Tips for Flawless Drywall Repairs

Drywall may be among the most common interior construction materials, but it’s far from indestructible. Indeed, most homeowners and business owners will experience dents, dings, and holes in their drywall at some point.

Fortunately, most of this impact damage can be easily fixed with the right tools and techniques. Let’s go over some useful tips for flawless drywall repair.

Gather the Materials You’ll Need

Before you can fix your drywall, you need the right materials on hand. While not all drywall repair jobs will require everything listed below, these items cover just about any type of repair job you might encounter. You’ll want:

• Joint compound/spackling paste/putty
• Putty knife
• Sandpaper (various grits)
• Dropcloth
• Hammer
• Utility Knife
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Drywall Tape
• Drywall Screws
• Drywall Patch Kit
• Extra Drywall Material
• Paint (and roller pan)
• Paintbrush/roller

Inspect the Damage

The exact materials you’ll need, and how you use them, will depend on the type and severity of damage done to your drywall. For instance, a minor puncture that’s just a couple inches or smaller in diameter can be easily fixed by filling it with quick-drying spackle, sanding it smooth once dry, and painting over the repair.

Larger holes, on the other hand, may require the aid of a patch kit, tape measure, utility knife, and more. By inspecting the damage, you can gather only what you need and get right to work.

Push in Protrusions

Drywall damage doesn’t only include punctures and holes. In some cases, a small portion of the drywall might stick out after a fastener, nail, or picture frame hanger is removed from the surface. When this happens, you’ll actually want to make a dent of your own directly over the protrusion so you can fill it with joint compound and smooth it over. Just like that, the blemish will vanish.

Spray Over Those Stress Cracks

As the ground beneath us slowly shifts, fine cracks may appear in your drywall. These fractures can easily be fixed by coating them with a spray-on crack repair solution. This will cover up the lines and give the wall some flexibility to prevent further fracturing.

After the repair solution dries, you or your interior painting services can paint over the sprayed portions so your wall looks good as new.

Patch Over Small and Mid-Sized Holes

If an object went straight through the drywall and left a hole a few inches to six inches wide, you can use your patching kit to conceal this damage. These kits include at least one self-adhesive mesh patch that can be placed directly over the hole.

When the patch is in place, gently apply a light joint compound over the entire patch and feather the edges to prevent getting excess compound on the undamaged surface. Once dried, you can apply a second coat if necessary. Then, sand down the area until it’s smooth and flush with the rest of the wall, and paint over the repair.

Get Comfortable with the California Patch

Patch kits are handy, but they won’t cut it for larger holes in your drywall. To repair these bigger holes, you’ll need to plug them up with another piece of drywall. This technique is known as the California (or Butterfly) Patch.

With your utility knife, you’ll want to cut out a square piece of drywall that’s slightly larger (a couple of inches wider and taller) than the hole being repaired. Then, you’ll want to cut away the edges of this new piece (about once inch from all sides) so you’re left with a square piece of gypsum with the paper backing on all sides. Next, hold this new piece over the damaged drywall and trace around the gypsum so you can easily cut around the hole and form the proper shape.

To ensure the new piece of drywall sticks to the surface, coat the back with joint compound and then insert it into the now square-shaped opening like a puzzle piece. You’ve now created your own patch, and all that’s left is to cover it with more joint compound, let it dry, and sand it smooth. Then, you or your interior house painters can paint over the patch.

Need Help with Drywall Repair?

Just about anyone can learn how to repair drywall. That said, if you’re not confident in your abilities, or you don’t have the time to do it yourself, hire a repair contractor to fix up the damage for you.

Nash Painting isn’t just a Nashville painting company. We’re a multi-faceted property improvement service. Our expertise includes drywall repair, power washing, door refinishing, wallpaper removal, and much more. If you’re looking for local painters who can fix up your home to boot, we’re the team for you.

To learn more about us, our services, and our values, call us at (615) 829-6858 today!