sailor

I'm living in a dorm right now, and there are a number of thumbtack holes in the wall--some mine, some from the previous inhabitor. I'm trying to figure out the best way to cover them up so I don't take a hit for it. Any wonder tips?

__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato

Leto

people have smoothed toothpaste into the holes. Make sure it's white.

spackling works too: it's cheap.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

maleficent

spackle and a putty knife are easy to work with -

then use a bit of sandpaper to smooth down the spackle when it's try...

__________________

barenakedladies

spackle... paint

__________________
signature smignature

clavus

semen.

Or spackle.

__________________
Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

rlynnm

spackle the bitch.

I put a lot of thumbtax holes in my wall in my attempt to 'decorate' my room with picture frames.

Spackle, spackle, spackle..sometimes paint does the job.

__________________
The hardest thing is to be honest with yourself, especially if that means completely redefining the world you've come to know.

Don't look too hard, I'm right in front of you.

hunnychile

Toothpaste works and it's usually cheaper!

__________________
"I need compassion, understanding and chocolate." - NJB

rlynnm

Really....?

I'm gonna put a hole in my wall and test that....heehee wish me luck.

__________________
The hardest thing is to be honest with yourself, especially if that means completely redefining the world you've come to know.

Don't look too hard, I'm right in front of you.

sailor

I'll give the toothpaste thing a try. Not sure the spackle will work as the wall has that nasty pebbly texture to it, so any spackling is gonna stand out pretty well.

__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato

cyrnel

Grab "lightweight spackle" at any paint store. It's cheap. If the checkout inspector knows their stuff they can tell anyway. (I charge extra for filling holes with toothpaste - it's in the agreement, and brought up during move-in.)

Don't use a putty knife unless the hole is huge. Use your fingertip. Knives leave big, irregular areas which are worse than the little holes. The rougher the wall texture, the more damage they cause.

After the spackle dries for a couple hours use a damp rag or sponge gently around the edges to get rid of any extra. (there may not be any) If you used a putty knife this is the last chance you have to clean off the mess before sanding a big flat spot on the wall.

Back to the tennant agreement, check for any mention of holes. People hang things on walls so most agreements mention something about it, either being overly restrictive or saying some amount is normal wear and tear. You may not need to do anything.

__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

Fly

use your finger,and don't sand at all........it should blend right in.


you pick between the spackle or toothpaste though

__________________
BASTARD

SterlingStudios

Leto

how about a bit of wasabi to give some highlights?

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

thingstodo

Works like a charm. I've found Collgate works the best as it soesn't shrink as much.

__________________
If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves.

Stangers have the best candy.

dman2

Don't worry about the thumbtack holes. Dont they normally paint anyway? I doubt that they will charge you for having thumbtack holes in your walls. It is expected to have some nail or tack holes. As long as there is not a BIG hole in the wall, I think you should be ok

__________________
I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing. ~Marsha Doble

sashime76

Tooth paste and a credit card, clean the card off if it's still active.

cyrnel

I know human nature means toothpaste is easier than taking responsibility, but why on earth use putty knives/credit cards? :boggle:

(sigh) The hazards of residental rentals.

__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

Leto

i suppose that it stems from the fact that very few renters (vs home owners) own the standard set of tools for house maintenance. I know that when I rented a student house, there were no tools in my possession. Come to think of it, I didn't even have a credit card. So toothpaste is a substitute for spackling (actually there was no spackling back then either, I would have had to purchase Polly-filla and mix it myself) and the credit (in my case a student or meal) card substituted for a putty knife.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

cyrnel

Leto, I was voting for _no tools_. Spackle/toothpaste is water-based. Use your finger. It's faster and does a better job. Knives make a mess of it. Anyway, a good rule is don't use an applicator that's wider than the actual hole. So unless you're punching broomsticks through the wall don't use a putty-knife.

The newer lightweight spackle is better, but we stopped using mixed fillers for small holes in the early 70's.

When in doubt, read the contract. I've seen some extremely goofy "repairs" for things that didn't need repairing, which ended up costing the tenant money to un-repair. :grimace:

__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

snowy

In the dorms, his checkout inspector is most likely a fellow student (probably his resident assistant). Personally, when I was an RA, thumbtack holes were the least of our worries, and I usually let them slide, because filing a repair report for something like that just isn't worth the time and effort.

Toothpaste works fine. Your RA won't notice the difference.

Furthermore, the FIRST thing everyone should know about checking into the dorms: when they give you that check-in sheet that lists all the existing damage done to the room (holes in the wall, scuffs on the floor, torn carpet, whatever) MARK EVERYTHING DOWN. You might also consider marking down some of the lighter damage you might inflict upon the room by living there (I always marked down holes in the wall). Then, come year's end, you won't have to worry about filling up your thumbtack holes.

__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

sailor

Yeah, except here's the problem--I'm in Germany on a study abroad program. My equivalent of an RA is a full grown man who makes a job of this. And it's in the Germans' nature to be anal retentive about everything--everything must be "in order." And given that the RA, or Hausmeister, is the one in charge of fixing such things, and given the current state of the German economy with its 10%+ unemployment and that he gets paid to fix things and that fixing those things keeps him a job, I don't think for a minute that he won't charge me if he can.

Gotta love Germany...

__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato

deri

Spackle and paint is the preferable method, though toothpaste will substitute for the spackle if you are in a hurry and don't want to run to the store. You just need a small dab to fill the hole and then let it dry. You might want to sand it down if its not smooth, then paint that spot with the original paint color if the color doesn't match exactly.

politicophile

Last year, I fixed my wall holes with Elmer's glue. They dried to a smoothness very similar to that of the wall, but you could see right through them. So, I finished the project by painting over the dried glue with whiteout. Afterwards, it was almost impossible to find the repair job, even if you knew where to look.

My mother, on the other hand, swears by the toothpaste technique.

__________________
The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

Charlatan

Toothpaste works great and is minty fresh.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

vanblah

Another option is bar soap and paint. Just rub a corner of the soap over the hole. Then paint it (or let them paint it).

amonkie

Spackle was our option of choice when I was an RA - we even kept jars of spackle/paint mixture that matched the paint in the rooms for residents to borrow and patch up holes.

I'm with Snowy - WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. What would catch my attention were screw nail size holes that were used for wiring things like surround sound speakers. Thumbtacks should be much less of a worry - just use your finger like everyone has said, and easy does it.

__________________
Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

Sage

Yeah, toothpaste, spackle, that sort of thing- totally works. You only need a tiny, tiny dab to fill a hole- try filling a few inconspicious holes first to get the hang of it. Less is always better when filling wall holes- you can always add more but it's a pain to clean up if you've used too much.

I would say, don't paint over it with white-out... doesn't work so well least for me- white out is usually a "brilliant white" color and walls rarely are.

Good Luck!

__________________

AquaFox

you should beable fill holes with paint, i dont imagine the holes are big enough to use much of anything, but if you get paint and a toothpick, you can fill the hole with matching paint and blob it on the front and nobody will ever notice, i've done it with sucess

__________________


...AquaFox...

Undercover_Man

I want to try this. Seriously.