Handy Helpful Blog

From small dents to large holes, drywall repairs can be easy if done right. First, assess the damage. Is it a ding in the wall, is there an entire chuck out, is it on a corner? Knowing the extent of the damage will be a big helping in getting the right materials for your drywall repair.

TOOLS:

• Drill
• Drywall Saw
• Utility Knife
• Joint Knife
• Tape Measure
• Scissors
• Dust Mask

MATERIALS:

• Construction Adhesive
• Drywall Tape
• Masking Tape
• Drywall Screws
• Joint Compound
• Drywall Patch Kit
• Drywall Scraps
• Drywall Patch Plaster
• Drywall Screen
• Sanding Sponge

DENTS:

Small dents and dings in walls are the easiest to fix and take almost no time at all. Using a spackle knife, scrape off any protrusions so the spackle glides on smoothly. Fill the dent with spackle and smooth with the spackle knife. If the dent doesn’t fill completely right away, keep building onto it until it does. Wait for the spackle to dry completely and lightly sand smooth. Repaint if necessary.

SMALL HOLES:

Lowe’s sells a Wall Repair Kit for $9.98. It comes with spackle/primer, an adhesive patch, drywall knife, and a sander. If you have a  decent sized hole, possibly from a doorknob hitting the wall too hard or something of the like, the adhesive patch can create a surface for the spackle to stick too in order to cover the hole. Stick the adhesive patch over the area, and use a drywall knife to cover with a lightweight joint compound. Sand and repaint as necessary.

(6 inches or less) For a small but awkward sized hole, use the California Patch method. Start by cutting a new piece of drywall roughly 2 inches bigger than the hole. On the back, score an inch off of each side and snap off the loose gypsum but leave the paper backing. Trace the new piece of drywall over the hole and cut out using a drywall saw. Press a joint compound onto the paper backing of the drywall piece using a drywall knife. Place the new piece of drywall into the hole, and apply a couple coats of joint compound over top. Sand and smooth, paint if necessary.

LARGE HOLES:

Large holes take a bit more effort but are still simple. Similar to the California Patch, cut a piece of drywall a bit larger than the hole in question. Trace new drywall over the hole and use a handsaw. Now here’s the extra step. Take furring strips and place on either side. Furring strips are 1×2 or 1×3 pieces of wood used for nailing studs or joists.

Set the new piece of drywall you cut out easier and place inside the hole. Secure it to the furring strips with screws. Apply joint take around edges and smooth a layer of joint compound to secure new drywall in place. Sand and paint as necessary.

CORNERS:

Corners sound tricky, but they very simple to repair! Cut out the damaged corner bead with a hacksaw, and use a knife to cut off the damaged drywall. Remove the damaged piece and cut a new corner bead to fit. Secure the bead in place. Apply joint compound and smooth, sand, and paint as necessary.

TEXTURES:

If the wall you’re repairing has a textured surface to it, lightly sand the repair to blend in with the surface. Mix 4-parts joint compound to 1-part water and dip a stiff brush and proceed to flick the new joint compound solution onto the repaired area in a forward motion. Another option is to use a texture spray. Follow the cans instructions for correct application.

And there you have it! Every hole and dent repair fixed easy. All these repairs can be done within a day, and all the materials can be found at any home department store. Below is a list of materials for the projects listed above. Determined which ones will benefit your repair job, and get dry walling!