Repair Interior Drywall
Drywall is one of the most common materials used for interior walls. Shifting and settling can cause cracks. Bumps and normal wear-and-tear can cause dents, dings, holes and other damage to interior drywall. Cracks, small and large holes can be repaired with drywall compound or plaster of Paris. The most invisible repairs are actually the result of first distressing the original crack or hole so that the patching material adheres strongly.
Instructions
Repairing Cracked Interior Drywall
1. Scratch out the drywall crack using a screwdriver or sharp edged tool, like a can opener. Clean the dust and debris thoroughly with a stiff brush or damp cloth.
2. Lay self-adhesive fiber mesh over the drywall crack and press into place.
3. Mix all-purpose drywall compound and water per manufacturer's directions.
4. Use a drywall knife to apply drywall compound to the crack, over the fiber mesh. Allow to dry and repeat as necessary to bring the level of the repair flush with the wall.
5. Sand with fine sandpaper. Prime and paint to match the wall, or repaint entire section of wall.
Repairing Large Hole in Interior Drywall
6. If the hole is greater than 6 inches diameter, fill with drywall mesh or newspaper. Hold the filling material in place with small pieces of painter's tape.
7. Mix plaster of Paris with water following manufacturer's directions. Mix small amounts at a time; it dries quickly and will get too stiff to use. It should be the texture of toothpaste.
8. Trowel a plaster over the newspaper or mesh filler, using about 1/2 inch of plaster at a time. Allow to dry for 10 minutes.
9. Apply another coat of plaster, let dry and repeat until the plaster is level with the surface of the wall.
10. Mix a thinner batch of plaster of Paris for the last layer. Use a drywall taping knife to apply this layer as smoothly as possible. Let dry at least one hour.
11. Sand, prime and paint to match.
Repairing Small Hole in Interior Drywall
12. Clean the hole, no more than 6 inches in diameter, with a stiff brush.
13. Apply self-adhesive mesh.
14. Mix and apply drywall compound following the procedure for repairing a crack in drywall. Sand and finish.
Related posts
Holes or cracks in drywall can be repaired with plaster of Paris and a few tools. Easier than patching with drywall sections or applying joint compound, plaster of Paris is virtually invisible whe...
Old-fashioned plaster walls involved spreading wet plaster over strips of wood lath. Modern drywall is pressed chalk covered in paper and screwed directly to the wall studs. Combining plaster and...
Saving the plaster in old homes is a bit of work but much easier than removing it and replacing it with drywall. Set aside some time to address the problems in your plaster walls, and as each one...
Use a stiff putty knife to scrape damaged mud, texture and paint from around the crack.If it is simply filled with paint or spackle, a crack along a drywall tape seam inevitably returns. Because m...
You might need to repair drywall paper if it becomes damaged when removing wallpaper or other wall coverings or if something knocks into the wall. You cannot paint over bare drywall, as it will ab...
