Pro Remodeling Tips.com

Repairing Holes in Drywall

It seems that walls are a magnet for damage. Especially if you have children. The good news is it isn't difficult to fix them. Sometimes you just need to fish a wire for something, and the easiest way is to punch a few holes into the wall.

Repairing a Hole in Sheetrock

Whatever the cause, fixing it is pretty much the same. First, you need to square up the hole. Take a piece of sheetrock, and cut out a square large enough to cover the hole. The size isn't really important. A piece about 4 inches square is fine for small holes. Hold this piece over the hole, and draw around it with a pencil. 

Now, using a drywall saw, cut the piece out, being careful not to damage the paper on the edges of the hole. If the enlarged hole happens to have a stud behind it, it's a matter of placing the repair piece in and screwing it in.

If no stud is expesed, what I do is to use a strip of 3/4" plywood, which is about 8" longer than the hole. I'll slid the drywall in the hole so it's centered, leaving me 4" above the hole, and 4" below it.

 Then, using a screw gun, I'll add some drywall screws to the area above and below the hole, which will hold the plywood piece in place. Furring strips will work fine also, but are more likely to split when screwed into.

Then insert the repair piece in the hole, and screw it into the plywood strip, again using the screw gun and a couple drywall screws. The reason for using a screw gun is to recess the screws enough to spackle over, yet not so deep it breaks the paper on the face of the sheetrock.

This process will work, regardless of the size of the hole to repair. If the hole is much wider than the one described above, I'll use a plywood strip on both edges of the hole. Now you can go ahead and repair the area as normal, with joint compound and tape. Once done, you'll have a permenant and also invisible repair. Prime and paint to blend it in with the surrounding area.