How to Patch Drywall

Posted on May 5th, 2009 by Elaine

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Your drywall has always looked good, but when you checked it this morning, you find a hole on its once-flawless surface. Before you feel compelled to call a handyman, stop. Patching a drywall can be an easy task, as long as you know the steps and have the materials.

What You’ll Need:

Drywall saw
New drywall piece, sufficiently sized to cover the wall
6-inch drywall knife or putty knife
fiberglass drywall tape
Razor knife
Drill
Straight edge
Drywall screws
Saw
1×3 inch lumber
Drywall mud or spackle
Spray texture, the same as the existing wall
Drywall sandpaper

Procedure:

Locate the hole, and see if it’s reasonably straight or ragged. If it’s straight, you can move to the next step. If it’s ragged, get the straight edge and use it to draw a rectangle or square around the hole. Using a drywall saw or a razor knife, cut the hole making a new clean shape.
Get the 1×3 lumber pieces, and cut four sufficiently long pieces, enough to cover each of the sides of the hole. Put these 1×3 pieces halfway between the hole’s edges and in it.
Get your drill and the drywall screw, then use them to screw through your drywall, going through the 1×3 pieces. You’ll need three to four screws for every board. Once you’ve attached these properly, they’ll work as the new drywall piece’s backer boards.
Cut a new drywall piece that you can fit inside the hole. Carefully place this in the hole, then use drywall screws to attach it complete,y
Using the fiberglass drywall tape, cover the patch’s seams completely. Once you’re one, cover the tape with spackle or mud, keeping it as smooth as much as possible. You might need two to four coatings. Allow the spackle or mud to dry for 24 hours in between coats.
Once the seam has been aptly covered, Get the drywall sandpaper and smooth out the patch.
Spray texture all over, to match your drywall’s color.

Don’t fret when you find unpleasant holes in your drywall. With these easy do-it-yourself steps, you can surely fix these blemishes to bring back the wall’s smooth and neat look.