- Lightweight spackling compound contains fine aggregate with sodium silicate and an adhesive. ...
- Standard/All-purpose spackling compound is gypsum-based (similar to joint compound) and designed for repairing larger holes, gouges and cracks in drywall.
- Vinyl spackling compound is designed to fill in holes and cracks up to ¾-inch deep. ...
Is spackling paste the same as joint compound?
Spackling compound, or spackle, has a thicker, paste-like consistency than joint compound. Made primarily of limestone and water, it comes premixed in a tub, and there are several different types of spackle made for specific applications. Spackle includes other ingredients such as silica or vinyl, depending on its use.
Can I use toothpaste instead of Spackle?
Use Toothpaste to Fill Holes. Toothpaste is a great alternative to spackling if you have a hole in your wall smaller than 1/4 inch. Try to find a toothpaste close to the color of the wall, then squeeze the paste into the hole and wipe off the excess with a putty knife or playing card.
What is the difference between Spackle and plaster?
- Contains gypsum and binding agents
- Designed for small wall repairs
- Sold in smaller quantities
- Thicker consistency
- Low shrinkage when dry
- Easy to use
How do you soften spackling paste?
- Smear the spackle over the drywall with a flat-edged putty knife.
- Spread the edge of the spackle beyond the area you are covering.
- Sand the surface of the dried spackle lightly with a fine-grit sandpaper or a sanding block.
What are the ingredients in spackle?
The ingredients of spackle products will vary but usually are finely ground calcium carbonate (limestone), gypsum (calcium sulfate dehydrate), or quartz (silicon dioxide) often mixed with clay.
How do you make spackle paste?
Mix together four tablespoons of white flour and one-third teaspoon of salt, then add in enough paint or primer until the concoction has a doughy or putty-like texture. Smooth it over small cracks and dents with a putty knife.
What is a good substitute for spackle?
1. Make a quick substitute for spackle.To fill in a small hole, mix a bit of baking soda and a bit of white glue until you have a paste, then use your fingers to ply the paste to fill in the hole.
Is spackling and joint compound the same?
Joint compound is the better choice for taping and finishing drywall seams whereas spackle is the better choice for filling in small to large sized holes in your walls. Now, that doesn't mean you can't fill holes with a quality joint compound, but joint compound typically dries much slower than spackle.
Can you make your own drywall compound?
Mix a tablespoon of flour, a teaspoon of salt and a few droplets of water in a small container. Mix thoroughly until it forms a paste and apply to the hole or crack as you would joint compound. Use a putty knife or index card to remove the excess while it is still wet and allow the rest to dry.
Can you use toothpaste instead of spackle?
Use Toothpaste to Fill Holes. Toothpaste is a great alternative to spackling if you have a hole in your wall smaller than 1/4 inch. Try to find a toothpaste close to the color of the wall, then squeeze the paste into the hole and wipe off the excess with a putty knife or playing card.
Can you make homemade spackle?
It's as simple as mixing together equal parts cornstarch, salt, and water into a thick paste. Dab the homemade spackle over holes, smoothing with your finger. Once dry, touch up with paint, and your walls are free of holes.
What is the difference between spackling and drywall mud?
Spackle is made for small repair jobs on drywall. It's thicker than joint compound and harder to spread. Because it has a binding agent mixed in with the gypsum powder, it is more elastic and less likely to crack or shrink when dried. Spackle is a little more expensive than joint compound.
Is plaster same as spackle?
Spackle was a originally a trademark for a specific product but has come to be used as a generic term for patching compounds: products designed to repair small imperfections in plaster or drywall surfaces.
Is spackle as strong as drywall?
A drywall hole that has been filled with spackle will not support a screw. Spackle, also known as joint compound or “drywall mud,” is not as durable as true drywall. Joint compound will shrink and pulverize easily when a screw is driven into it.
Can I use spackle to repair drywall?
Smaller holes in drywall can be easily fixed using spackle, a compound specifically made to cover cracks and holes in walls. Use a putty knife to cover the hole in the drywall with spackle. Once you've applied the spackle, you can paint over it, making the wall look as good as new and like it was never damaged.
Can I thin spackle with water?
Spackle is used frequently to patch holes and give drywall an even surface. After spackle paste is applied, it will harden and become part of the wall. It is no surprise that the paste will eventually harden in its container, as well. If this happens, you can add water to it to loosen it up so it can be used again.
Red Devil 0544 ONETIME Lightweight Spackling Paste
Some would say that all ultra light spackling is the same, but those people have obviously never seen Red Devil’s Onetime “Lighten Up” Spackling. This unique product is pink… yes, that’s right; it’s pink. It wasn't done that way for women or for supporting breast cancer research, but rather so that you would know when it was dry.
3M High Strength Small Hole Repair Kit with 8 Ounce Spackling Paste
3M makes a wide variety of products, all of which are excellent. Their ultra-light spackling is made with nanotechnology, which means that it uses materials that are so fine, they fall into the realm of nanotechnology.
Phenopatch Patch-N-Paint Lightweight Spackling Paste
Patch-N-Paint is another common lightweight spackling, which can be found almost anywhere. This one boasts use for both indoor and outdoor applications, which is a little unusual. Normally, these products are limited to indoor use, but this one can be used outdoors as well; a real advantage.
Red Devil Onetime Lightweight Spackling
This lightweight spackling is essentially the same as the other Red Devil product listed as number one, but doesn't have the color changing capability. I suppose there might be some applications where the chemical used for color changing could cause a problem.
Definition of Spackle
Spackle is a paste or putty type of product used for sealing or filling the holes or cracks arising out of the wall, wood, and plaster.
Types of Spackle You Can Find in Store
There are a few types of spackling paste available in the hardware shops. Different spackle pastes are used in different situations.
Spackle vs Mud
The key differences between these two pastes are their use. The spackle is good for filling the holes or cracks usually made by the pins or nails.
Spackle vs Plaster
There is a thin line of difference between spackle and plaster. Spackle being made of a gypsum compound with glue and hydrated calcium, is different from the plaster which is made of sand and cement.
Spackle vs Caulk
As you know about the spackle already, I am not elaborating this again. The caulk and spackle do almost the same thing but they are different. They differ in their materials as well as application.
Spackle vs Putty
Putty is a commonly used construction material. It is used for filling screw and nail holes. This adhesive is also used for sticking posters or wallpapers onto the wall alternatively with other adhesives.
Final Words
Most of the people do mistake on choosing the right compound for their home use. By reading this short guide, you can now easily choose the right sealants for your home.
Toothpaste as a Substitute for Wall Spackle
Yes, that's right. You can use toothpaste to fill small nail holes prior to painting. We're not talking about gel-type toothpaste. The stuff you need is the old-fashioned white paste.
Playdough Spackle
Anyone who has hosted small children for any length of time probably knows about playdough. You mix flour, water and add a little salt, and the mixture can be shaped into figures that harden overnight. The recipe for spackle is a little different than that for playdough, but you still need flour and salt.
Homemade Joint Compound and Patching Compound
Playdough spackle can often double as joint compound if you need to repair some lifting tape or touch up some texture. If you need something tougher to repair a larger hole, though, you may need to fortify it. You can do this in one of two ways. The first is to mix the flour/salt mixture with polyurethane varnish instead of paint.
What is spackle?
Spackle- also referred to as spackling paste- is a wall-patching paste that’s commonly used to fill up minor dents and holes in plaster walls and drywall walls. This filler putty is made by mixing gypsum powder with binders.
What is joint compound?
Joint compound- also known as drywall mud or sheetrock mud- is also a type of filler putty- just like spackle. This filler paste is made by mixing water and gypsum dust and its consistency can be compared to that of cake frosting. Once the drywall panels are attached to the frame of the wall, the seams between the sheets are usually taped down.
Spackle vs. Joint Compound – Differences
There are several similarities between spackle and drywall mud. For starters, both can cure rather fast under the proper environmental conditions. What’s more, both of these finishing pastes shrink to a certain degree once they cure. However, there are multiple differences that clearly set these two materials apart, as discussed below:
Spackle uses
Spackle is generally used in wall repair projects to fill in dings and nail holes. There are several types of spackle, but these can be classified into two general categories. These are lightweight spackle and heavy spackle.
Drywall mud uses
Drywall mud is typically used in finishing gypsum board seams- but some types can also be used to repair plaster walls. Once gypsum boards are hung on the wall or ceiling, the joints between the boards are usually taped down to hold the boards together. Joint compound is then applied over the tape to make them undetectable.
Can you use spackle instead of joint compound?
While spackle and drywall mud have their fair share of similarities as wall finishing compounds, they’re not exactly interchangeable. You can use joint compound to undertake minor wall repairs if you don’t have spackling paste- but hardly ever the other way around.
Is Spackling Compound the Same as Joint Compound?
The short answer is no. While joint compound and spackle are similar to each other, they each have unique uses.
Spackle vs. Joint Compound
So, how are joint compounds and spackles the same and how are they different? When would you use one product instead of the other? Anytime you’re unfamiliar with a product that you need to work properly for you, it’s wise to learn what affects its performance.
Things to Consider
Consider these pieces of information when choosing the right compound for your next project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prepare for your next home project by ensuring you have answers to all your questions about spackle and joint compound.
Joint Compound vs. Spackle
We’ve covered all the basics you need to know about joint compound vs. spackle. Both of these products are valuable for their specific jobs. As long as you know how each product works, you have everything that you need to make knowledgeable choices for a smooth project.
What is Joint Compound?
Joint compound is also known as drywall mud or just mud. It’s comprised mainly of gypsum and limestone, but it also has other materials such as clay, mica, perlite, and starch. Joint compound has a spreadable consistency similar to mud, which is how it got its common name. However, the consistency depends on the specific type of joint compound.
What is Spackle?
Spackle compound for drywall is comprised of gypsum powder and binders. It is thicker than joint compound, similar to the consistency of toothpaste. Spackle is sold in a premixed tub container. It is also available in several different grades designed for specific applications.
Which You Should Choose
Both joint compound and spackle have their various uses in the home, and choosing the right one for the job makes all the difference. Most homeowners may only need to use spackle for small repair jobs around the house.

Overview
In the United States and various other countries, spackling paste or spackle is a putty used to fill holes, small cracks, and other minor surface defects in wood, drywall, and plaster. Typically, spackling is composed of gypsum plaster from hydrated calcium sulfate and glue.
Comparison with joint compound
Spackling paste is comparable and contrastable with joint compound. They look similar and serve the similar purpose of filling in low spots in walls and ceilings. The chief differences are that spackling paste dries faster, shrinks less during drying, and is meant for smaller repairs, whereas joint compound (called drywall mud by many builders and contractors ) dries slower, shrinks more during drying, and is meant for filling the seams among multiple sheets of drywall across a larg…
Trademark
Spackle is a registered trademark of the Muralo Company, located in Bayonne, New Jersey. Muralo's product is dry powder, to be mixed with water by the user to form putty or paste. It was brought to market in 1927, then patented and trademarked in 1928. The term spackle has since become a genericized trademark applied in the United States to a variety of household hole-filling products. (Such products may also be referred to as "spackling" compounds.)
Polyfilla
In the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and Canada, the brand "Polyfilla", multi-purpose filler, is used as a generic term for spackling paste, even though it differs from spackle in being cellulose based. The manufacturers claim that it has an advantage over spackle in that it does not shrink or crack.
See also
• Caulking
• Putty
• Home repair
• Joint compound
• Plastering
External links
• Official Website