How do I fix these deep holes left by stairgates

[wwyd123]

I have 2 deep holes in my walls from stair gates, they seem too big to shovel polifiller in? What should I do to fill the hole?

Picture should be attached

[PigletJohn]

Put a 50p coin in the photo to show scale.

Poke a straw in the hole to see how deep it is.

Is the wall plastered brick, block, plasterboard or what?

What colour is the wall, and when was it last painted?

[LifeIsGoodish]

Ahhh Pigletjohn will have the answer

But if this mere mortal amateur may comment, I would use a coarse filler first, wait for it to dry through, then finish with a smoother filler. Polyfilla will have different grades for just that.

Does the hole have a base? If not, and it goes through to a cavity, you'll have to make a base first.

[legotits]

Buy a tube of filler.
Ready mix in toothpaste type tubes.
Easier to use than mastic gun.
Easier than mixing dry.

[Knittedfrog]

I'm sure this isn't the way but I've stuffed a hole with paper before and then put filler over it and smoothed off.

[wowfudge]

I've done that too frog. If you fill above the hole you can then sand it smooth and level with the wall and paint.

[wwyd123]

Thanks for the replies. The walls are plastered brick. 50p pictures coming up, the first hole is 3.5cm deep and the second 2cm.

[wwyd123]

Pic one

[wwyd123]

Pic 2

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

WOW those holes are enormous!!!!! I'd go so far as to say unnecessarily large for a stairgate how odd!

[wwyd123]

The first wall the Stair Gate was used in the backroom to block of the kitchen, is a pale green, painted about 5 years ago. I'm repainting the room in a few weeks.

The second wall is on the stairs and is cream I'm hoping to just paint the damaged bit

[Allalonenow]

I'd be inclined to shove in a bit of doweling just slightly shorter than the length of the hole, then pollyfiller as normal.

[MangoBiscuit]

After someone moved a light switch in my bedroom without asking they left a big, deep hole. I stuffed the depths with tightly scrunched newspaper. When I'd packed it to about 1 inch from the surface, I poly filled it in, in 3 layers, giving each a chance to dry before doing the next. It worked really well.

[PigletJohn]

As it's plastered brick and the holes are quite large, I'd use a plaster-based filler.

Look for Easifill or Joint Filler. It is very cheap (but sold in bigger bags than you need)

Fill in two stages.

Mix up less than you think you need in a yoghurt pot. Quite stiff, like cake-mix. It needs let water than you think. Push it deep into the hole with no air gaps. Stop about a quarter inch below the surface and wipe off any smears. The reason for stopping below the surface is that fillers sometimes shrink or crack.

Clean your tools perfectly and let it set.

Then mix up enough to do the last quarter inch. This one can be a little softer, but not runny. Use a broad metal filling knife and press it very hard to force the filler down. Let the knife bridge the hole onto the flat wall either side. If you press hard enough, this will make the filler flat and level.

Once it is cheese-hard or harder, use your filling knife (or a broad scraper if you have one) to scrape off any bulge or excess. If it needs polishing, spray it with a little water and do the "pressing very hard" with your filling knife again.

This method is good ebough to even fill in those blemishes I can see beside the hole.

[legotits]

How big are your toddlers?
That gate had serious anchorage!