The 10 Best Wood Fillers
Editor's Notes
February 02, 2021:
Wood fillers are the kinds of things that don't change much very often. If you go to your local hardware store, you'll mostly see the same names and products on the shelf today that were there five or even 10 years ago. That's because when something like this works, there is really very little need to change the formula. Understanding this and also after reviewing the offerings that aren't currently in our recommendations, we still stand by all of our previous choices. As such, no changes were made to our lineup this year.
September 25, 2019:
Removed Donald Durham's Rock-Hard Putty and the MH Ready Patch because they're not manufactured for wood filling. They're general purpose fillers, which is fine, but if you're filling wood, there's no reason to use those - there are plenty of purpose-specific wood fillers that will provide much better results. Removed the Solarez UV and the Crystalac Wood Grain because they are grain fillers, not wood fillers. In a sense, they both 'fill' wood but they are used for different tasks and there are important differences that are necessary to distinguish. Wood filler is for adding volume to wood and actually filling holes. Grain filler does not add volume, it only adds density and closes porous lumber so that finishes can accumulate on the wood's surface.
Added the FamoWood 36021108, the P.C. Woody 83338, the Goodfilla Filla-In-A-Bag, and the RTG 2522. These are great options depending on the task at hand. Water-based fillers should only be used indoors. Oil-based fillers are great for decks and outdoor trim. 2-part epoxies are the strongest and should be used when filling structural lumber. Dap Plastic Wood takes the first spot because most of the time, you'll be using filler to cover pin-holes and screw holes. This is perfect for that, its very cheap, and it will last forever.
Working with wood releases fine particles that are hazardous if inhaled. Remember to use breathing protection to avoid health issues.