Putty kept thin — it is a filler, not a levelling layer
Why — act while you have leverage
Thick putty is used to hide a wall the plasterer left uneven. It cracks and comes away in sheets, taking the paint with it, and the repair means stripping back to plaster.
What to look at
- A straight edge run over walls before putty is bought
- Putty going on in thin passes, not trowelled on like plaster
- Uneven walls sent back rather than buried
How to check it yourself
Putty fills hairline imperfections in a plastered wall. It is not there to straighten a wall that is out of true — that is a plastering problem and should go back to the plasterer. Run a straight edge over the wall before puttying starts; if the gap is more than a millimetre or two, the wall needs correcting, not filling.
Where this comes from: Manufacturer application data sheets; established practice — putty thickness is not fixed by an IS clause (established trade practice)
More waterproofing and painting checks
- Photograph before this is covered
- Ponding test passed before the waterproofing is covered
- Painting held until the surface is dry enough to take it
- Paint thinned only as much as the tin allows
- Primer used, and the coats applied in the maker's order
- Walls checked for damp and for alkali before the first coat