Learn How to Fix a Small Hole in Drywall In 7 Easy Steps. You need the wall to be perfectly flat before you repair the. Hernias of the Abdominal Wall. Where do abdominal wall hernias. Mesh works well for hernia repairs because dense scar tissue can grow into the empty spaces resulting in a very strong patch for the hole which. Come find out how to remove dry wall anchors easily, without tearing up the. Very nice of you to patch everything up for the new. How to Repair a Medium- Size Hole in Drywall. Repairing drywall is a great do- it- yourselfer task because tools and materials are cheap, and there’s very little risk (to you or the house). Plus, if you can master the repair, it’s a skill that will serve you well no matter if you own or rent. So before you call the local handyman next time, give yourself a chance to tackle this basic, home improvement project. Editors Note: This is a great tutorial that I put together in March of 2. Best of OPC section found in the right sidebar. If you read through the comments, you’ll find some alternative drywall repair suggestions, and some of them are valid options. However, the method I describe here is tried- and- true, and it results in a flawless, durable patch every time. Furthermore, a number of drywall contractors confirm that this is how they tackle a medium sized repair. Materials List. Drywall (see below)Mesh tape (see below)Setting compound (see below)Backer boards (see below)1- 1/4. Purchase a piece bigger than the hole because you’ll be squaring it out (and making it slightly larger). Home improvement centers often sell 2 x 2. Drywall is commonly available in 1/4. Most interior walls have 1/2. Paper tape is another alternative, and it results in a stronger joint. If you expect any sort of movement or stress on the joint, paper tape will better resist cracks. If you use mesh tape, I recommend avoiding the pre- mixed joint compound (more on that next). How to Repair a Medium-Size Hole. You will end up with a less secure patch. How do you use a flat knife to spread the mud onto a textured wall? Masking a hole in a brick wall where air conditioning unit was? Outdoor grime will even out the patch to be like the rest of wall relatively soon. I think I'll do it again and you probably won't even notice it's been. Setting Compound: Setting compound (or hot mud) is a powder that comes in a bag and needs to be mixed with water. Unlike joint compound which dries through evaporation, setting compound dries through a chemical reaction, shrinks very little and dries very hard. Setting compound is differentiated by drying time (in minutes), and you’ll find 5, 2. Setting compound is nice because you’re able to apply a second coat without waiting too long. I purchased an easy- sand, 5 minute compound. If you’re a novice to patching drywall, go with a longer drying time. Backer Boards: Repairing a medium- sized hole in drywall calls for adding a new piece of drywall. To secure this new piece, you’ll need some sort of backer boards, and I used small pieces of 1/4. I’d guess the previous owner opened to door too hard, and instead of repairing the damage, covered it with a plastic wall bumper. Cutting a circular (or other oddly shaped) piece of drywall is tedious. Instead, I like to widen the hole into a square or rectangle. I recommend scoring the edges with a utility knife before you start sawing. Step 2: Secure the Backer Board. This is a medium- sized hole, and it’s impossible to simply fill the void with compound. I need to add a new piece of drywall, and to fasten the drywall, I need some sort of backing or furring strip. To accomplish this, I slide a piece of 1/4. For this hole, there is a stud nearby so I cut the drywall to expose half the stud. This gives me a nice nailing surface of the left side. Now I just secure my backer board to the right side. Step 3: Cut a New Piece of Drywall. Use your utility knife and/or drywall saw to cut a new piece of drywall that fits into the hole. Step 4: Cover the Joints with Tape. I covered the entire new piece of drywall and all the edges with mesh tape. Often you’ll see people cover the screw heads too (which is fine but I didn’t). Step 5: Mix Compound and Apply First Coat. It doesn’t take much compound to cover a hole like this. I mixed a little powder and water until the compound had a thick, “mashed- potato” consistency. This is important because if the compound is too wet, it’ll result in a poor bond. Sloppy mud is also a pain to work. Keep adding powder (or water) as necessary until your satisfied. Using the 6. Make sure you embed all the mesh tape, and try to eliminate any air pockets. Step 6: Second Coat. While the first coat dried, I mixed up another small batch of compound. I didn’t bother to sand in between the first and second coat, using my knife to check for any high points. If you’re really good at patching, you can finish everything off in two coats. I fully expected to need a third coat. After the second coat dried, I used 1. The goal is to create a seamless transition so you’ll never know the wall was damaged. Step 7: Final Coat. When you apply the final coat, try to make it as smooth as possible. It’ll save you from having do a lot of sanding. Step 8: Sand Smooth. Feather all the edges by sanding them smooth, and give the rest of the patch a once- over to eliminate any dimples or ridges. Feel everything with your hand to make sure it’s all even. Step 9: Prime. It’s really important to prime your drywall repair because compound will absorb paint differently, and even if you did a good patch job, without primer it’ll be obvious. Step 1. 0: Paint. We keep a little leftover paint for each room for just this purpose. I like to roll the paint because I can notice brush strokes, and again that’s a giveaway that you patched the drywall. Rolling the paint gives it the same texture as the rest of the wall. If you enjoyed this project, why don’t you check out the other home improvement how- tos available in the Project Guides section. Subscribe and never miss an article! Free articles delivered conveniently to your inbox(and no spam, we promise)Enjoy this? How to Get Rid of Unwanted Dry Wall Anchors. I just wanted to pop in today and share a quick tip I learned not too long ago. When the previous owner or builder installed the towel bar, toilet paper holder and towel rack, they hadn’t drilled them into any studs, so naturally, every screw was screwed into a wall anchor to keep it firmly in place. That’s a great thing when you’re planning on not having the towel holder falling down every time you want to dry your hands. It’s not so awesome when you want to change everything out! At first I thought my new hardware would just fit over the old wall anchors in some places. But I found that either the hardware was different or I wanted to change the location the new hardware. I’ll admit that I was stumped for a few days. How would I get the anchors out without making huge holes in my walls? Well, one night I got the bright idea to just hammer them in a little further and then patch the small hole. It worked fabulously! I actually screwed in a screw part of the way first and then lightly tapped on it with a hammer. Be sure not to tap too hard, or it will dent in the drywall all around the anchor, leaving a dent in your wall. Sorry I didn’t take a picture of the patching and sanding part, but it’s pretty self- explanatory. Just use drywall patching compound, let it dry and then sand. Love the results! Hopefully if you ever have to do the same thing, you won’t have to sit and stew for days or weeks, like I did. Tuck this back there in your “things I may need twice in my life” file and you’ll thank me later! UPDATE: It’s been brought to my attention that a wall anchor that has the Phillips- head screw driver hole can be unscrewed, instead of hammered in. But you could still use this method on the wall anchors that can’t be unscrewed. They are also my business and are so well- loved that they sponsor my blog!! Click the image for more info: Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links, which does not mean you pay a penny more when purchasing through my link. It means that in helping you easily find some of my favorite products, I receive a small commission if you purchase. Thank you so much for supporting The Turquoise Home! I only share products I truly love!! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.
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