Most drywall repairs require only basic tools.
To estimate damaged drywall, it helps to be aware of some of the newer drywall repair products on the market--repairing large holes and matching texture is easier than it used to be. Once you've come up with a plan for the drywall repair, it's not hard to estimate how much time and materials will be required. Whether the damage is limited to nail-pops or a hole caused by a door knob, or more extensive damage from a water leak, drywall repair is a job that most people can accomplish with some basic hand tools and a little mess..
Instructions
1. Measure the hole. If it's less than 1 inch in diameter, you will be able to fix it with some fiberglass drywall tape and spackle or drywall mud. For larger holes, up to 6 inches wide, get a 6-inch metal mesh patch. These make it a much simpler process to repair a larger hole than cutting, fastening, taping and mudding a patch using drywall.
2. Purchase sheets of drywall for larger repairs and replacing large damaged areas. If possible, take a piece of the old drywall to the store with you to make sure you get the correct thickness. If not, measure it. Drywall comes in various thicknesses from 1/4- to 3/4-inch. Typically, thinner drywall is used on ceilings, and thicker drywall is installed on walls.
3. Purchase one gallon of joint compound (also called "mud") for every 100 to 200 square feet of drywall repair and taping, if the damage is extensive. One gallon of premixed joint compound is usually more than enough for doing multiple repairs.
4. Stick a door handle bumper over a hole in drywall caused by a door being opened too hard. These are adhesive, paintable white vinyl discs that cover the hole and prevent further damage.
5. Allow about eight hours between coats of joint compound, unless you use a quick-setting drywall compound or "hot mud." Bear in mind, the quick-setting joint compound is harder to sand.
6. Buy some aerosol spray texture for matching texture. You should be able to match most common drywall textures, including orange peel, skip-trowel and acoustic popcorn ceiling. The aerosol spray cans are expensive but much faster and less expensive than renting a drywall texture sprayer. Depending on the type of texture you are matching, a 20-ounce can will cover between 50 and 100 square feet.
Related posts
Estimate for Drywall MudMany home repairs may call for putting up new drywall. Typically, these sheets come in standard 4-by-8-foot sizes, so most often it's not too tough to estimate how much you...
Drywall repairs are not as difficult as they look.Drywall replaced lath-and-plaster as the most common wall covering in American homes in the early 1900s. A paper-coated gypsum product, it is fire...
Contractor with cleanly finished drywall seams and cornersFinishing a drywall project is much different from hanging the dry wall. The installation takes some physical strength and help from anoth...
Estimate Drywall ScrewsTo estimate drywall screws for a construction project, the application and type of screws should be determined. Drywall screws are available in a variety of lengths and thre...
Estimate Drywall CostWhen you are remodeling your home, you might find it necessary to add walls or redo existing ones. In order to do this, you will need drywall. Drywall, or gypsum board, came i...
