The Best Filler for Walls and Ceilings

By Mike Gregory

As a professional decorator I have played around with many different interior fillers over the years with mixed results. You’d think they’re all the same, but they aren’t. In fact, you can come across a whole host of problems. For example, “all purpose” powder fillers which can be used both internally and externally tend to contain cement, which can burn through emulsion and “flash”.

There are issues with most fillers on the market to be honest. A lot slump as they dry, meaning as the water evaporates, the filler contracts and imperfections often need filling a second time. Ready mixed fillers tend to take a long time to dry which isn’t always practical. Powder fillers mean a lot of waste because whatever you mix but don’t use will set anyway. Some fillers are hard to sand, others don’t set hard enough and crumble. So, what is the best filler for walls and ceilings?

Well I know some may have a different opinion, but there’s only really one filler I’m going to talk about, and that is Easifiller light. That is simply because you don’t experience any of these problems with this product.

Easifiller light is a ready mixed interior filler made by Gyproc. It is suitable for deep holes, doesn’t flash, doesn’t slump, doesn’t take an age to dry and it holds firm. Literally everything you need from an interior filler.

The filler is quite difficult to sand down, but because it doesn’t slump and it is smooth in texture, you tend to fill imperfections flush. Once dry, because you’ve filled flush already, sanding is minimal.

Sometimes you get little air bubbles in the filler, but it is very easy to sculpt and with a little bit of manipulation, you can fill a large imperfection in one hit. Honestly, I can’t recommend this product enough. I don’t have a full list of stockists, but I do know you can buy it from Johnstone’s or Crown Decorating Centres.

Other Fillers in the Gyproc Range

It is worth mentioning Gyproc do a complete range. Their powder filler (Easi-Fill) comes in 20, 45 and 60 (depending on the drying time). I’d avoid the Easi-Fill 20 to be honest as it seems to set quickly but take an age to dry out. Easi-Fill probably the brand leader in powdered filler. You need to mix them in a bowl, but you can pick a big bag of Easi-Fil up cheaply, it is easy to use and easy to sand. Plasterers love it for small patches.

The other Gyproc ready mixed fillers are Finish and Multi-Purpose, both worth checking out. Drying time and slumping can be an issue on the multi-purpose, but it is still useful to have a small box in the van for surface imperfections.

The Best Filler for Walls and Ceilings