I have not personally tried this method as it had never occurred to me and I had not heard of it before very recently. Any idea that helps me do a good job when re-finishing walls is one that appeals to me. It is very likely I will try it in future renovations.
This method of reducing painting costs was recounted to me by a reliable source that uses this method frequently. I don't know how this technique affects the strength or longevity of the repair, but no problems have been encountered to date.
Repairing Damaged Drywall
In those situations where there is damage to an area of drywall (such as, a dent or a hole) that needs to be repaired, it may be a good idea to prepare the drywall filler (mud) in the following manner:
Prepare the filler
- Open the drywall filler (mud) container and pour off any excess water
- Using the same paint as that chosen for the room and while mixing, slowly pour in enough paint to wet the filler to the proper consistency for working with
- When thoroughly mixed to a consistent colour, the filler can be used to mend the damaged area
Repair the Damaged Area
- Use the filler to repair the damaged area using appropriate tools and technique
- Allow to repair to dry for the usual or recommended amount of time
- Sand as usual to achieve the desire flatness and smoothness of the repair
- Remove all dust from area
- Paint the repaired area and allow to dry
Paint the Room
Now, the room may be repainted with one coat of paint without the unsightly “dry” repair patches that would normally be present after only one coat.
For a better finish, a second coat of paint could be used but this is usually not necessary.
The net savings is at least one coat of paint on the room giving less waste and less cost.
Note 1: it would be wise to test this technique using small quantities of filler and paint until you are convinced that this works for you, before committing a lot of filler to the paint treatment.
Note 2: if you are not doing a lot of crack-filling, then the filler may be treated with a neutral colour such as white which would be easy to cover so that the filler may be used in all rooms for patching and repairing.
Note 3: there may be significant differences in performance among different types of paint (oil-based, acrylic, latex). This has not been checked.
