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I can think of a few ways of fixing these marks on the wall but I don't want to try anything without first getting some advice.

I have a dart board on a painted wall and as is inevitable with darts, there were quite a few misplaced darts which have left marks in the wall.

I'm wondering what's the best way of fixing these holes?

2 Answers 2

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The right answer is to fill them with spackling compound or taping compound.

Spackle dries hard - applied with a putty knife and then has to be sanded to remove excess and flatten surface. There are various flavors including lightweight, fast drying, purple-stained until it dries, etc.

Taping compound is also applied with a putty knife. It is water soluble and can be wiped with a sponge to level and remove excess (probably the easiest correct solution). Not as hard as spackle, but in a hole of that size, not an issue. Slightly harder to get a perfectly smooth surface.

If you are really in a bind and cannot go out and buy the right stuff, a common quick fix is plain white toothpaste. It consists of about 50% aluminum hydroxide and/or calcium carbonate - the kind of stuff you find as filler in real fillers. Won't cause significant problems, but does not set up as firm as correct patches. Can be applied with a finger, a butter knife or whatever. Not pro, but fast.

All such patches will be white or off white. They may stand out unless painted (depending on wall color). Most of these fillers can be tinted but if painting will follow, not an issue.

SUPPLEMENT: Two other variants on spackle are painters' putty and painters' caulk. Both are less hard than traditional spackle and usually come in bigger containers or caulk gun tubes.

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    You may need to sand the holes flush before applying the spackle. Dart holes may have a raised pucker around the edges (ask me how I know) from where the dart pushed the surface aside. Depends on what you threw them into... Sep 5, 2012 at 1:33
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    @AlexFeinman You also may be able to push the raised puckers flat with a putty knife or other blade, but sanding is more permanent.
    – bib
    Sep 5, 2012 at 14:38
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    @AlexFeinman how do you know? :) Sep 7, 2012 at 17:08
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If it is only a few small holes a coat of primer and a repaint will do the trick. It worked for me in my daughters dorm room with thumb tack holes. I would mount something after the repair to protect the wall froom being damaged again.. A couple of suspended ceiling tiles will give you a 4x4 ft. surface.

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