The evils of flexible filler

[Squibbit]

Hi, I'm new here - another girlie DIYer!

My worst ever DIY disaster was prompted by a professional.

When we stripped the wallpaper in my sons old room it uncovered a wall which appeared to have been attacked by drill wielding maniac! There were literally hundreds of holes, some with rawl plugs, some without; all in the weirdest of places. In addition to this when we took out the fitted wardrobe there were 2 massive ragged holes in the brieze block some two inches deep, it looked as if part of the blocks had just crumbled away.

Anyway - I wanted a clean painted surface, so we set about preparing the holes for filling. Around this time my step dad visited, an experienced painter and decorator by trade - so I was keen for tips.

"Fill them proud!" he said "Then rub them down"

So I did.... and some for luck . Sadly, being a bit of a newbie I knew not the dangers of flexible filler. So when I went to rub down the first of the hundreds of white lumps scattered about the wall - it just wouldn't and neither would the next and the next.

After tears and tantrums, all I could do (and it took an entire week) was to chisel each and every single one out and fill them - with a suitable filler this time!

 

[AdamW]

I always used to use that ready-mixed filler. It goes very hard and is almost impossible to sand. Now I use the original-style powder, much easier to use.

I do use flexible filler for things such as where there is a small gap between a doorframe architrave and wall.

 

[planenut]

I have just been doing loads of work in a house I bought. The previous tenant had filled all those old holes with flexible filler - you just cannot rub it down properly and the only way is to remove it and fill with proper filler. I did find that an easier way of removing was to insert a screw and pull with pliers against a block of wood.
Flexi filler is ideal for those cracks up the corner where the two walls meet, or along the skirtign boards.