How to Patch Holes in Drywall—Large and Small

Whether they ’re intentionally made or not , holes in walls come about . fortuitously for householder and renter alike , though , learning how to patch jam in dry wall — small or large — is a relatively easy DIY project .

Grant Webster

Causes of Holes in the Wall

Small holes in drywall can be triggered by screws , nails , pushpins , and other fastener that are commonly used tohang wall artor secure decor , furniture , or rampart mounts . While these objects are in position the holes are essentially unseeable , but if you want to make a change to your decor , you will need to fill these holes with wallboard chemical compound or flow a likewise sized object to overlay the holes in the wall .

big trap in drywall are typically the resultant role of an chance event . Someone come into the wallboard , an object stumble the dry wall , or a hole was cut in the wrong location and need to be patched . These gravid holes are n’t as quick and easy to fill up as simple nail holes , but it ’s still potential to patch and paint the dry wall to help your wall look like novel . So , whether you are replete nail holes , patch small mess , or repair a larger fix , learning how to piece hollow in wallboard is an important skill for home renovations and ongoing home criminal maintenance .

Gauging the Size of the Hole

The cognitive operation for patching hole will depend on the size of the golf hole . Before starting your drywall repairs , you will need to guess the extent of the terms to specify how best to deal the berth .

Small Holes

Near - unnoticeable holes or impairment from fasteners , dents , or dings — which can well happen when moving article of furniture , when channel items into the home , or from kids or pets play indoors — are modest defect that can be patched chop-chop with wallboard compound and a putty knife .

Small holes in dry wall , about the size of a doorknob and large , can not be fixed with only drywall compound or spackle because the piece compound will collapse into the hole without adequate backup . To repair these small holes in drywall , you ’ll need an adhesive patch kit that can treat the pickle and put up enough support for the drywall compound while it dries .

Large Holes

If the damage area is larger than about 1 hearty foot , you ’ll take more than a patch outfit . Instead , you will need to install a new piece of dry wall that is ignore to the right sizing and contour in rules of order to complete the repair . This surrogate piece of drywall is typically underpin by modest strips of woodwind instrument installed inside the maw on either side of the replacement piece , preventing the patch from collapsing into the wall .

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

How to Patch Very Small Holes and Dents in Drywall

spackling compound repairs are the most basic drywall muddle . You do n’t need to worry about cutting replacement pieces of drywall because the damage is so minimum that you’re able to use spackle to patch dents , dings , and little nail or fucking holes . This type of repair typically takes just a few minutes to nail , though you still need to wait for the spackle to dry out if you require to paint over it .

Locate the Damage

Take the time to situate any and all minor damage within a room or area of your home , so you’re able to fix many drywall dings at once . An prosperous way to obtain dent is to hunt down a hand over the surface of the paries , then check the dent with a minor piece of painters taping .

Fill the Hole, Dent, or Ding with Spackle

Use a putty tongue to employ spackle to the damage area . Completely fill the hole with spackle , then use the putty knife to scrape off any extra . You do n’t need to essay for a stark finish at this point , so it ’s fine if there is a little surplus spackle leftover during the dry process .

Wait for the Spackle to Dry

arrest the maker ’s directions to find out how long the spackle takes to dry . It ’s tempting to skip this stone’s throw for such a minor repair , but waiting the recommended time before proceed to the next step will produce the best results .

To preclude spackle from sinking into the bulwark or fall off entirely , wait for the stuff to dry completely .

Sand and Paint the Repair

Use a sanding block or sandpaper to sand the harden spackle and create a smooth surface . If necessary , usepaint to touch up the repairfor a like - it - never - happened finishing . If you paint the room latterly , practice remnant paint from that undertaking . If you do n’t have a matching coloration on manus , crop with your local domicile improvement store to use a blusher chip to meld a color - matched paint . It ’s well - worth the time and effort to be exact here : A tad that you consider would be close enough at the memory board likely wo n’t match the exact gloss of the exist paint , make your repair job fend out .

How to Patch Small Holes in Drywall

Patch kit are designed to fix holes that are about the size of it of a doorknob . Kits come with a ego - adhesive connection patch that sticks to the drywall and cover the hole . These patches are quick and soft to practice , but because the patch run on top of the drywall on the edges of the maw , this area will be slightly raised after the repair is complete .

Sand or Scrape the Edges of the Hole

Before applying the adhesive patch over the hole , you should check to verify that the edges of the hole are smooth . Otherwise , the patch may not sit flush against the wall , result in an uneven finish . expend sandpaper or the putty tongue to sand or scrape the edge around the hole so that the patch can mystify to the smooth aerofoil .

Apply the Patch

The patch has an adhesive support that will stick to the smooth drywall surrounding the yap . invest the darn over the hole and apply pressure evenly across the entire patch to ensure that it is firmly attached .

Spread the Spackle

venial reparation are typically dispatch with spackle , while more major mend are completed with joint chemical compound . When you are using a patch outfit , you’re able to apply either spackle or a lightweight joint chemical compound over the patch , totally covering it . Apply a 2nd layer , if necessary , then smooth the spackling compound or joint compound with the putty knife , feathering the edges so it blends with the wall . Feather the border by increase the pressure and flatten the blade on the putty knife as you reach the edge of the plot of land to boil down the amount of spackle or joint compound applied to the drywall .

Let the Spackle Dry

You wo n’t be able to sand or paint until the spackle has dry , so check the manufacturer ’s way to find out how long you should wait before proceeding . Typically , spackle takes two to three hours to dry , while joint compound takes about 24 hours .

Sand and Paint

sandpaper down the dry spackle or joint compoundwith a sand blockor emery paper . Smooth out the repair so that the patch blends as seamlessly as potential with the rest of the wall . premier and paint the patch to match the respite of the wall , or consider repainting the entire rampart if you are upset about the patch standing out .

How to Patch Large Holes in Drywall

dry wall patches are used for large gob ( around 1 substantial foot ) in dry wall . Due to the extent of the harm , a diminished patch kit can not cover the entire trap , so you need to measure and cut a piece of wallboard to fill the hole . This substitute piece of drywall is typically supported by small strips of wood , called furring strip , that are instal inside the wall on either side of the trap . After add the new drywall , the patch will need to be taped , cover with wallboard compound , and allow to dry before it can be sandpaper and painted .

Measure and Cut a Piece of Drywall

Due to the size of it of the hole , you will need to cut a unexampled piece of drywall that can be used to patch the damage . Use a tape measure to evaluate the hole , then expend a utility tongue to cut a piece of wallboard that is big than the yap .

Cut the Drywall Around the Hole

The drywall patch up needs to be large than the hole because most drywall holes are on an irregular basis shaped , so the kettle of fish will involve to be cut declamatory and into a regular form before it can be patched . take the cut composition of wallboard up to the rampart so that it breed the gob entirely , then habituate a pencil to trace the border around the small-arm of drywall . Use a drywall saw to cut the hole to the sizing and shape of the eyepatch by following the traced pencil crease .

Install Furring Strips

Measure and contract thin strips of Grant Wood to match vertically inside the wall on either side of the hole , with half of each strip secured to the drywall using drywall screws and a Mandrillus leucophaeus . The other half of each strip should mystify out into the hole to play as a support for the drywall patch .

Attach the Patch to the Furring Strips

Position the cut drywall plot of land in the hole and fasten the patch to the furring strip slip using wallboard jailor and a drill . As long as you traced and cut the cakehole to the same size of it and shape as the patch , it should agree snugly in the opening .

Apply Joint Tape and Joint Compound

Use mesh joint tape on the delimitation of the patch to strengthen the mend , thin out shift , and help prevent succeeding cracks . address the entire darn and joint taping with joint compound using a putty knife . If necessary , apply a 2nd layer , then use the putty tongue to smooth out the joint chemical compound . square the edge to avail the mending blend in with the rest of the wall .

Textured drywall repairs , such as comb , Zea mays everta , or orange Sir Robert Peel , are a fleck more difficult than a standard drywall repair . The body of work to fix the wallboard will want creating the same textured appearance . you’re able to either invest in a wall grain spraying as a quick choice or learn how tocreate drywall texture .

Let Dry, Then Sand and Paint

Check the manufacturing business ’s directions to ascertain out how long you need to hold off until the joint chemical compound dries . On fair , it takes about 24 to 48 hours before the joint chemical compound is ready for sandpaper .

smoothen the joint chemical compound with sandpaper or a sanding pulley-block to coalesce the repair with the bulwark . When you attain the desired smell and experience , you may prime and paint the patch to equate the wall walls , though you might need torepaint the entire wallif you are repair a large gob on a highly visible paries , because an obscure patch of new paint will stand out .

Plan to prime , too : fixture on larger holes should be prime before they are repainted to preclude the texture of the patch from sticking out , which is a common trouble with gamey - gloss paints .

Applying mesh patch to drywall hole

Credit:Grant Webster

Touch-ups vs. Painting the Whole Wall

After compensate price to the drywall , you will need to decide whether to touch up the fix or repaint the whole paries . First , you ’ll need toprime the patched area , as unprimed compound will absorb the color and sheen from the paint . or else , you could prefer for a key with primer .

For an accurate paint mate , take a micro chip from your bulwark to the paint store or equate several paint chips . Paint on a bulwark can fade over time , so remnant key in the can may no longer match .

nonaged defect like nick or nail holes may be covered up with a fast splash of paint that immingle into the survive people of color of the wall , but as the size of the stamping ground get bigger , it becomes more hard to adequately adjoin up the patch without the novel paint stand out . In these situation , you may need to repaint the intact rampart .

person patching drywall