Repairing Wood Trim

Changing draperies and hardware can leave you with gouges and holes in your woodwork. I'll show you how to get the looking great again!

First step, cleaning - you need to get any grease and grime off of the woodwork so that the repair will set up right. First, wipe the woodwork down with a damp cloth dipped in a soapy water and white vinegar mixture.

Sand lightly with a sanding sponge, it will corform to any details and rough up the area for the repair.

I like to use a lightweight spackle on dents, dings and small holes because it dries quickly and sands easily.

Push the spackle into areas that need repair and then smooth them out with a putty knife. For larger holes and bigger damage you'll want to use a wood putty instead of spackle.

Once the spackle has dried go over it again with the sanding sponge and then wipe it down with a tack cloth or microfiber cloth.

Hit the repair with some primer. Now, you may be tempted to skip this step, but don't the paint will look different on the wood and the spackle if you don't prime it first!