How much do you normally spend in a year for various repairs and construction issues around your home? Hundreds or thousands of dollars? You’d be surprised at how much people have been paying contractors just to do minor repairs in their homes, when they can actually save a lot of money by doing it themselves – Like patching a hole in the wall, for example.
DIY Wall Hole Fixing
Here are the things you’ll need to get together before you can go about fixing drywall holes.
- Drywall patching compound for setting
- A piece of drywall to patch the hole with
- Drywall tape (mesh tape or duct tape may also be used)
- Drywall screws or studs
- Piece of scrap plywood if you don’t have backer boards
- Putty knife
- Saw, keyhole saw
- Sandpaper
- Paint and Primer
- Tape measure
Step by Step – Hole Fixing
- Assess the damage– If the hole is irregularly shaped or shaped like a circle, use the keyhole saw to cut it into a square or a rectangle. It’s easier to patch a square or a rectangular hole than a circular one. Remove any leftover hanging drywall and clean it of any dust. The edges of the hole should be sanded using the sandpaper.
- Put the small piece of plywood or backer board inside the hole and screw them in place. The screws should be sunk just below the surface of the drywall. This is optional, especially if the hole is small and you can simply use drywall tape or duct tape for support.
- Measure the square/rectangle and make a similar-sized cut from the piece of drywall. It should fit snugly into the hole. Use drywall screws to secure it against the backer board or plywood.
- Cover all the edges using drywall tape/mesh tape/duct tape.
- Mix and apply first coat of the drywall patching compound a drywall or putty knife. Smooth it out evenly, making sure all the tape is covered, and there are no air pockets left. Allow several minutes for the compound to dry.
- Apply a second coat. Make sure to feather out the edges while keeping everything flat and even. Let dry.
- Apply third and final coat to smoothen the edges as much as you can. Make sure that the edges are flush with the wall. Again, let dry. You can even leave it overnight to dry.
- Any ridges, ‘wrinkles’ and rough edges should be smoothed over by using sandpaper. Clean the area of any dirt before applying primer.
- Apply primer. This is to make sure the patching compound you applied will not react differently to paint, resulting in a glaringly different hue once fresh paint is applied over the area where the hole originally was.
- Apply paint that matches the color of the entire wall. Voila! You’re done!
Anyone can fix drywall holes, as long as they have the right tools and materials and follow the simple instructions laid out above. Good luck fixing your walls and just in case if you are still confused, this video link should help.
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