Drywall is what most walls are made of these days.
Fixing drywall holes doesn't need to be something to fear. Drywall is a layer of baked Gypsum sandwiched between two layers of paper. The drywall feels hard to the touch, but can puncture or break easily when hit with blunt force. Small holes can be patched with some mesh tape and drywall mud, but larger holes require removal of the broken drywall, reinforcing the support beneath the drywall and inserting a new piece. Tape and mud is again used to skim over the patch of a large hole.
Instructions
Patching Small Drywall Holes
1. Lay a few pieces of adhesive mesh drywall tape over the hole so the edges of the tape overlap the edges around the hole about 2 to 3 inches.
2. Have the right tools to complete the job.
Scrape a coat of premixed drywall joint compound over the hole and every inch of the tape with a drywall mudding knife. Ensure the coat of mud extends an inch beyond the boarders of the tape in all directions. Let it dry for 24 hours.
3. Sand the dried mud with a 120-grit sanding block. Avoid sanding so hard that you damage the mesh tape. Blow off the dust with your mouth and apply another coat of mud over the area again. This layer should be applied as thin and as smooth as you can. Wait 24 hours and sand it smooth. The patch is ready for primer and paint.
Patching Large Drywall Holes
4. Locate the nearest studs on both sides of the hole using an electronic stud finder. Hold the stud finder flush on the wall and slide it around until it beeps. This beep indicates the location of the stud beneath the drywall. Place a pencil mark here. Place marks over the studs on both sides of the hole.
5. Cut from the hole to the studs with a keyhole saw on both sides of the hole. Cut out a square in the drywall from stud to stud. The idea is to cut away all broken drywall so there is only sound drywall remaining. The square hole makes it easier to cut out and insert a new piece of drywall.
6. Cut two 1-inch-by-2-inch furring strips long or short enough to fit vertically into the now-square hole, parallel to each of the two wall studs. Hold one of them against a stud, flush with the upper edge of the stud in contact with the drywall and flat with the edge facing the hole. Nail the strip to the stud in two locations with a hammer and 2-inch nails. Repeat this on both sides of the hole. These strips are what the new piece of drywall will be screwed to.
7. Measure the hole's dimensions with a tape measure and cut out a piece of drywall that fits perfectly inside the hole using these dimensions. Cut the new piece with the keyhole saw.
8. Insert the new piece of drywall into the hole so it rests flush on both of the strips you installed previously.
9. Place a drywall screw on one of the corner edges of the patch and screw it down through the drywall and into the underlying wood strip. Stop screwing as soon as the head of the screw is beneath or perfectly flush with the surface of the drywall paper -- too deep and the screw won't hold, not deep enough and the bump will be hard to cover and hide. Screw a minimum of one screw in each corner and then a screw or two in between the corner screws. Insert a couple screws in the existing drywall as well to hold that drywall to the studs beneath. Use an electric screw gun with speed control.
10. Lay adhesive mesh tape over the cracks around the patch and apply a coat of mud with the mudding knife. Wait 24 hours and sand it with the 120-grit sanding block. Apply a second skim coat out past the cracks and tape about 4 to 6 inches and wait 24 hours for it to dry. Sand again until the patch is smooth. If two coats don't smooth things out then three or more coats can be used. Coat the patch until it's smooth with the surrounding wall and the hole is a memory. Prime and paint as desired.
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