Drywall Repair|Patching Drywall

Patching drywall holes is a common task that every homeowner is confronted with. Drywall repairs are very easy to perform with a few basic tools and some drywall joint compound. Complete drywall repair kits are available at your home supply center.

If you haven’t had the need to repair drywall yet you eventually will. About a year after a house has been completed small drywall cracks begin to appear or nails / screw heads seem to push through the drywall. Most of these little drywall problems are caused by the house settling. Once they are repaired they don’t generally reappear. In addition to the small cracks and popping nail / screw heads, there are other damages that occur simply from living in the house such as; holes caused by door knobs striking the wall, small holes from moving hanging objects such as picture or paintings, or the dog gets hungry and decides to chew a hole in the wall. All these repairs are quite easy to make by most DIY homeowners. Repairing drywall is not difficult but it does take a little patience.

If you don’t have a small bucket of drywall mud (joint compound) it’s time to buy some. Unless you really have some major drywall repairs to make don’t buy one of those five gallon buckets. I wouldn’t bother with those drywall patching kits available in most home improvement stores. For the price you will pay for a repair kit you can buy enough joint compound and joint tape to last a life time. The small one gallon bucket will be sufficient for making a lot of repairs. The following drywall tools and material are recommended to make most drywall repairs.

A one inch or four inch taping knife
Roll of tape, preferably tape that is perforated
One gallon bucket of joint compound
Utility knife
Dry wall saw
100 and 150 grit sand paper

The instructions below show you how to make the most common drywall repairs. Always stir the joint compound, mixing it to a cake frosting consistency. If necessary add a small amount of water to get the right consistency. Let dry thoroughly dry before sanding and applying a second coat. Sand between coats of joint compound with 100 grit sandpaper. Final sanding should be with fine sandpaper, 150 grit will do. To prevent dust, a wet sponge can be used instead of sand paper. Simply wipe the wet sponge over the repaired area several times until it is smooth.

Popping nails / screw heads: Remove the joint compound from around the head of the nail or screw. Reset nails by pounding them into the wall a little further. Reset screws by turning them in another turn but do not break the paper. If necessary install another nail or screw next to the loose one. Apply a generous coat of joint compound and let dry. If a second coat is required sand the first coat with 100 grit sand paper.
Drywall dents and drywall holes: Patching drywall dents is quite easy. They are usually caused by dropped objects that hit the wall or door knobs striking the wall. Well, if it is a door knob striking the wall I recommend that you invest in a $2 door stop to prevent reoccurrences. If the drywall does not have a hole in it simply apply joint compound over the dent and let dry. A second coat may be necessary. If there is a hole in the wall it will be necessary to implant a small piece of drywall. Simply cut out the damaged area using the utility knife or a drywall saw. Cut a piece of dry wall, a plug, to fit the hole. Coat the edges of the plug with joint compound and fit it in place. Smear joint compound around the plug and apply joint tape to all four sides of the plug. Let dry and sand. This type of repair will require two or more coats of joint compound to blend and smooth out the repair.
Small holes: These are the easy ones. In days of old, white toothpaste was use to fill small nail holes in plaster or drywall. It did a great job. Use a small taping knife or plastic specula and smear joint compound over the holes. In most cases these hole are so small that they don’t need a second coat or sanding.

Now that you have completed your drywall repairs you will have to do some touch up painting to complete the job. Thin the paint and apply it with a brush. Cover an area twice the size of the repair.

That is all there is to it.

See: Hanging Drywall

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