Spackling paste

Summary

Spackling paste or spackle is a putty used to fill holes, small cracks, and other minor surface defects in wood, drywall, and plaster.[1][2] Typically, spackling is composed of gypsum plaster from hydrated calcium sulfate and glue.

White spackle is applied to a painted surface using a small putty knife.
Spackle applied to a rough surface using a putty knife

Comparison with joint compound

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Spackling paste is comparable and contrastable with joint compound as both look similar and serve the similar purpose of filling in low spots in walls and ceilings.[3] The chief differences are that spackling paste typically dries faster, shrinks less during drying, and is meant for smaller repairs, and not for a whole room or house. It is not uncommon for the general public to call any of these products "spackle", but tradespersons usually specify joint compound (drywall mud) when that is specifically meant.[3]

Spackle trademark

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Spackle is an abandoned trademark of the Muralo Company, located in Bayonne, New Jersey.[4][5] Muralo's product is dry powder, to be mixed with water by the user to form putty or paste brought to market in 1927, then patented and trademarked in 1928.[6] The term spackle has since become a genericized trademark applied in the United States to a variety of household hole-filling products.

The first written appearance of the generic use of the word spackle was around 1940.[7] The product name was likely derived from the German word Spachtel, meaning "putty knife" or "filler." Other possible origins include Russian шпаклевать (tr. shpaklevat; to fill holes with putty or caulk), Polish szpachla (spatula or putty knife), and Yiddish spaklieven (to fill in small holes in plaster), all of which are likely derived from German.

Polyfilla

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In the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and Canada, the brand "Polyfilla", multipurpose filler, is used as a generic term for spackling paste,[8][9] even though it differs from spackle in being cellulose based. The manufacturers claim that it has an advantage over spackle in that it does not shrink or crack.[10][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "How to Stencil With Spackling Paste". sfgate.com. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  2. ^ "What is the difference between spackle and plaster?". Reference.com. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b Ethan Daniel James (2021-11-20), Spackle vs. Drywall Mud/Joint Compound (What's the Difference? When Should You Use Them?) YouTube video on The Honest Carpenter channel., retrieved 2022-02-02.
  4. ^ "SYNKOLOID'S - Trademark Details". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)". tmsearch.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  6. ^ United States. Patent Office (1951). Official gazette of the United States Patent Office [microform]. Internet Archive. Washington : The Office.
  7. ^ "spackle". Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved 2015-11-21.
  8. ^ Hitchcock, Karen (2013). Little white slips. [Sydney]: Picador Australia. p. 19. ISBN 9781742620299. Retrieved 24 January 2017. A nice Polyfilla kind of lady
  9. ^ Committee, Treasury (2008). Counting the population : written evidence. London: TSO. p. 184. ISBN 9780215038036. sources patched up with statistical Polyfilla
  10. ^ Poly Website Australia
  11. ^ Polycell UK
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