How to Repair a Hole in Drywall
You can easily fix any size hole in your wall by following these detailed instructions.
If you live in a house long enough, you will probably have to patch some holes in the walls, no matter how careful you are. You will need to cut out and use drywall to repair any small areas of the wall that are badly damaged or discolored.
Repairing holes in drywall is an easy do-it-yourself task that typically requires little time or expertise. Hardware and home improvement stores sell wall-repair kits, which can simplify the process. How you proceed depends on the size of the hole that needs to be fixed. Learn how to fix a hole in drywall by following our detailed instructions.
Equipment and Supplies for Hole Repair
To finish the project, you will need the following equipment and supplies, depending on the size of the drywall hole.
- A pair of 1×3 boards.
- Adhesive for cloth construction.
- Tools: drywall knife and drill.
- Screws for drywall
- Primer for Paintbrushes
- Knife for Putty
- repair kit (fiberglass mesh or galvanized steel)
- Sandpaper scraps for drywall
- Joint compound or packing
- Measurements with tape
- Touch-up paint
How Can a Small Hole Be Filled?
Fixing the smallest holes is the simplest. All you’ll need, depending on the size, is a repair kit from any home improvement store or online, along with a putty knife and joint compound or spackling. Typically, these kits come with sandpaper, wall patches, spackle, and a putty knife.
Close tiny screw and nail holes:
Repairing small nail and screw holes is simple. Fill them with wall joint compound or spackling using a putty knife. Before lightly sanding, let the area completely dry. Before using the patching compound, anything larger needs to be strengthened with a bridging material.
Fix Holes with a Diameter of 1/2 to 1 1/2 Inches:
Use fiberglass mesh with an adhesive backing to fill in drywall holes that are between 1/2 and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. We used a pair of 8-by-8-inch mesh squares that came with a Wal-Board Tools repair kit ($6.48).
Four Steps to Using the Kit:
- Sand the edges of the hole by hand to remove any rough spots. Use a moist cloth to wipe away any sanding dust.
- Cut a piece of fiberglass mesh patch so that it covers the hole on all sides by at least one inch. Apply the mesh tape to the wall after removing the paper backing.
- Apply spackling compound over each hole and through the mesh using a 6-inch drywall knife.
- After letting it dry overnight, lightly sand it and add another thin layer. Once the second skim coat has dried, apply a third if needed.
How to repair a hole that is medium in size
You’ll need a patch kit with more durable materials to fix the drywall in a medium-sized house. Larger hole repair kits are also offered online and in the majority of hardware stores.
holes with a diameter of 1 1/2 to 6 inches.
It is necessary to use an even more robust and rigid material to bridge holes that are between 1 1/2 and 6 inches in diameter. In order to fix a doorknob puncture with a diameter of 2 1/2 inches, we utilized a 4-by-4-inch Homax galvanized steel patch ($5.37). Additionally, the business manufactures patches that measure 6 by 6 inches ($5) and 8 by 8 inches ($8.39). A 6-inch square piece of fiberglass mesh with an adhesive backing is where the patch is affixed.
Three Steps to Install the Patch:
- To expose the adhesive, remove the backing sheet from the metal patch. The self-adhesive patch should then be applied to the wall.
- Apply three layers of the compound, letting each one fully dry before adding the next.
- In order to allow the compound at the edges of the patch to feather out to the surrounding wall, the final coat should be at least 12 inches square.
Ways to fix a big hole.
Although it takes a little more work to dig larger holes, many homeowners can probably finish this do-it-yourself project. You will need to buy drywall, paint and primer, sandpaper, a paintbrush, 1 x 3 boards, and construction adhesive from your neighborhood home improvement store. Additionally, you’ll need joint compound, drywall screws, and a drill.
Fix holes that are more than 6 inches across.
It might seem impossible to fix a hole more than 6 inches in diameter, but all you need is a scrap piece of drywall and two short 1 x 3 boards.
How to Close a Large Gap in Nine Easy Steps:
- A drywall saw is the best tool for cutting the hole’s jagged edge into a tidy square or rectangle.
- Make sure one of the 1 x 3 boards overlaps the hole by 1 1/4 inches by sliding it into the wall cavity and screwing it to one of the cutout’s edges.
- On the opposite side of the cutout, affix the second 1 x 3.
- Apply a bead of construction adhesive to the face of each 1 x 3 after cutting a piece of drywall to fit the cutout.
- Utilizing 1 1/4-inch drywall screws, fasten the patch to the 1 x 3s.
- To blend the patch into the wall, lightly feather the edges after applying a thick layer of joint compound.
- Using the drywall knife, firmly press paper tape into the compound to conceal the joints.
- Sand the compound smooth and add at least two more thin coats once it has dried completely.
- After priming the area and lightly sanding the last coat, apply two coats of touch-up paint, letting the first dry completely before applying the second. Use paint that is the same color as the rest of the wall to conceal the patched area.
Our Finding:
Whether it’s a 6-inch gaping hole or a tiny nail and screw hole, most homeowners can fix drywall. You might need to go to a local home improvement store to pick up some supplies if you don’t have an extra repair kit or spackling. A little more preparation work will be required for larger holes. Larger holes shouldn’t cost more than $100, while smaller holes usually cost between $10 and $55.
* Angi provided the costs for this section.
