10 Best Wood Fillers for Decks Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

When that gorgeous deck finally bids you goodbye to imperfection, you know it is that time of the year. Do not be disheartened if that favorite wood piece of yours forms a crack.

There is always a way to improve the current situation. It does not matter whether you are a carpenter or a woodworking enthusiast. What matters is that any person working with woods must have the best wood fillers for decks within grasp.

However, when the market brims with so many brands and quality, even a pro can feel lost. We have heard your desperate calls and decided to put up a list of some products that have gained positive remarks.  

Now it is up to you to choose according to your requirements. Are you ready?

10 Best Wood Fillers for Decks

Let us head directly for the wood fillers that might change your perspective regarding each item. It is time to take that leap of confidence. 

1. Abatron WoodEpox Epoxy Wood Replacement Compound, 2 Quart Kit, Part A & B

Are you searching for wood fillers that can handle tough restorations? Well, you are looking right at it. It has two containers of part A and part B.

While Part A is the resin paste, Part B is the hardener. This is about everything you will need to fix that deck from looking like an old and haunted residence.

It is the kind of solution one often seeks to restore his/her deck to look good as new. By saying that, the two-quart kit has an ample amount of content to fulfill a woodworker or an enthusiast’s interest.

Now, this wood filler is pretty lightweight. Blending both parts A and B is easy but applying it is without intricacy as well. That is why the users favor it a lot.

What we liked the most is how fast it dries. It takes about one or a couple of hours for drying, which is a lot quicker than most competitive products. Furthermore, the drying does not cause any shrinking whatsoever.

Once the filler dries, it is nothing but a hard and solid mass, resistant to many weather conditions. This is why you can use it not only for indoor structures but also apply it outside.

From the missing section to the wooden part of the window frames, you can fill up all the gaps and then later sand as you see fit.

2. Donald Durhams 076694000046 4-Pound Rockhard Water Putty

This is the kind of putty that shows great potential when cured. It becomes rock hard during the process that makes it worth investing in in the long run.

The Donald Durhams is actually a water-based putty. It comes in the form of powder inside the container. All you have to do is mix it with water to get the white paste-like substance to make your deck look pretty.

But we have to say that being it a water-base puts the product in a tight-spot. We advise applying it for an indoor project thus. Although, if you follow the trick of not using it where the direct sunlight plays, it is safe.

But the putty should have a thick layer of paint over it and some weather treatment solution. This is to make sure the filler does not ruin the deck after such hard work you put into it!

However, if you think about indoor tasks, it is one of the best wood putties ever made. Whether it is indoor or outdoor, painting over the cured surface is mandatory.

Thanks to its unattractively whitish color after curing, it is badly visible if not painted over.  

3. PC Products PC-Woody Wood Repair Epoxy Paste, Two-Part 48oz in Two Cans, Tan 643334

This product on our list is a total of three-pound epoxy paste in two-part cans for challenging times. It means if that deck of yours has got more cracks and holes than you admit, then this could save your day.

This filler is also a good start to get rid of those rotten sections of the wood. However, you have to keep in mind a certain temperature range for application and service.

It is to ensure perfect curing without interruption of any sort. So make sure the area meets such requirements before you unpack the item. Since it has the formula to work with complicated repairs, you can worry less about its compatibility.

You can apply it indoors or outdoors. The fillers in this product contain real wood to make the after image turn out just how the user seeks, wooden!

Its tan color provides the natural wood grain blend, so you will not have to go the extra measure of painting over. And the best part about this item is that it is highly resilient to insects that love wood.

The filler can also withstand direct sunlight, saltwater, or freshwater. Hence, it can be a splendid way to spend those bucks here without feeling guilty. PC Woody normally takes about forty minutes to dry.

Therefore, you can take up that opportunity to reshape or readjust the fix. You can easily drill, hammer, screw, sand, paint, or stain after the area is fully cured.

4. J-B Weld 40007 Wood Restore Premium Epoxy Putty Kit - 64 oz.

What would you do if you find the perfect putty kit to fix the decks and much more? The J-B Weld 40007 is such a premium product that will never let you down for years to come.

It is what most professionals use to ensure seamless results all year round. Many builders or homeowners apply this to add additional strength to the cracks or rotten sides.

In a way, it has a versatile purpose of helping you at repairing different structural woods. Whether it is outdoors or indoors, nothing will compromise the performance.

The user can always rely on the product as it dries quickly. However, the curing might take a while. It gives you the advantage of modifications to your heart’s content.

Another best point about the item is that it will not shrink nor rot. You can trust the putty to be on its best behavior until cured. Thus, it is a superb choice as wood filler for large cracks.

This is a four-pound epoxy putty in two containers that is sufficient to cover vast regions with ease. If you merely need fixing slight imperfections, then you can always go for the one-pound quantity.

Everything is ready with this product so, nothing can go wrong. Even if you are a beginner at it, you will come to enjoy working with the epoxy putty soon enough.

5. Elmer’s E855 Carpenter’s Wood Filler, 3.25-Ounce Tube, White

No small repair is too insignificant to ignore. However, if the stores always sell large quantities of wood fillers, it tends to get difficult to find smaller sizes, right?

That is why we have decided to add a wood filler tube that will not cost you a fortune. Plus, it will work like a charm whenever there are minor imperfections or cracks to fill.

So here is a wood filler tube of 3.25-ounce that the consumer can apply wherever wood restoration calls for. Even a small chip by the window sill is unspared. It comes in the form of cream, so it is super simple to add to the gaps.

Just because it is smaller, it does not mean the quality of the formulation lacks as well. It is quite the contrary, in fact. Many users were surprised by its incredible performance and superiority.

In short, it is an excellent filler for filling dents, holes, gaps, scratches, etc., on any wooden surfaces. It is absolutely okay if some of the surfaces contain paints you can still fill up anyway.

Next, it dries tremendously fast. Hence, you can get ready to sand and retouch without worrying about shrinking. The filler is strong enough to hold the anchors and screws in place firmly, too.

Let us not forget the various wooden colors it with to match with your wounded surface. Cleaning up the mess after finishing the project is also another less thing to worry about.

Simple cleanup with water will go a long way to clear up the untidy working area.   

6. Bondo 20082 Home Solutions Wood Filler 1 Quart

This 20082 model by Bondo is another heavy-duty wood filler that comes in a one-quart container. You can practically repair everything by using it.

The durable product is sought by many enthusiasts who wish to renovate certain sections of the house. So, it does not only limit to the decks but also indoor floorboards to almost every wooden part there is.

Let us just say all the wooden sorts of objects because naming each example will take up a whole page! What we loved about the product is the super-fast capability of drying right after application.

It could also be slightly irritating since the formulation must be applied right after mixing. Otherwise, you are facing a small container full of hard-dried fillers, of no use.  

This is because the two-part solution has a hardener for wood that works way too well. But all in all, you can be able to finish filling those flaws on decks in a matter of half-hour.

Another issue, though, has risen that might concern the indoor repairing DIY-ers. The Bondo 20082 has a lower viscosity formulation, leading to drips on vertical objects/surfaces.

However, this consistency also means quick penetration into the surrounded wood and ends with a matching natural color. Besides, it is quite simple to clean after the completion too.

7. FamoWood 40022126 Latex Wood Filler - Pint, Natural

Suppose repairing, restoring furniture is how you make a living or love to work on. What is the best way to fill up those cracks and scratches you see all over the classic items?

FamoWood 40022126 wood filler is the only natural solution to all the demanding problems. That does not mean you cannot apply it on the house decks or anywhere outside.

In fact, many users have decided to go with this product for the rest of their lives. This one-pint wood filler will ensure to fix your trouble one by one with the utmost care and quick recoveries.

The result will be right before you to see. Such professional level results are what we often seek even as a beginner. On top of that, if using it is hassle-free and quick to maintain, would you let it go?

There are about ten aesthetic natural wood colors you can select. It is all up to the project at hand, though. Give it fifteen minutes after application, and the formula dries right away.

If you wait half more hour, then the thing will cure perfectly and new. The user can take the sweet time sanding, drilling, polishing, and more afterward.

Since the wood filler contains a higher amount of wood flour, you can treat the modification like any regular wood surface, too. It does not emit a strong odor like other wood filler products, which is a bonus here.

8. Minwax 42853000 Stainable Wood Filler, 16-Ounce

Nothing can beat Minwax when it comes to carpentry restoration. Similarly, there is nothing left but praise this product wholeheartedly.

The thing we mainly focus on when attempting a repair is permanence. If a wood fill brand can assist you to attain it, how can we hold it back? So, when you apply this stainable filler to fix something, expect some fantastic outcome.

It takes very little time to dry and cure. Therefore, staining or painting over the surface will not require much contemplation either. However, our golden timing rule is at least approximately thirty minutes.

After that, the user can happily operate on the surface with a sander, drill, or nails. Our point is that the filler will not disappoint you in terms of durability. It will not shrink nor fall out.

Moreover, this Minwax one-pound wood filler is highly resilient to harsh weather conditions. That resolves the trouble of having a rotten section of the deck. Even if the damage is palpable, nothing that this one cannot fix.   

Although such damages should not go beyond enormity since even this product has its limits, in that case, you might have to go for more than a pound of wood filler.

But once you finish the task at hand and view it from a good angle, you will love how beautiful the effect looks! Remember to use only water or oil-based wood stains.

9. J-B Weld 8257 KwikWood Wood Repair Epoxy Putty Stick- 3.5 inch, Tan

Here is another wood filler product by the well-known J-B Weld. This model is for users who are not suffering from substantial deck impairments. It comes in a small tube, as small as a lip balm.

Do not mistake it for one, though! Any wooden household item that decides to fall through, you can have this tube for the rescue. The putty is highly durable and works just like any large quantity of putty would.

So do not underestimate the power that delivers along with the petit size. Just keep in mind that when the putty hardens, it becomes almost impossible to sand properly.

The best way to accomplish that act is by reforming the surface before the substance reaches its final drying stage. Other than this issue, there does not seem to have any to put this product in a pickle.

But of course, you can always switch to its larger version if the job requires more than a tube of putty. Even if you are new to this, do not worry, as the package contains a straightforward instruction for you to follow.

Now next time you spot any imperfection on your deck or in household items, you can always get a KwikWood and fix the problem by yourself.

10. RTG Supply Wood Repair Epoxy Putty (2-Quart Kit)

Finally, this epoxy putty is a two-part wood filler formulation that one can purchase when the large restoration is in mind. Just like other products, it also packs with high-grade quality for long-term operation.

Fill up the small voids, crack, and other flaws within minutes; it is not as difficult to mold and mix at all. That is why many consumers have selected this one for their house restoration projects.

Whether it is the deck of your place or a client’s, nothing can go wrong with the RTG Supply two-quart epoxy putty. It dries pretty quickly as well. Therefore, we would suggest you make any changes required within that period.

The deck will have a new appearance after filling up all the dents and rots. Next, you will merely have to blend it to the wood color and level with proper tools.

Even that task is less hassling since everything else is cured. This filler can repair long beams that often form rot and develop gaps here and there. So in a way, it is further flexible than many comparable models here.

And the best part about it, besides excellent drying result, is that the formula is non-sagging. Anything vertical you decide on repairing will not have dripping stains or mess anymore.

It has only a mild odor, which helps a lot if the working area is congested. The whole thing, once hardened, is completely water and weatherproof.

What to Look for Before You Buy?

Below are the few things the user should keep in mind before venturing out into the market. Here is a small overview of the different kinds.

Wood Filler Types

Let us help you understand the various wood filler types first. Only then would you be able to differentiate and choose the appropriate fillers based on your project.

• Cellulose-Base

This is the most commonly used wood filler base that the user can find in any hardware store. It has paste-like or powder mixable properties to apply in many materials. The cellulose wood fillers can last a long time once applied. It is also a perfect way to hide stains.

• Gypsum-Base

It is one of the best solutions since the gypsum-based is difficult to break once settled. The filler can morph into the adjoining materials excellently. However, the only issue is that it can stain over time.

• Vinyl-Base

This base is a great option for outdoor objects due to the weatherproof elements. However, we advise not to apply it in a thick layer as that could form cracks.

• Epoxy-Base

Also known as the liquid wood fillers, this option takes a very short time to dry. One can apply it as adhesive glue as well.

Simply mix the two-part formula, and you are good to go. It is an excellent solution for outdoor furniture thanks to the weather resisting properties.

Color 

Many brands offer various filler tints to go with the wood tones you are working on. Believe it or not, it is one of the significant factors to consider if you do not wish the filler color to stand out.

Outdoor or Indoor Application

Does the task involve outdoor use? There is not much to worry about as most fillers have both options in one product. It is still imperative that you check the details in order to suit your project.

Size 

This is purely according to your working intention. Wood fillers come in tubes, jars, and even in a two-part kit.

So is it some repairing job or a whole bunch of massive projects? You simply have to choose based on the requirement.

Drying Period

Wood fillers of different composite have variable drying time. Some can take forty minutes to even two hours, whereas others take twenty to thirty minutes.

We recommend a longer dry period in case the user needs readjustments to the workpiece. The short drying time is a great option for repairs and such.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between wood filler and wood putty?

A wood filler is mostly water-based, while a wood-putty is oil-based. You can use wood fillers on incomplete woods as you can sand it afterward.

However, wood putties are best for finished woods and should not be sanded later.

2. Can I paint over wood filler?

Yes, though the paint might have different acceptance toward the sanded regions and wood filler. It is better to prime the surface for an even and smooth paint outcome.

3. How do I match the wood filler to a dark stain?

You will have to sand for about fifteen to thirty minutes after letting the wood filler dry. The sanding period can also depend on the temperature and the base of the filler.

It also relies on how deep the filling is on the wood surface.

4. Should I fill nail holes before or after staining? 

The user must always fill the wood first and then head for staining. This will provide less visibility. Remember that priming before the filling is the ideal way to encourage more adhesion from the best nail hole filler.

5. Can I use wood fillers on my deck for major damages? 

Wood fillers are rather used for repairing deep rotted areas or nail holes. However, it cannot help in the case of larger structural impairment.

Final Words

The best wood fillers for decks will not only accomplish the job but also fill in future damage. They are the most indispensable components to restore what was impossible before.

Therefore, everything we have put up in this list shall be worth every penny and effort. Happy fixing!