Tetrion All-Purpose Filler Review

Tetrion All-Purpose filler is designed to be the Swiss Army knife of fillers! Available online, you can use it both internally and externally on a range of substrates such as plaster, masonry and even timber work. You can fill holes up to 5mm deep and the drying time is normally around 2 hours. That said, you’re looking at 24 hours before you can paint over it! I’ll explain why further down the blog. This is my Tetrion All-Purpose filler review.

It is very easy to mix Tetrion All-Purpose filler to a fine, smooth consistency, which makes applying the it very easy too. Sanding the filler once set is nice and straight forward. It is an extremely fine powder filler so hiding blemishes is no problem at all.

Tetrion All-Purpose on Interior walls Review

I used to use Tetrion all the time on interior projects. As mentioned above, it is nice and easy to work with and the results are stunning. The only issue is that 24-hour recoat time!! You just can’t paint over it on the same day and it is a real letdown. This is down to the filler (due to it also needing to stand up to the Great British weather) contains a small amount of cement.

If you try to paint over the filler before it has had time to cure, the cement will burn through your emulsion and it’ll flash. Sometimes this problem occurs even when you do abide by the 24-hour drying time and it is more prolific with certain paints. The only way round it is to prime the filler with an alkaline resistant primer like gardz!!

I have switched over to Gyproc Easi-fill for interior walls and ceilings now. Easi-fil can only be used for this task really, but it outperforms Tetrion All-Purpose filler and it’s a whole lot cheaper.

Tetrion All-Purpose the Masonry Filler Review

I have used Tetrion All-Purpose filler on exterior masonry many times in the past. Because it is so smooth, it is the perfect product to work into hairline cracks in masonry walls or sills. You’ll find it very easy to blend with the rest of the substrate. I expect a longer drying time for an exterior filler too, so the 24-hour wait in-between filling and painting doesn’t bother me too much.

The issue I have when using Tetrion All-Purpose filler on exterior masonry work is the longevity of the product. It’s pants!! Say you fill a load of windowsills with it, the filler dries, then it rains. The filler just turns to mush again! A product which we are led to believe is capable of being used on the outside of a building turns to mush when it gets wet?? There is something not right with that.

I’ll give you another example. We painted the exterior render on a big bungalow a few years ago. Normal procedure, carved out hairline cracks, brushed in Tetrion All-Purpose filler, then applied two full coats of Dulux Trade smooth masonry paint. It looked great after we’d finished! We then got a call to go back the following summer. A few of the bigger imperfections we had filled using Tetrion had failed and come away from the rest of the wall. Everything was dry when we initially did the work. Maybe the render holds a bit of water during wet winter months and the filler was the weakest part of the substrate? Maybe the parts where the filler had failed were just problem areas anyway? Who knows, but after we had to go and fix that job, I never used Tetrion on an external again. I use Toupret murex now and its bang on.

Tetrion All-Purpose the Wood Filler Review

Tetrion is easy to shape and manipulate so its relatively easy to use on timber. I wouldn’t recommend it for exterior timber for the reasons I mentioned above. I wouldn’t use it for any bigger blemishes on interior timber either. Simply because surrounding timber tends to draw water from powder fillers like these and swell up. You don’t notice at the time, but after you’ve sanded your filler and painted over, the timber shrinks but your filler doesn’t. This makes a bulge where the filler is.

The only time I probably would use Tetrion All-Purpose filler on internal woodwork is on little pinholes on door architraves and things like that, but then again you can use any filler for pinholes.

 Conclusion

Yes, Tetrion All-Purpose filler can be used in a multitude of situations, but because they’ve tried to make a filler to do every single job, it doesn’t do any job well. There are better products out there for every situation you’re going to come across. Yes, you will need a variety of products, but that’s just the way it is.

If you still want to buy Tetrion, head over to Dulux Decorating Centre, or click here to see latest prices.

If you’re looking for something that will perform better than tetrion for interior filling then try the Gyproc range. They don’t try and do everything, but what they do try to do, they do well. Another brand to look out for is Toupret, who do a whole range of different fillers for different specific jobs.

Review Summary

FAQs

How long does Tetrion filler take to dry?

Tetrion filler takes roughly 2 hours to set and become touch dry. However, you need to leave it 24 hours before painting over due to the cement contained in the filler.

Can you paint over Tetrion fillers?

You can paint over Tetrion filler without issue. Just dilute your first coat to aid adhesion. You can also apply stain or varnish over Tetrion.

Is Tetrion filler waterproof?

It is cement based, which is why you can use it outside. Cement makes it waterproof (to a point). However, it isn’t as waterproof as the specialist exterior fillers I’ve used. It seems to hold onto some moisture, which can then cause your paint to discolour.

Can you use Tetrion filler outside?

It’s a multipurpose filler, so you can use it basically anywhere.

Who makes Tetrion fillers?

Tetrion is manufactured by a company called Tetrosyl, who have been producing filler for four decades.