Repair Holes in Drywall

Drywall damage can be fixed easily with minimal equipment. (Drywall is also known as wallboard, plasterboard, gypsum board, or sheetrock.) To repair and conceal drywall holes of various sizes, simply follow the steps below.

Steps

Repair a Small or Medium Hole (less than 4 in / 10 cm): Quick Method

  1. Get a ready-made drywall patch. These are available at big-box home centers and hardware stores. They use a peel-and-stick, metal-backed patch for added strength.
    • If the hole was caused by a door knob or another object hitting the wall, a patch may hide the hole but it is not strong enough to hold up to another impact. Patching with a new piece of drywall will be a better solution.
  2. Clean up the edges of the hole. Trim away frayed edges with a utility knife and press back into place any small chunks still hanging by a flap.
  3. Cut or shape the patch carefully to fit the hole. Make sure to leave extra backing all around the patch to attach to the drywall surrounding the hole.
  4. Clean and dry the repair area to allow maximum adhesion. To clean greasy areas (as in a kitchen), use trisodium phosphate ("TSP"), which can be found at most paint centers. Warm, soapy water can do the job, too, but don't let the drywall get too wet.
  5. Apply the patch to the wall and smooth the taped edges with your putty knife. This will remove air bubbles.
  6. Use a wide-blade putty knife to spread a thin topcoat of joint compound (sometimes called "mud") over the area surrounding the repair. The aim is to create a smooth transition between the patch backing and the surrounding wall. Because the patch backing lies on top of the existing drywall, there can be an unattractive layered look to your work if you don't do something to disguise it. Therefore you must learn to apply compound around the patch in such a way that the patch backing is "feathered" gradually into the rest of the wall. With practice, you'll learn the technique of making this transition smoothly. It will often require more than one coat of mud.
    • Example: If repairing a 2- to 3-inch (5- to 7.5-cm) hole, you will want to use a 10-inch (24 cm) putty knife to apply a skim coat of joint compound as a final topcoat. Remember to "screed" (gently scrape) the mud in one smooth, final stroke.
  7. Apply a liberal amount of non-shrink joint compound with a putty knife. Wider putty knives will produce smoother results.
  8. Smooth the compound with the putty knife. Pull the blade toward you in one steady, smooth motion, letting the knife make a 30-degree angle with the wall. If your finish doesn't look smooth, simply wipe off the blade, wet it and scrape the wall again. Make the mud as smooth as you can, but don't worry if it's not perfect. You will be able to sand the compound later when it's dry (although this can create a bit of a mess, so it's best to leave it as smooth as possible before it dries).
  9. Let the patched area dry thoroughly before applying additional coats or sanding.
  10. Once the compound is dry, lightly sand the area smooth using drywall sandpaper attached to a drywall sander. (Regular sandpaper will work, just not as well.) If there are large blobs or strips, shave these off with the putty knife first. You want to create as little dust as possible.
  11. Hide minor imperfections with an ultra-thin topcoat of joint compound. Apply this topcoat over pin holes or hairline cracks as if you were trying to scrape it all off with your knife without leaving any behind. With experience, this step can often be accomplished without additional sanding.

Repair a Small Hole (less than 2 in / 5 cm)

  1. Clean up the repair area. Trim away frayed edges with a utility knife and press back into place any small drywall chunks still hanging by a flap.
  2. Lightly wet the repair area with a spray bottle of water. This will help the joint compound to stick, if using regular joint compound. This step may be skipped if you're using a non-water-based joint compound containing acrylics, polymer fibers, or other similar non-water-based ingredients.
    • To clean greasy repair areas (as in a kitchen), use trisodium phosphate or TSP, which can be found at all paint centers.
  3. Once the wall is clean and slightly damp, apply a liberal amount of non-shrink joint compound with a putty knife. Wider putty knife blades will produce smoother results.
  4. Smooth the mud with the putty knife. Pull the blade toward you in one steady, smooth motion. Have the blade form about a 30-degree angle with the wallboard. If your finish doesn't look smooth, simply wipe off the putty knife, re-wet it and smooth the mud again, always pulling the blade toward you. Don't bother trying for a perfect finish, as you will have ample opportunity to sand the finish once the compound has dried.
    • If you're working on a hole requiring several layers of mud, applying a number of thin coats is better than one thick one. That will prevent bubbling and cracking during the drying process. However, this also requires additional drying time in between coats. If you don't have that much time, purchase a quick-drying product (like "Hot Mud") that can be mixed in small, workable quantities that will dry in less than 30 minutes.
  5. Let the patched area dry thoroughly before applying additional coats or sanding. Never apply a second layer of joint compound if the first has not thoroughly dried.
  6. Once dry, lightly sand the area smooth using drywall sandpaper attached to a drywall sander. If there are large blobs or strips, shave these off with the putty knife first.
  7. Hide minor imperfections with an ultra-thin topcoat of compound. Apply this topcoat over pin holes or hairline cracks as if you were trying to scrape it off without leaving any behind. This step can often be accomplished without additional sanding.

Repair a Medium Hole (3 to 4 in / 7 to 10 cm)

  1. Outline the damaged area with a framing or carpenter's square. Use a pencil to draw a square or rectangle on the drywall around the hole.
  2. Use a drywall knife, jabsaw (keyhole saw), or utility knife to cut away the damaged section of drywall. Drawing a straight-sided shape will make it easier to fashion a replacement piece.
  3. Cut the patch from a new piece of drywall. This should measure about 3 inches (7-8 cm) larger than your hole in each direction.
  4. On the back of the drywall filler piece, outline the actual size of the hole in the wall. Make sure to center this outline in the filler piece so as to mark off all four edges.
  5. Very carefully remove all the plaster material from the back-edge strips of your filler piece. This will leave a 3-inch (7.5 cm) paper overhang on all four sides of the front of the filler piece of drywall.
  6. Place the filler piece of drywall inside the hole. It should fit perfectly, leaving a few inches of overlapping paper on all sides.
  7. Lift the edges of the overlapping paper and be sure to get a good coat of drywall compound under all overlapping paper. Immediately press these paper edges down onto the wet drywall compound using a drywall knife, as if you were applying tape, and the drywall compound is the adhesive. Cover the patch with drywall compound and smooth with a wide-blade drywall knife. Let the patched area dry before continuing.
  8. Lightly sand the area smooth using fine sandpaper. When you’re done, wipe the area with a damp sponge to eliminate the dust normally caused by dry sanding.
  9. Apply additional coats of compound if necessary, lightly sanding or damp-wiping after each coat.

Repair a Large Hole

  1. Outline the damaged area with a framing or carpenter's square. Use a pencil to draw a square or rectangle that fits around the hole.
  2. Use a drywall knife, jabsaw, or utility knife to cut away the damaged section of drywall within your square or rectangle. Making a straight-sided shape will allow you to easily replace that piece of drywall.
  3. Cut a drywall backer piece from 3/4-inch (2-cm) plywood or a 1"x2" (2.5x5-cm) board. This will be used to form a backing for the new drywall. The larger the hole, the more backing you should provide. Make sure to cut it about 4 inches (10 cm) longer (or wider) than the area you want to patch.
  4. Place the piece inside the smaller dimension of the hole. Center it so it extends behind your existing drywall by about 2 inches (5 cm) at each edge.
  5. Securely hold the backer while you screw it in place near the edges of the existing drywall. Use 1-1/4-inch (3.2 cm) drywall screws. You can use a screwdriver, a screw gun or a drill. Countersink the screws (driving them below the wall surface) to make them invisible once they’re covered with mud.
  6. Measure the repair area and cut a piece of drywall to size. Be sure the new piece is no thicker than your existing drywall. Affix it by screwing it to the backer piece.
  7. Apply adhesive-backed fiberglass drywall tape to the area around your patch.
  8. Apply a thin coat of drywall compound to the joints and exposed screw heads. Let the patched area dry before continuing.
  9. Lightly sand the area smooth using fine-grit sandpaper. To cut down on the dust that sanding causes, you can simply wipe the dried mud with a damp (not soaked) cloth. This will usually work as well as sanding. (However, note the warning below regarding damp-wiping.)
  10. Apply additional coats of compound if you're not satisfied with the results thus far. Lightly sand or damp-wipe after each coat.

Conceal the Repaired Area

  1. Texture if necessary to match the area. If you are unsure what texture you have, look up images: orange peel, knockdown, and popcorn online. Spray texture for orange peel is available in small aerosol cans at your paint center. Some manufacturers include an adjustable nozzle to help you match the desired look and thickness. Test on a scrap piece of drywall to develop your spraying technique, as this can be tricky to get it right. Don’t hold the can too close to the repair area or it may begin to look clumpy.
    • Soak the can in warm water for several minutes and then shake well for easier application.
    • To produce a "knockdown" effect, use your finger to apply little blobs of wet all purpose drywall compound in random shapes and patterns trying to match the existing pattern as close as possible. Let the blobs dry for about 10 minutes before lightly dragging a wide drywall blade over the slightly wet blobs. Never attempt to use a spray can for this type of texture, you won't be happy with the results. Note: The correct way to apply this texture is with a professional texture sprayer, available for rent at big box supply store. However you can get pretty close with the finger method. Wait 24 hours before applying paint or primer.
  2. Apply two coats of primer to the repaired area. One coat probably won’t be sufficient, as joint compound tends to soak up paint and create an unfinished look. Apply both primer and paint with a roller if at all possible, since paint brushes may leave brush marks. Home centers have small foam rollers for such repair work that are cheaper and easier to clean than larger rollers.
  3. Paint once the primer has adequately dried. This may only take a few hours, but it’s preferable to wait overnight.

Tips

  • Remember that damp-wiping small amounts of excess compound is less messy than sanding and can often yield acceptable results. (See the warning below.)
  • One easy fix-it suggestion: if the hole is fairly small, take a piece of steel wool, stuff it carefully into the hole so that it's positioned just beneath the surface of the wall, then fill the hole with joint compound. This is a quick and easy way to repair a little hole.
  • Use thin coats when applying joint compound. This will eliminate a lot of sanding and mess.
  • Drywall hand sanders have thin foam cushions between the sander body and the sandpaper that tend to produce better results than sandpaper over a block of wood. Drywall "sandpaper" is actually a fine plastic mesh material that absorbs compound dust much better than regular sandpaper will.
  • When applying compound with a putty knife, always wash or wipe away excess compound between swipes. Smearing compound on with a dirty blade will guarantee shoddy results.
  • Try to avoid creating large, shallow spots in your work. It's easier to shave down small high spots than to sand around a large shallow spot. In other words, it's better to use too much compound than not enough (as long as you're prepared to sand, scrape or wipe away the dried excess).

Warnings

  • Be careful about damp-wiping drywall. If you make several damp-wipes of the same spot in a short time, the paper covering might absorb enough water to "pill" up under the pressure of sanding, and it can then be difficult to make it smooth again. Damp wiping is cleaner than sanding, but use it sparingly. Let the paper covering dry thoroughly before trying to sand it.
  • Be cautious around the dust caused by sanding joint compound. Although newer joint compound is comparatively safe, some older joint compound mixes contain asbestos (which can cause cancer). You should wear a dust mask anyway, as inhaling a lot of dust is not healthy for you.
  • Before drilling screws into drywall, be sure you won't hit pipes or electric wires inside the wall.
  • When using a putty knife to scrape off wet or dry mud, be careful not to let the corners of the knife cut into the dry wall's paper cover. Such cuts will create more repair work for you.
  • One nice thing about finishing your work with a textured surface is that the texture tends to disguise minor imperfections.

Things You'll Need

All Methods<u>

  • Drywall compound (available at all home and hardware centers); some types contain fibers that give the compound extra adherence qualities
  • A razor (utility) knife
  • Drywall or putty knives of various widths (generally from one to 12 inches/30.5 cm).

<u>Quick Method<u>

  • A drywall patch

<u>Repair a Medium Hole<u>

  • A straight edge (a 24-inch / 60-cm level or framing square works best)
  • A drywall or keyhole saw
  • A piece of new drywall large enough to fill your hole

<u>Repair a Large Hole<u>

  • A straight edge (a 24-inch / 60-cm level or framing square works best)
  • A drywall or keyhole saw
  • A piece of new drywall large enough to fill your hole
  • Joint tape or similar mesh tape
  • 1"x2" drywall backing strips (wood) or 1/4" to 1/2" plywood
  • A drywall screw gun or drill (a screwdriver will work)

<u>Conceal the Repaired Area<u>

  • Texturing spray (if necessary)
  • Primer
  • Paint
  • Paint roller (preferable) or brush

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