Accidents happen…
So, you were moving that beautiful new antique armoire into your house and you accidentally bumped the wall leaving a small hole. Don’t sweat it, patching the hole in your drywall is much easier than moving that heavy armoire!
Here’s what you need to patch your drywall:
Materials
Piece of drywall larger than the hole in the wall
Pencil
1 x 3 wood strapping or salvaged wood to use for backing
Construction adhesive
Joint compound
Small piece of screen 2 inches larger than the patch piece
Fine Silicone-Carbide sandpaper
Tools
Utility knife or Drywall saw
6 inch Taping knife
12 inch knife
Lint-free rag or paper towel
Dust Mask
Protective Eyewear
Steps
- Cut a patch from your scrap drywall.
Make sure that the patch is at least 2 inches larger than your hole. - Place your patch piece on the wall centering it over the hole. Use your pencil to trace an outline of your patch piece onto the wall.
- Use your utility knife or drywall saw to cut the traced shape out of the wall around the hole.
Make sure to take extra care when cutting the wall. There could be wires or pipes behind the drywall. Make sure the area behind where you are cutting is clear. - Cut a piece of wood strapping 6 inches longer than your opening.
Apply adhesive to one side of the piece of wood. Pull the piece of wood tight against the wall and drive 2 screws above and below the wood backing in a staggered pattern. Make sure to stop the screws when the head is level with the wall. Don’t drive the screw too deep. - Place the drywall patch into the opening and press it against the wood backing.
Using 2 screws, again in a staggered pattern attach the patch to the wood backing. - Use your 6 inch knife to run joint compound over the patch.
Pull the compound in different directions making sure that joint compound is pushed into any open cracks. Smooth the compound even with the wall. - Cut a piece of screen 2 inches larger than your patch piece and place it into the joint compound using your knife to push it into the joint compound. Apply a second thin coat of compound over the screen, moving your knife out from the center and blending the compound out to existing drywall.
- The next day, add another thin layer of joint compound with a 12 inch knife.
Spread the thin layer out a few inches beyond the previous edge of compound. Let this dry. - Wearing a dust mask and protective eyewear, sand the wall with a fine Silicone-Carbide sandpaper, taking care not to expose the screen. Keep sanding until the whole area is smooth.
- Remove any dust from the wall with a lint-free rag or paper towel and paint.
Need additional advise on how to patch drywall?
Contact the DIY repair experts at Northside Tool Rental for answers to all of your repair questions.