Use Fixall to repair holes and cracks in drywall.
Patching compound is often called Fixall, which is a brand name that has been changed to Fix-It-All. It isn't as widely available as it used to be, especially in smaller quantities, but there are other brands that are identical and you use them in the same way. Patching compound comes as a powder that you mix with water to form a paste which hardens in less than an hour. Most patching compounds set in a short time, so you have to work quickly after you mix them.
Instructions
1. Scrape around the hole or crack to remove flaking paint, old drywall, or mud that is chipping off.
2. Pour a quantity of patching compound into a small bucket or tray and add water incrementally, stirring the mixture as you do this. Add the water in small quantities, gradually moistening the powder until it turns into a paste about the consistency of peanut butter. If you add too much water and the mixture becomes soupy, pour in more powder to thicken it.
3. Spread the paste over cracks and holes with a trowel so that you completely fill them, and scrap excess paste away immediately. If a hole is so large that the paste doesn't adhere to all the edges without falling away, fill it partially, let the compound stiffen, then apply some more, repeating until the hole is filled.
4. Let the compound set for two hours or until it turns dark yellow and is hard when you tap on it.
5. Cover patched cracks and holes with fiberglass mesh drywall tape. Cut off a piece long enough to fit over the repair with a utility knife and stick it to the drywall. If a hole is wider than the tape, lay another piece next to it or across it.
6. Spread mud over the tape with a drywall blade and scrape off the excess. Hold one end of the tape with your finger while you scrape away from that end, then come back and scrape over the end you were holding when the rest of the tape is embedded. Let the mud dry overnight.
7. Finish the repair with two more coats of mud, scraping each coat flat with the drywall blade and letting the first coat dry before you apply the second. Feather the last coat into the wall to flatten the repair and blend it into the wall.
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