Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Powder filler vs ready mixed

Updated: 23 October 2026

The last tub you opened sank in the middle of the hole, and the powder on the shelf still needs water you have not measured. Powder filler vs ready mixed is one trade-off: a powder is mixed and then has a working time. A ready-mixed paste is opened and resealed, and an ordinary paste hardens by drying. Lightweight pastes are sold as the exception. The [dry fill comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/dry-fill) holds the prices and the star lines. Peter F. used Toupret's UK pages, the Sika One Strike sheet and the Palace Langlow sheet on 21 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The last tub you opened sank in the middle of the hole, and the powder on the shelf still needs water you have not measured. Powder filler vs ready mixed is one trade-off: a powder is mixed and then has a working time.

Our top picks

Sika Sika One Strike

Best overall

Sika Sika One Strike
8.9/10about £7.90
View offer
Langlow Langlow fine surface filler

Best value

Langlow Langlow fine surface filler
8.8/10about £2.50
View offer
Toupret Toupret Interior Filler

Alternative

Toupret Toupret Interior Filler
8.6/10about £8.75
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What changes when you add water
  2. 2.What changes when the tub is already mixed
  3. 3.Lightweight paste is not ordinary paste
  4. 4.When to mix and when to open a tub

What changes when you add water

There is one powder in this set. Toupret Interior Filler is £8.75 for 1 kg. The bullets say you mix it to a paste, that there is no depth limit, and that you paint after 12–24 hours. The UK sheet is 500 ml of water per 1 kg, a working time of 30–40 minutes, and no application below 8°C or over 70% relative humidity. The amazon capture does not print the 500 ml ratio. It is not water resistant. A powder sets by crystallisation once you add the water, so you cannot put leftover mix back in the bag. One buyer filled a 1930s crater in three stages.

What changes when the tub is already mixed

Ready mixed means you open the tub and put the lid back. There is no 40-minute clock from the moment you add water. Toupret says an ordinary ready-mixed paste hardens by evaporation and can shrink, and they put a usual ready-mixed depth around 10 mm, with lightweight paste as the exception. That 10 mm is their framing, not a depth on every paste here. Langlow's Palace sheet stops a layer at 3 mm, and reviews both praise fine cracks and report shrink. The 10 kg Toupret joint paste limits its no-crack claim to 5 mm and says paint in 12–24 hours, despite a quick-dry title. Langlow reviews also repeat split tubs.
Sika Sika One Strike

Testsieger

Sika Sika One Strike
8.9/10about £7.90
View offer

Lightweight paste is not ordinary paste

One Strike is ready mixed, £7.90 for 1 litre, 4.6 from 5,587 reviews. The Sika sheet says up to 75 mm deep and 50 mm wide, about 30 minutes at 20°C and 50% relative humidity, and not for plastic or metal. The amazon bullets do not print 75 mm. The brand field says goods4less. Reviews report a soft centre, including holes about 3 cm deep. It is not a fixing you drill. Quick Fill's title says ready mixed while the form field says powder, and a deep hole in the reviews took days. That exception does not transfer to Langlow or the 10 kg pail.

When to mix and when to open a tub

Open a small ready-mixed tub for nail holes and hairline cracks. Langlow, within 3 mm layers, or the Decex 396 g kit, within its 10 mm bullet, matches that job indoors on sound plaster. Mix Toupret Interior Filler when the hole is deep, the wall is interior, and you can use the batch inside 30–40 minutes. Use One Strike for a deep hole only if you follow the Sika sheet, and you will not drill the fill. Leave the 10 kg pail for joints. Pack size and exterior limits are the wall filler buying guide. Which listing sits on which hole is best wall filler UK.

Common questions

Does powder shrink less than ready mixed?
Toupret's account is that their powder sets by crystallisation and their ordinary ready-mixed paste hardens by evaporation and can shrink. That is why they limit a usual ready-mixed fill to around 10 mm and point to a lightweight paste as the exception. It is not true that every powder has no depth limit. In this set, that line belongs to Interior Filler. It is also not true that every ready-mixed tub shrinks. One Strike's sheet says non-shrink, and both One Strike and Langlow reviews disagree with each other.
What is the mix for Toupret Interior Filler, and is it on the amazon listing?
The UK sheet says 500 ml of water per 1 kg. The amazon capture says mix to a paste and does not print the ratio. It also says the powder is not water resistant, and the bullets say paint after 12–24 hours. One review says sprinkling the powder into the water avoids lumps, and another says too much water makes a sloppy mix. Measure the sheet ratio rather than guessing from the listing.
How long do I have after I mix it?
Interior Filler's sheet says a working time of 30–40 minutes, and you should not apply it below 8°C or above 35°C, or over 70% relative humidity. After that window the mix is going off in the bowl. You cannot reseal a mixed powder the way you reseal a paste. Mix less than you think, and place it in stages if the hole is a crater. A buyer who filled a 1930s partition did it in three goes.
Why do reviews disagree about shrink on One Strike and Langlow?
Because the sample includes different depths, different rooms and different expectations. One Strike's sheet says non-shrink, and UK reviews both deny shrink and report a second skim, plus show-through under paint. Langlow's bullets in this capture do not make a shrink claim, the sheet limits the layer to 3 mm, and the first 50 reviews include both no shrink and a set that shrinks and goes very hard. A fine crack in a warm hall and a deep scoop in a cold room are not the same test.
Which listing looks ready mixed in the title and powder in the form field?
Toupret Quick Fill, B097DXBZTD. The title says ready mixed and paint in 30 minutes. The item-form field says powder. Weight is 4.15 g in one field and 0.42 kg in a bullet, for a 1 litre size line. Treat the field as a conflict, not as a second product. Interior Filler is the listing that is actually a powder, and its title says so.

Related pages

How to fill cracks in plaster

Dry fill

Best wall filler UK: match the listing to the hole

Wall filler buying guide: depth, room and tub size

Fill holes in plasterboard: scrim, board or filler

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22 October 2026.

  1. Toupret: powder or ready-to-use filler (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Toupret Interior Filler sheet (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Toupret Quick Fill (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Sika Everbuild One Strike sheet (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Palace Langlow fine surface filler sheet (retrieved October 2026)
  6. HSE: sanding taped plasterboard joints (retrieved October 2026)
  7. DIY Guides: choosing the right filler (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Toupret: how to fix holes in plasterboard (retrieved October 2026)
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved October 2026)