windowframe #handyman #diy #howto
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Can you spackle a window sill?
To clean your windowsill and trim, follow these steps:
- Place a drop cloth on the windowsill and beneath the windows to catch dirt and paint.
- Use a painter’s tool to scrape away as much old paint as possible.
- Fill any holes in the trim or windowsill with spackle to prevent paint cracking and flaking.
- Sand the windowsill and trim until smooth to remove any paint that wouldn’t be scraped off.
- Use a sponge to thoroughly clean the trim and windowsill to prevent problems when the paint is trying to dry.
- Use painters tape to tape around the edges of the trim and windowsill to prevent paint bleeding, smudges, or marks.
- Prime and paint the windowsill and trim with an angle brush to get into tiny cracks and nooks.
- Once the paint is dry, peel off the tape to avoid smudges or bleedings.
- Enjoy your new windowsill and trim! It’s important to redo them when needed to keep your home looking fresh and up-to-date. When choosing your windows, choose a family company like Rusco, which has been serving the western suburbs of Chicago since 1937.
How to fix a water damaged window sill inside?
To repair water damage around a window sill and minor wood rot, follow these 7 steps: scrape off paint, remove rotted areas, sand the area, apply wood epoxy primer, wood epoxy filler, sand the damaged area, prime and paint the window sill. Water damage can be a silent alarm for bigger problems brewing beneath the surface, making it crucial to address the issue promptly to prevent further damage.
Can swollen MDF be repaired?
The village has the option of sanding down the profile, reshaping it, and applying primer undercoat before proceeding.
How do you fill holes in window sills?
To replace a window sill, apply hardener and fill gaps with epoxy filler to create an even surface. Sand or plane high spots to make the surface flush. Choose rot-resistant wood like cedar or PVC that matches the sill thickness and cut to the desired length. Match the angle of the sill slope along the back edge. Drill pilot holes across the front of the replacement sill, about every 12 inches. Apply waterproof adhesive to the exposed edge of the prepared surface.
Attach the replacement sill onto the adhesive and fasten it with 3 ½ inch deck screws. Sand or plane any high spots along the new and old sills, fill gaps and screw holes with wood filler, and sand the wood filler once dried. Prime and paint to match.
Can a damaged sill be repaired?
Window sill repair involves various methods depending on the issue. Skilled specialists can cut the rotten wood back, glue in new seasoned wood, strengthen corners with stainless steel angle brackets, or re-glue joints. The time it takes depends on the problem, whether the sills can be repaired in situ or if they need to be removed. The duration of the repair depends on the specific problem.
How to fix a cracked window sill inside?
To fix window cracks, clean debris, fill with wood filler or epoxy, and let it dry completely. If the crack is large, reinforce it with nails, drilling pilot holes and hammering finish nails into the windowsill. Fill the holes with caulk or epoxy and sand the area smooth. If water damage occurs, act quickly to ensure the structural integrity of the windowsill. Seek professional assistance if needed.
How to repair interior window sill wood rot?
Wood rot is a common issue in wooden windows, which can be both a source of pride and annoyance for homeowners. To repair wood rot, first identify the amount of rot and the rotten wood present. Remove the rotted areas, drill holes, apply wood hardener and filler, sand the area down, and paint the wood. Reddish Joinery provides a comprehensive guide to treatment for wood rot. Wooden windows are susceptible to rot due to their relationship with timber and water, making them susceptible to decay and decay.
How to repair rotting wood without replacing it?
In order to repair wood that is in a state of disintegration, it is necessary to apply a solution of wood hardener to the affected area with the aid of a paintbrush, allowing the solution to penetrate the wood. Once the wood has undergone a sufficient period of drying, it should be restored to a healthy state. In the event that an excess of hardener is present, it should be removed by means of a wire brush. The repair should then be smoothed out with filler. The optimal method for the prevention of rot is the implementation of proper ventilation.
What not to put on a window sill?
Window sills are often used for organizing and decorating, but they can quickly become cluttered and store items that should not be exposed to heat, cold, damp, or sunlight. Common household products require specialized storage to prevent damage. Some items should never be stored on windowsills, such as edible items, cleaning products, shower gels, body products, aerosols, flammables, fragile items, perfume and makeup, reflective surfaces, and candles.
Strategic decluttering can free up space in small spaces, allowing for the relocation of items that should not be there. By avoiding these storage options, you can create a more organized and functional home.
How do you fill cracks in a wooden window sill?
To repair a rotten window frame, follow these steps:
- Remove existing paint with sandpaper.
- Repair cracks with wood filler and smooth it out with a putty knife. Sand the repaired area for a clean finish.
- Sand and prime the repaired area with primer to seal the wood.
- Apply several layers of fresh paint, allowing time to dry between layers.
Regarding rotten wood, replace it, which is a heavy DIY job. It is recommended to contract a professional for this task.
Repairing an aluminium window frame involves cleaning the cracked area, preparing the crack, applying a high-quality metal filler/epoxy, smoothing the surface, and painting the frame. Sand the repaired area to ensure evenness and smoothness.
Finally, paint the frame to hide the filler and allow it to dry. It is essential to follow the product’s instructions for proper application and maintenance. If you encounter a rotten window frame, it is recommended to seek professional help.
Can you fix a crack in a window without replacing it?
Minor window damage can be rectified through the application of a durable adhesive, such as epoxy. To achieve the best results, it is essential to follow a five-step guide and use the appropriate tools for the task at hand. In the absence of intervention, cracks will continue to propagate over time, ultimately becoming irreparable. In the event of severe cracks, a provisional repair may be undertaken until such time as a professional assessment of the damage can be conducted. One may save 35% on replacement windows and an additional $100 per window.
📹 The Holy Grail of Baseboard Repair!!!
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I used this article to fix my baseboards at home. It was my first time trying anything like this, but I thought I would give it a shot. Worked beautifully! The only thing I would say is BE CAREFUL. I got the same tube of wood filler as him, and the work was not heavy, but i still got a chest infection from the sanding. The larger wood filler containers usually come with more warning. This one did not, and I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I know he didn’t wear a mask, but this is still something to approach with caution.
Bondo works faster and will be ready to sand in less than an hour depending on how much hardner you use. Surfprep makes sponge backed sanding pads that contour to whatever surface you are sanding. There oscillating electric sander would make quick work of this but it’s a bit expensive for just one job. Bondo is also shapeable before it hardens all the way. Just a thought.
Wow excellent tips! I’m getting ready to repaint inside the house and have damaged baseboards from almost 20-years in the house and nice to know, now, that I won’t have to just replace it all, I can fix smaller damaged areas! (I’m more of an engineer/mechanic so this woodworking stuff is a new area!)
Wood filler (not drydex), 120 grit and 150 grit sandpaper, (optional) wood glue 1. 120grit sandpaper and sand the area. Also use knife too if needed. Clean it with damp cloth 2. Use a bit of glue if needed. 3. Apply one coat of wood filler with a finger. 4. Wait until it dries 5. Sand it with 150 grit sandpaper
You can put pencils and popsicle sticks into the sand paper for sharp inner profiles. Also try sticking sand paper to pieces of wood with double sided tape, works great. You can also stick the backs of sand paper to each other with double sided tape, which makes your sand paper stiffer but it stays still flexible.
Thermoplastic beads (polymorph) are great for making custom sanding blocks for jobs like these. Heat the beads in hot water, mould to the shape of the baseboard (or whatever) fold some sandpaper over the mould and sand an exact copy of the profile for a perfect finish. Once you’ve finished the mould can be reheated, remoulded and used over and over on different projects.
It’s a good trick to know about, there’s many times where replacement is not an option. Personally I use a block as a backer to sand the flats to keep from rounding over the mitre by accident and if a pencil fits in the grooves I’ll give it a go. You can always take the utility knife to carve the pencil a little if you need to make it smaller. Also if it’s really deep gouges I use bondo to build it up because it’s quick drying.
I use the same technique, wood glue. But I mix it with some USG 5 minute “hot mud”. The USG uses heat (via chemical reaction) to cure, that added with the water and the wood glue soaks right into the wood/mdf. It’s super easy to carve, sand, file, and cut in detailed trim details. It’s very durable, and handy to have a bag around for many other uses. I use masonary primer like Loxon from Sherwin William’s, it seals everything up and your ready to top coat.
Using a self-hardening water-based modelling clay like the German brand ‘DAS’ would be another option. While still soft it can be molded with a caulking spatula and it becomes rock-hard in a couple of days and with zero damage to any of the original baseboard including the paintwork. It will absorb moisture so I recommend using a shellac primer before painting it over. No sanding is required. If the top layer is slightly too rough it can be evened out by using a soft dishwashing sponge after a very light spraying of water.
Unfortunately I have a lot of experience here with a parrot that has an appetite for chewing on baseboard, sills and you name it. Get something like a “Warner Sanding Block Hand Sander, 34436A” otherwise relying on your fingers to create straight and sharp edges is impossible. That sanding block has a lot of the edges most people need for this type of repair. As far as wood filler I really like Sherwin-Williams. Anyway great articles and excellent tips! 👍😎
An old deck of playing cards can be pressed horizontally against a curved part of a baseboard to create a mold (similar to a contour tool gauge). Use a pinch clamp to stop the cards from shifting. Glue sandpaper onto the deck’s edge/gauge, and use it as a sanding block. The block nay not work well with small, sharp (90 degree) edges, but otherwise can be a useful trick.
Am about to attempt my own repair on the corners of my staircase’s newel post…4 puppies decided, after 13wks of exemplary behaviour, that their meeting place on the bottom stair needed a make over 😫 … along with an eye watering sized munch on the skirting 😬😳 (Came here to confirm my idea of building up wood glue would do the trick…so thanks for the article!!👌🏽) Blessings from N.Ireland☘ P.s..my son (has asd) is Canada on the brain…can he get a hello..would make his day!!😃🤩
This is pretty much my life at the moment! Moving house, and the new place 🙈 im talking foam sticking out of every crevice caulk all over the bathroom doorways cracks and just all over the skirting boards! gaps in floorboards chunks of dried paint over dried paint over dried paint and thats only to name a few 😭 you’ve gained a new follower I’ll be perusal your articles religiously for the next year! If you have any vids to help fix other people’s mess ups please send me links lol im gonna need all the help i can get!
Thanks! I live in a 1901 house with period trim. Finding exact or similar trim is impossible. The sanding tip makes so much sense. When you sand back and forth, that requires multiple build-ups and sanding which is maddening to get right. This simple tip and the way you put the glue down first and sand unidirectional has me walking around sticking painters tape identifying all the trim that needs proper repair. There have been times my Dremel has come in handy to shape hardened filler details but a steady hand is needed. Thank You!
For a sharper, more uniform repair of the shape of the base boards, there is a tool called a contour guage. Take an imprint of the good section of the base boards and then cut that shape out on some hard trash plastic (I use the plastic from a clam shell package from some bakery cupcakes). While your wood filler is still wet, use your piece of plastic with the same shape as your base boards cut out to smooth it in the same shape. Go from the middle of the board to the corner.
Would this work to fill open mitres on baseboard corners in spaces with lots of expansion and contraction? I have a new client in a few weeks and would like to do something a bit more permanent than the dap she bought. Will be a bit annoying getting it in there since all the open mitres have split apart but it also needs to be flexible since the building humidity seems to fluctuate all the time
I prefer to build it up with bondo all purpose mixing it slightly heavy with the activator. Usually have to gouge it out deeper to get to solid material. When you first apply it, rub it in deep into the pores of the wood than build it up on top of that. Sometimes I use plastic wrap to see how I’m shaping it and maybe paint sticks to help form the shape. If I just pile it on and before it’s fully cured (soft and pliable) to shape it closer by sliding a sharp putty knife along the profile cutting off gross excess. A few minutes later it can be sanded, primed & painted. Again a paint stick wrapped with sandpaper to follow the shape. Done within 2 hrs from the start. This method works great for exterior problems too. If rotten wood use minwax wood hardener first to permanently stiffen the fibers. Than cut out what you must, than follow the above instruction.
Using your fingers you will sand away too much (which you did) and the shape will taper. Why? Because filler is softer than wood.. You should always have a long object like a ruler or a block of wood in the paper so that it matches exactly to the profile. For the curve you can put in an aerosol can or anything curved as long as the radius is the same or smaller.
Hi funny carpenter, I find your articles are funny helpful. Wondering if you can help me on one question, my kitchen cabinets look like the baseboard maybe I am guessing it is MBF. Got the fuzzy wood fluff coming out many corners. So can I do the same technique and can I patch with some kind of paint? Question from a total new DIYer who is locked down and thinking to take on this fix. Hopefully can hear some guidance on this. Thanks
To speed things up, and reinforce those corners, I knock or sand away any proud bits, then use a thin bodied CA glue (the Super Glue brand from dollar tree usually…) Soaks in and turns the soaked area of MDF into a HARD plastic fiber composite. When installing MDF outside corners, I “harden” the corners by soaking the mitered face cuts with thin CA glue, special attention to soaking the tips. Outside corners are MUCH less prone to damage if reinforced this way. CA can also be used to glue corners together before nailing in place. In MDF a medium bodied CA works well, and less is needed if the MDF has been “pre-hardened” with the thin CA. $1 worth of Super Glue will harden both mitre faces for about 5 joints. Inside corners, I don’t bother with treating as they so rarely suffer damage, unless I have a need to glue the two pieces together before nailing in place.
When apply,I’m doing 1 side per day. Cleaning fresh filler coat from top to bottom with scraper which is hold horizontally. Angle around 45 ⁰. Not pushing too much and when the crust is nearly dry off,i take very soft brush dipped in clean water and just easy “pet”it even a foot behind the demaged spot.few mins per day and sometimes don’t even need a sanding,just scrape deep details with a knife:)
What I do after I apply the wood filler is take a 6″ metal taping knife and slowly trace the profile of each board from bottom to top, molding the filler to match the existing profile. Then I let it cure, sand it very lightly to remove any excess bits and paint. Much easier than trying sculpt a hard surface by eye with sandpaper.
Being a compulsive personality and a stickler for detail I understand why your really getting into getting all the contours correct and all that BUT I’ve also dome all kinds of building maintenance for many decades and I can tell you that most of that for THIS kind of relatively small “blemish” is totally unnecessary. The fact is that getting so particular about it wont be noticed by anyone. Sanding it smooth to get all the exposed wood fibers off and just priming it and painting it would work fine because again, no one will notice. Once you do that it wont catch anyones eye even if it isn’t perfect. It jumps out at you because your wife pointed it out but even though you probably knew it was there, it probably didn’t keep your attention. It’s kind of like the people who insist on using masking tape to paint perfects edges when they paint a room. If you have a good brush and a steady hand no one will notice that your paint lines aren’t perfectly straight. Professional painters never use masking tape. It’s a waste of time and effort.
I saw a article recently on baseboard installation and the guy doing it glued a piece of sandpaper to the front of a small, spare piece of baseboard and used that as his sanding tool to get the correct contour. Definitely a neat trick, but only works if you have a little extra baseboard and trim with the same profile as what you have installed. youtube.com/watch?v=jjurVQ1NkWw starting at 4:17 is the visual on how to do that.
Easy.. Don’t use MDF to begin with. I tell my clients that I won’t use it. They appreciate that I tell them that at the beginning. You use the same labor and material to put it in as real wood millwork, yet it sucks. Blame your builder, or your contractor for being a POS and installing crap in your home. I piss off so many sh!t contractors who use it, I love giving them sh!t. Anyone who knows, know what I am stating is real. You aren’t saving any money in the long run using MDF.
How do you work with baseboard that is particle-board) not actual wood planks? In my last couple of houses I’ve had these and they are awful for repairing dings and for bathrooms where water got under them. Seriously, why even put baseboard next to a shower or tub without at least sealing it with shellac?
Just did this same repair for a friends house while patching walls. Smooth out the wood first like you had. Next fill with compound and use putty knife to drag with the profile of the grooves flat across vertically. I wanted to fill another round, but did it within an hour with a few visits as I passed to check for dryness and then sand, prime, paint. Now it may take another hit and not hold up as well as your wood putty, but if I repeat the repair I’ll use the putty and my blade technique. It makes it easy to match the profile and leave less guess work out of matching the profile with the sand paper. Nice job there.
You shouldn’t encourage the quick-dry with the fan. We all know where it goes. “Come back tomorrow, it’s all set up hard”. “An hour with the fan, all set up hard” “Just eight seconds with the torch, it’s all set up hard, and next we’re going to replace all the molding, drapes and ceilings on the ground floor…”
What i do is use bondo….i drill small holes in the defect first . this gives the bondo something to bite into. Then load it up. The bondo dries fast so its ready to sand in about 10 minutes. For sanding i use spray contact adhesive . i glue strips of sandpaper to a small wood strip….may 8 inches or so. I gently ride sandpaper block on existimg profile sanding bondo to match detail. Then just finish it up with regular sandpaper by hand for final smoothing. . this is quick and easy and has served me well for decades.
My puppy ATE my baseboards in my apartment, and we’re planning to move out in 2 months. I haven’t started yet, but I already KNOW, THIS article IS GOING TO SAVE MY LIFE AND $500!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I have to search for a way to repair some flooring (somehow he ate the floors too, wtf) so that’s something else I’m panicking about. I’ll update my comment when I finish the project :).
Very helpful. Had several pet-damaged baseboard corners that now look like I’ve never owned a dog. TY Apropos of the quick slant: How would Brady’s Super Bowl W-L record look without the confederacy of dunces Carroll, and Kyle Shannahan? He’d be a pretty mediocre .500. I hope he sends them a nice fruit basket every Christmas.
Thanks for this article! I hope you can answer a question. We bought an apartment that we’ll use as a rental, so I don’t want to replace all the cabinets. The corners of some of them, however, are chipped and damaged. This article has shown me how to repair the damage. My question is about BEFORE the repair. Two of the damaged areas are on either side of the vent hood, which means the exposed wood has probably absorbed a lot of greasy smoke over the years. How can I clean that wood before applying the filler?
excellent repair. I take a little different approach. I make a tight contour on a thin piece of cardboard to match the baseboard profile, and then use a liberal amount of Powergrab adhesive, or caulk on the corner. Then I pull my cardboard across it starting from the corner inward and sort of squeegee the wet material in to the proper shape each direction. I developed this technique after being rushed through trim jobs over the years, where the end product would be painted anyway. Helps quickly repair miter cuts that were hard to get right when the builder left the corners out of square, or a horrible mud finish.
FWIW: Neither Home Depot nor Lowes stocks this in my area. My local Ace Hardware had it. However, Ace also had a stainable version (the one shown in the article is only paintable). And, Ace stocked a “Probond 3x stronger” version too (stainable, still Elmer’s brand). I’ve always used Durham’s “Water Putty” (“rock hard,” and in my experience, really is). It would be interesting to see a comparison of it to Elmer’s (paintable, stainable, probond 3x stainable). I know that the “Water Putty” isn’t stainable. But, it truly is rock hard. It would be interesting to see that compared to the non-stainable Elmers in this article (or, why not use “3x stronger” probond all the time? if hardness is the criteria?).
You can use some Easy Sand 15 with some wood glue added. This mixture drys very hard and won’t crumble. To add the glue take an old bottle, add some water and a then some glue. Shake it and add to your water for the Easy Sand. Works great on nail holes, drywall patching and is much cheaper than wood filler. You can play around with the concentration of glue to achieve different hardnesses of your final sand.
Looks like a great fix …… but let’s do the math. How long did you spend completing that fix, multiplied by your hourly rate for service. MDF baseboard is very inexpensive. I would have simply replaced the 3-4 feet of baseboard you’re working with, put a lick of paint on it and call it a day. But whatever floats your boat I guess.
About 1000 years ago on This Old House. They were trying to duplicate a profile on a window ledge (it was a long time ago) well norm (or bob villa) put some plastic wrap over the good section then built up a profile of the good section w/bondo. Then I believe they cut the bondo form in to a smaller profile. Then placed more bondo over the damaged part then used the bondo form to set the correct profile. I assume they must have used some release agent to keep the bondo form from sticking to the bondo patch.
The simp mentality is real. As soon as I saw the post-it note and the message on the back, I immediately went to find another article. I don’t pander nor affiliate myself w any weak males that think it’s ok or even “cute” that their wife tells them or even if it’s YOU pretending she’s telling you you’re gonna “die” if you don’t fix it. Imagine you(man) leaving a note to your wife/gf that if she doesn’t do your laundry or dinner or die. She’d correct that behavior bc its fvcking stupid. So remember, fellas, being a simp means your weak and you don’t run your household at all w that mentality. Grow a pair and make the rules.
I use a wheelchair to get around and I tear up the baseboards at the corners from both the wear from the wheels and the push bars mounted to the wheels. This probably would help in some situations, in others a “graft” would probably work better. However, IMO it probably would help if you mounted the sand paper (my thinking would be to start out with 120 grit and work down to 180 or 200 grit) to a “stick” to ensure that the corners are square. I realize that you are showing it can be done at a small cost and not much of a craftsman hand.
Can I ask a really stupid question? Sorry everyone. So I just filled and sanded but now I’m at the point where I need a white paint to cover over the wood filler. Do they make white matte-ish looking paint in small containers just for patching base-boards? I don’t need a huge can and of course, there are 1,001 different shades of white out there. Is there just a standard white color that baseboards are painted with?
Hey great tip! Truth be told that joint wasn’t your error in measuring! Finish carpenters don’t measure vertical pitch and all that of a wall for small trim. We have too assume the walls we’re built true as possible. If we’re going to point the finger it’s at the builder, built off square at bottom of the wall, or was built square and who hung the drywall caused it not sinking the screws in far enough towards the end causing the wall outer finish to be out of square.. I know because I do all three and if I see it when I’m installing sheetrock I mark it hopefully finisher sees it. 10 of 10 👍 I’ve been doing this stuff my whole life and I’ve never seen that simple trick
High I use wet filler which is white put I on with a very damp sponge wait about 25 minutes and wipe it ou t the apply another coat and do the same again and no sanding required, do you have this stuff in the u.s we’ve had since the 1980 s try it I use a flexible sanding block and water if it’s not quite right most d.i y stores in U . K sell it and it’s less than a£1