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How to Patch Drywall Hole

If you have ever had to patch a hole in your drywall, you know that it can be a difficult task. It is not easy to get the drywall compound to blend in with the surrounding wall. In this blog post, we will show you how to patch a drywall hole like a pro! We will walk you through each step of the process, and give you some tips on how to make the repair look seamless. Accidents happen, and that’s why a little knowledge on how to easily patch drywall holes can come in handy.

How to Patch Small Drywall Holes

Repairing holes up to roughly 1 and a half inches in diameter is not difficult. You only need to use a utility knife to remove any loose paper and shattered debris, and then fill in the hole with spackle using a putty knife. After that, you may move on to the next step. If the hole isn’t too big, you might be able to get away with applying only one coat of spackle. Holes that are on the larger side can dry with a crack or two in them, or perhaps a depression. This will call for a second layer of spackle to be applied. After the first layer has been allowed to completely dry, apply the second coat. 

There is a variety of spackle (DryDex) that, when applied in a pink color, dries to a pure white color, which can be used to make the process simpler. Sand the dried spackle to a smooth finish using drywall screen or sandpaper with a grain of 120. Apply a coat of wall primer to the area that needs fixing, and then follow up with a finish coat of paint that is the same color as the wall.

How to Patch Medium Sized Drywall Holes

There are wall repair patches available for holes with a diameter of up to approximately 6 inches. The patches are made of an extremely fine mesh of metal and have an adhesive backing. They come in a variety of sizes, but you can easily customize the length you need by cutting them with some scissors. The patch should then be trimmed so that it overlaps the sides of the hole by about an inch, the backing should be removed, and it should then be adhered to the wall.

Using a putty knife measuring between 3 and 6 inches, apply spackle over the patch. Wait for the first coat to dry according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer, and then apply a second. To make the whole repair twice as large as the hole, feather the edges of the patch out until they overlap the surrounding wall. Sand the patch and paint it using the method outlined above.

How to Patch Large Drywall Holes

Holes that are over 6 inches will need additional backing and a replacement piece of sheet rock to fill the hole. You can pick up scrap pieces of drywall, called culls, at your local building supply. Sheet rock comes in different thicknesses so be sure that your replacement piece is the same as your existing wall.

Step 1 – Use a square to draw a rectangle around the hole, then using a keyhole saw, cut out the rectangle. Check for any wiring or plumbing around the hole before cutting. (We don’t want to make our little repair a big one.) If your hole is within 1 inch of a wall stud, cut your rectangle to expose the stud.

How to Patch Large Drywall Holes

Step 2 – Measure the length between two sides of your new rectangle and cut two pieces of scrap wood so that they are 2 to 3 inches longer than your measurement (only one piece is needed if you’ve exposed a wall stud.) The wood can be 1” x 3” strapping or any other scraps you may have laying around that are about that size.

Step 3 – Insert one of the wood pieces into your rectangular hole. Hold it in place so that it partially fills one edge of the cutout and then secure it with screws through the existing wall. The screws should make a depression into the drywall but not break the paper. Repeat this step with the second piece of wood to the other edge of your cutout. Again, you do not have to insert a second strip of wood if you expose the wall stud.

Step 4 – Take your scrap of drywall and cut it to fit inside the new cutout (about 1/8th inch shorter on all sides.) Screw the four corners of your Sheetrock filler piece to the exposed wood braces.

Step 5 – Cover the seams and screws with mesh drywall tape. You can use paper tape instead but we find mesh is easier to use if you’re a novice, plus you don’t have to put down a coat of joint compound prior to the tape.

Step 6 –With a larger repair like this you will want to use a joint compound, commonly known as Mud, instead of spackle because it is thinner and will be easier to sand out to match the existing wall. Apply the first coat of joint compound with a 3 to 6 inch putty knife.

Step 7 – Once your first coat has dried use your putty knife to scrape off any bumps or ridges. Apply the second coat of mud with a wider stroke than the first. This may require using a wider putty knife than the one you used for the first coat.

Step 8 – Once your second coat has dried, scrape off bumps and ridges and apply a final coat of compound. Feather edges out to the existing wall, let dry, then sand and paint as described above.

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Conclusion

The most important ingredient to a successful repair is a teaspoon full of patience. Try not to get frustrated when you go back to fix one small blemish and create a bigger one. It really doesn’t matter until the final coat of Mud, and even then you can usually sand out any mistakes. To be a successful “taper” takes a bit of practice, so relax, just throw more parties.

Now you know how to patch drywall hole like a pro! With these easy steps, you can make any repair look seamless. So the next time you have a hole in your drywall, don’t panic! Just follow these simple steps and you will have the repair done in no time.