How to Make Drywall Repairs

Written by  //  November 25, 2013  //  Home Repair, Walls and Ceiling  //  Comments Off on How to Make Drywall Repairs

A "hole in the wall" describes a place to eat, but it may also describe your home or at least one small part of it. Many of us have done this at least once: we hammered a little too hard or banged into a wall, leaving a gaping hole behind. You can cover it up for a while, but for a lasting solution you need to perform drywall repair. It isn’t a project that is hard to do and it may be something you can knock out within an hour or two.

1. Assemble your tools.
You’ll need several tools to get your drywall project done including drywall joint tape, a utility knife, taping knives, drywall screws, an electric drill and scrap wood. A sanding block or sand paper, quick set joint compound, a square measuring tape, and a pencil are also required.

2. Just cut it out.
Now take a look at your existing hole, you’ll need to draw a square around it with your pencil, an area that you will remove to fit in another piece of drywall. Take your utility knife and cut along the lines and then move to the center to remove the remaining drywall. You may need to dig or pull out a few pieces and take care not to break the edges.

3. Measure with accuracy.
With your square left behind, you need to measure its size and then take those measurements over to a new piece of drywall and cut to size. The size of the replacement piece must closely match the size of the cut out area. 

4. Install the replacement piece.
Your replacement piece is now ready for installation. Put it in place to see how it fits, but don’t worry about an exact match. That’s because you’ll be using compound and tape to secure it in place.

5. Cut the scrap wood.
To keep the drywall in place, take a piece of scrap wood and place it behind the drywall. You’ll drill holes above and below the existing drywall and then slip the piece of new drywall in place and secure it with a drywall screw as well.

6. Apply the tape.
You’re ready to apply the tape and this is the easiest part of the job. What you’ll be doing here is placing the tape to cover the new and drywall, running it along all four sides. Cut the tape to size.

7. Mix and apply the drywall concrete.
Follow the instructions for your drywall patch and apply same with the utility knife. Apply liberally and scrape the excess off with a large knife to smooth out the drywall compound. Then, take the sanding block or sand paper to touch up your work.

Drywall Considerations

Once your work is done, you are ready to paint your wall.  Use touch up paint or consider freshening the room with a new color to add sparkle and interest. With your drywall job and paint touch up project done, no one will know that a hole was present, a project you knocked out quickly one Sat. morning.

Author Information
Parker Hammons is a professional blogger that shares do-it-yourself home improvement tips. He writes for Handy Sam, a top home remodeling and home improvement company in Memphis, Tenn.

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