Whether it’s a renovation project, an accident, or a plethora of other potential incidences, most homeowners at some point will need drywall repair.
This may seem a bit daunting at first, especially if you don’t have experience patching drywall. But with this guide, you will be able to patch a hole in the wall like a pro!
Check out these 5 tips below to get started! But first, let’s start with the basics.
What is Drywall?
So what exactly are we working with? Drywall, also called sheetrock or gypsum board, is a large panel that usually runs 4 X 8 feet.
This panel is what makes up the paneling of the majority of walls and ceilings in modern construction.
It is a unique material that is sturdy, helps with insulation, and even has some fire retardant properties. It is the perfect thing that builders and painters alike can manipulate to form the basic structuring of our walls.
And it is easy to cut and shape which leads to convenient installation.
#1 – Prepare the Area Needing Drywall Repair
Before we actually even bother with patching the hole, we first have to prepare the area.
Most holes, scratches, or dings in drywall do not happen uniformly. It is usually necessary to scrape them and clean the surrounding area. It is also important that we remove all loose dust and debris.
Gypsum is a chalk like substance that will put a fair amount of debris in the air and surrounding areas if damaged so be sure to not overlook this step.
It is also important to make sure that no loose edges are jutting outwards from the wall. This would lead to an uneven drywall repair.
To make sure the wall is smooth and ready for repair you may want to use files, or even your hands to smooth and push the loose damaged fragments inwards so that no excess drywall gets in the way of our patching.
#2 – Repairing Cuts/Dings/Dents
Not all drywall repair jobs are intensive! Some small dings or scratches in walls can be covered very simply with drywall mud.
Drywall mud can simply be scraped evenly over the damaged area with a small drywall knife. Almost like you would apply peanut butter on a piece of bread.
Next, be sure to wait for the drywall mud to dry completely before moving on. Depending on the size of the repair needed, it could take as little as 30 minutes to dry, or as long as 2-3 hours.
Once dried, make sure the area is smooth by sanding down the repaired area and checking that the area is flush with the rest of the wall.
It often takes a few rounds of sanding and sometimes a second coat of drywall mud before the job is done right. After you are done sanding, always take a slightly moist rag and wipe the area down to clean it from debris.
Once the area is dry, sanded and smoothed, you can then finish up by painting over the area to match the rest of the wall.
#3 – Repairing Holes
Some repairs may require more intensive restructuring before we apply the drywall mud. All holes must first be covered with a self-adhesive mesh-like patch.
This creates support and structural strength over the damaged area, and gives the drywall mud something to lay, and harden on.
Be sure to adhere the mesh-like patch generously as it will need to overlap the undamaged portions of the wall to give it a strong base to hold on to.
After applying the mesh patch, you then will want to cover the area with drywall mud. You want to apply multiple coats of mud with the first coat being light to help establish some new structural backing that the rest of the repair can rely on. Each successive coat should be larger than the previous one
After a few rounds of mud application, sanding, and cleaning with a slightly moist rag, you are then ready to move on to applying texture and getting your wall looking better than ever.
#4 – Texturizing Your Repair
Some walls and ceilings in our homes and offices will have a texture to them. In this case, we have to add one more step to the drywall repair before we paint.
Texturizing might be a little intimidating at first, but with some practice, you will have it mastered!
The first thing to do is find out what kind of texture your walls or ceilings have. Some basic textures actually spray on very quickly and can be bought in a can at your local home improvement stores. While others require an artist’s touch and the use of the drywall mud made to shape and recreate the texture.
If you aren’t sure what your texture is, a simple online search of common wall textures, or a quick question to someone at your local home improvement store, and you will be all squared away. You can also check out our article about the different types of drywall texture.
After texturizing, you are then ready to paint and call the job done!
#5 – Practice Makes Perfect
Just like anything, it will take some repetitions before you really get the hang of things. Drywall repair and the mudding that accompanies it is a skill that you can master in short amount of time!
Some of your first attempts may look slightly uneven and noticeable. But you can always re-mud, re-sand, and re-paint until it looks just right.
So don’t be afraid to mess things up, the only thing to fear is not trying!
Let’s Get Repairing!
After a few tries at your own drywall repair, you will find that a hole in the wall doesn’t have to lead to a big hole in your wallet.
So let’s get our hands muddy and take on that repair. And of course if you need a hand getting the job done, just let us know!
