Crawford’s Painters Putty Is Our Preferred Nail Filler
In many Inside the Beltline (ITB) renovations and new builds near Ocotea Street and further downtown, we deal with 1940s trim that has been painted many times. When contractors use cheap, high-vinyl ‘contractor grade’ paint over standard putty, the NC humidity causes the linseed oil to react, creating yellow ‘dots’ at every nail head. We use Crawford’s specifically because it’s a stable, non-toxic compound that—when paired with a high-solids primer—won’t ghost through your finish.
Fine-finished interior trim carpenters must use an 18-gauge nail head to prevent painters’ putty from countersinking and allow the whole nail head to show on shiny finishes. However, this detail is not discussed with or controlled by us painters. It is up to the builder to notice and enforce this detail. While 16-gauge nails have greater holding power, the holes they create will require putty and a nail filler to properly finish any interior trim. We have been doing fine finish work for Mike Mullins of MBM Builders of Raleigh for nearly 20 years. And he is a local builder who understands this detail.
Where to Use Crawfords Painters Putty
Here’s a trick question! Have you ever seen a nail hole covered by an unidentified material? If you can see that the nail hole is clearly recessed, it likely indicates that the wrong material was used or that paint was applied with excessive pressure. Either the sprayer pressure was too high, or heavy brushing pushed the filler deeper into the hole.
Most commonly, we see the wrong material used to close those nail holes. Nail holes filled with caulking! While caulking is excellent, it is not intended for filling nail holes. Painters’ putty is a soft compound designed to fill nail holes and fix minor imperfections on wood and other rigid substrates such as PVC and composite trim.
While local Sherwin-Williams stores on Capital Blvd used to prioritize selling their branded wood filler, there is no question that Crawford’s outperforms Dap and any other brands.
Tip: If painters use caulk to fill nail holes, it’s hard to fix. We all have to learn, but if you are paying for quality service, your painter should know what they are doing.
Shrinking Resistance & Tips Using Painters’ Putty
The cool thing about painters’ putty is its resistance to cracking. Unlike caulking, putty is also resistant to shrinking. Painters’ Putty shrinks about 90% less than conventional caulking. The drier the putty is when applied, the more resistant it is to shrinking.
Painters’ putty dries slowly, but when left out for a few days, the extra water is released, and the putty pre-shrinks before application. This trick works exceptionally well with new cans of putty.
Tip: A trick painters use to reduce minor shrinkage is to remove a small amount from the putty can each day before use. However, when our summers in Raleigh reach 90 degrees, the shelf life drops to 7 to 14 days in our hot trailers and vans. And if the water inside the can leaks out, it will dry out in less than one week under those hot conditions
Benefits of Crawfords Painters Putty
A few other painters’ putty brands are found in places such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. We will refrain from name-dropping, but remember that just because a particular product has market share doesn’t mean it is the best.
So, if you are reading this article, you are to be commended. We don’t mean to bore you; we just wanted to shed some light on why Crawfords’ Painters Putty may not be available in your area. For understandable reasons, price point rules in today’s market. Another consideration is the lack of consumer research or knowledge.
Beyond its simplistic concept and resolve, Crawford’s has environmental draws worth acknowledging. There are no hazardous materials or compounds, so gloves are only optional. It is ready to use, easy to apply by comparison, and outperforms other brands, offering long-term resistance to cracking, sagging, splitting, or shrinking.
What Exactly is Painters’ Putty
Crawford’s is a non-toxic filler that contains no lead, asbestos, or chemical preservatives. Its ready-to-use compound is a multi-purpose painter’s putty applied indoors or out. Crawford’s Putty contains refined natural linseed oils, Water-0-Ground calcium carbonates, and paint-grade titanium.
This painter’s putty is best used for small cracks, nail holes, hammer marks, bridging wood imperfections by knifing, and so much more. Its ease of use and beautiful results make it a secret weapon that painters love.
The Drawbacks of Putty
1) A handful of painters would argue that putty compounds are not the best means of filling a nail hole, and in many ways, they make a good point.
2) When there are a lot of holes to fill, painter’s putty puts a lot of wear on the tips of your fingers. Fingertips are typically rubbed raw for new construction, commercial, or high-production applications. We can see how this would be a real issue for new construction painters.
3) Also, painters’ putty generally takes a while to cure. However, it can be painted over within a few hours. This can sometimes lead to subtle shrinking, measured as tiny as microns, but it can be more pronounced with glossier paint finishes.
4) Combining putty and spackle or wood filler will offer bulletproof results if you want a perfect paint finish. But putty is more than enough for most applications.
Tip: Thicker interior paints will bridge the subtle shrinkage if you need to paint immediately.
Our experience using Crawfords Painters Putty
For our home repaints, we use painter’s putty in nearly every nail hole. In some cases, especially for exterior siding, we will spot prime around nail heads because they are not recessed enough, meaning there is no actual hole but a 1/128-inch recession.
Tip 1: Keep your hands clean while applying Crawford’s Putty. Since Crawford’s contains linseed oil, the oil on your hands will be smeared onto whatever you touch.
Tip 2: Linseed oil can leach through cheap vinyl paints. So, if you are applying painter’s putty to new wood, a good coat of quality primer is highly recommended.
How to Apply Painters’ Putty
Using your finger to force the putty into the hole is best. Some painters will try to tool the putty with a 5-in-one painter’s tool or putty knife. Tooling painter’s putty into shapes is advantageous, but tools should not be used to close nail holes. Knifing is better used to form the putty over larger areas, such as outside corners.
Step 1
Take a pinch of putty for nail holes and roll it between your fingers using the index and thumb. After creating a mini ball, take the putty and forcefully press it against the hole.
Step 2
Using your fingers, spread the residual materials over the hole until it is filled. Remember not to press or rub too forcefully. Instead, gently glaze over the hole to prevent causing a recessed nail hole fill.
Step 3
Repeat the process until the hole is bridged seamlessly.
And that’s it! Easy right? It takes a little finesse, but it is relatively easy with practice.
Conclusion And Recommendation
Painters’ putty doesn’t require tools or additional sanding to close holes or cracks in wood, vinyl, or composite trim.
Painters’ putty does the job without fuss or added health risks. We love it! It delivers outstanding results across most applications and is a must-have for professional house painters and DIY interior or exterior painting projects.
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