Oops!

You’ve knocked a hole in your drywall too big to fix by just smearing joint compound over it. What to do?

Well, a little surgery. Read on.

Cost savings by doing this yourself: ~$300

Stuff you’ll need:

• Sharp utility knife
• 1 inch x 4 inch board, 4-6 inches wider than the hole
• 1 1/2 inch drywall screws
• A drill
• A 2-foot by 2-foot sheet of drywall
• Drywall tape
• Pre-mixed joint compound
• 6-inch drywall knife
• 12-inch drywall knife

1. Cut out a clean square around the hole.

Use a very sharp utility knife, and GO SLOW. The first time around, just score the paper layer of the drywall. Then cut deeper with each pass until the the square either falls into the wall (no big deal) or you can remove it easily.

2. Cut a length of 1″x 4″ wood at four inches wider than the hole.

Like this. Ain’t gotta be pretty.

3. Insert the board into the square hole.

Don’t drop it in the wall!

Leave roughly two inches of the board on either side. Doesn’t have to be exact.

Insert the board and leave 2 inches on either side. Don’t drop it!

4. Drill screws through the drywall into the board.

This will take a little finesse. Hold consistent pressure on the board as you drive the screw through the drywall (the screw will want to push the board back). Not too hard though. Don’t want to break the drywall.

Drive the screws until the heads are just below the surface of the drywall and the board if firm against it. Not too deep and certainly not all the way through.

It should look like this when you are done.

Hold consistent pressure on the board and carefully drive screws into it.

5. Cut a piece of drywall the same size as your hole.

You can buy project-sized pieces of drywall so you don’t have to get a whole sheet. Once it’s cut, stick it in the hole. Then screw it down.

Cut your patch, insert it, and screw it down.

6. Tape and mud.

The stuff you use to patch drywall is called joint compound, or mud. Apply a thin layer of compound using a six-inch putty knife. Then lightly place strips of drywall tape over the joints between the patch and the wall. Last, run the knife over the joints to gently smooth it down (takes a little practice).

It should look something like this:

Tape and mud the joints between the patch and the wall using a six-inch drywall knife.

7. Let dry, sand, and feather.

Wait 24 hours for the mud to dry. Then give it a light sand to knock off the tall spots. Use a 12-inch drywall knife to apply a thinner layer of compound and feather it out wider than the patch.

Let that dry another 24 hours, then sand again lightly to smooth it out. Prime and paint.

You can do this

Drywall can be intimidating, but it’s doable. Just take your time and message me through the HomeDabbler Facebook page if you need help.

Kevin