Patching Wall Holes Before Repainting
Anchors, Old TV Brackets & Cable Chases (2026)

First, know which wall you are patching

A Malaysian home usually has two kinds of internal wall: brick or block walls finished with plaster and skim coat, and gypsum board partitions on a metal frame, common in condos and newer layouts. Knock on the wall: a solid, dull sound is masonry; a hollow sound is board. The repair is different for each.

Small holes: nails, screws and anchors

1. Remove the fixing. Wall plugs that will not pull out can be pushed slightly below the surface or cut flush.
2. Brush out dust and loose plaster.
3. Press ready-mixed filler into the hole with a filler knife, slightly proud of the surface.
4. For deeper holes, fill in two passes and let the first dry, because thick filler shrinks and cracks.
5. Sand flush once dry, wipe off the dust, and spot-prime the patch.

Filling each hole as a neat, flat spot is what makes the difference. A patch that is sanded flush and primed disappears under the paint; one left rough or unprimed shows as a dull or shiny spot in side light.

Old TV brackets and heavy fixings

When a TV bracket, shelf or cabinet comes off the wall, it often leaves several large holes close together and sometimes a torn surface around them. On masonry, fill each hole and then skim the whole area so it reads as one smooth surface. On gypsum board, if the board face has pulled out around the fixings, cut out that section and patch it rather than trying to fill a crumbling edge.

If you are moving the TV rather than removing it, plan the new position first; our wall plugs and anchors guide explains which fixing each wall needs, so the new holes are the last ones.

Larger holes and damaged board

For a big hole in a masonry wall, remove anything loose, dampen the edges and build it up with a patching mortar in layers rather than one thick fill, then skim to finish. For gypsum board, the clean method is to cut the damaged area back to a neat square, add a timber or board backing behind if needed, fit a matching piece of board, tape the joints and skim over them. Self-adhesive mesh patches work for smaller holes.

A dent from a door handle is a sign the wall needs a door stopper; our door hinges and stoppers guide covers the options.

Cable and pipe chases

After rewiring or re-piping, walls are left with long grooves (chases) where cables or pipes were set in. These are filled with mortar, left to cure, then finished flush. Because a chase is long, the filled strip often shows as a line under paint; skimming a wider band over it, or the whole wall, gives a much better result. Chases that crack along their length later usually mean the fill was too thick in one go or dried too fast.

Cracks, damp and when a patch will not hold

Filler hides holes, not problems. If a crack keeps reopening, or a patch of wall stays damp, painting over it will not last. Damp walls need the source found first; our paint bubbling and peeling guide explains why paint fails on wet walls. Cracks that keep growing may be structural and need a closer look.

Sanding, priming and blending into the wall

• Sand flush: run your hand over the patch; you should not feel an edge.
• Spot-prime every patch: filler absorbs paint differently from the wall, so unprimed patches flash through.
• Paint the whole wall: touching up only the patches rarely matches, even with the same tin, because the old paint has aged.
• Check in side light: look along the wall with a light held low before the final coat.

Our DIY painting tools and checklist lists the filler knife, sanding block and primer you need, and the paint types guide explains which primer and topcoat to use.

Holes in a rental unit

Holes from wall hooks, shelves and TV brackets are among the most common items at a tenancy handover. Whether they are fair wear or damage depends on the tenancy agreement and how many there are. Our rental unit damage guide explains how landlords and tenants usually treat them, and the turnover repair guide covers the repairs landlords do between tenants.

What patching and repainting cost

Patching is rarely priced alone; it is part of the prep in a painting job. These are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026, quoted from the ClickBina guides named in the sources section.

How ClickBina can help

Patching, skimming and repainting are one sequence, and they often come with rewiring, a new TV position or a tenancy turnover. ClickBina handles whole-house refurbishment and coordinates the trades, so the holes are repaired before the painters start. WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the rooms, the kind of wall and roughly how many holes or chases there are. We reply within the hour, the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges, and a site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina painting cost guide — prep work rate and bedroom repaint price.
• ClickBina render and skim coat guide — skim coat rates.
• ClickBina turnover repair guide — touch-up repaint price.
• ClickBina wall plugs and anchors guide — TV mounting price and site visit wording.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above. They are indicative Klang Valley market ranges for 2026, not fixed rates.