How to patch drywall?

Bucks County Home Services Closet Drywall Repair

There are two distinct steps involved in patching drywall: securing a new piece of wallboard in place, and taping and finishing the wall.

Step 1: Secure the Wallboard in Place

To secure a new piece of wallboard in place, you’re probably going to want to cut an even larger hole in the wall you’re patching. I know, it’s counterintuitive, but think of it this way: it’s easier to cut a square patch of drywall that is larger than your hole, then hold it to the wall and trace so that you can cut a close match out of the wall, instead of trying to cut an irregularly shaped patch to fit in the existing hole.

To cut a patch from a scrap piece of drywall you can usually use any kind of utility knife to cut through the top layer of paper, snap the wallboard back, then cut the back side of the board to release the piece.

To cut a matching hole in the wall you can use a keyhole saw like this, or—my favorite—a a spiral saw like the RotoZip. (I always jump at the chance to use a power tool.)

The patch itself needs to be attached to something before you can move on to taping and mudding the wall. In most cases, there isn’t a wall stud handy right where the hole is. For smaller holes, here’s the method I use:

1. Get a small piece of scrap wood that is narrower but longer than the hole you are patching, and a couple of drywall screws.

2. Place the scrap wood inside the hole, then hold it tight to the inside of the wall and screw through the drywall above and below the hole to secure the wood in place. (This is something you’ll need to use a drill/driver for, it can’t be done by hand with a screwdriver.)

3. Now you can screw your drywall patch onto the wood, and it should sit flush with the rest of the wall and a minimal gap.

Step 2: Tape and Finish with Joint Compound

Now that all of the “structural” work is complete, you’ll want finish the patch with tape and joint compound. There aren’t any power tools involved in this part of the work, just a couple of drywall knives, sandpaper, and some good ol’ fashioned elbow grease.

Note: this is not something you can complete in an hour, or even a day, because you’ll need to put multiple coats of joint compound on, and it’s imperative they fully dry between coats.

To start, put a decently thick layer of joint compound on the wall, then tear off a piece of drywall tape and push it into the mud.

Use a 6″ taping knife and working outward from the center, run the knife over the tape with even pressure to flatten it into the mud. You want all of the tape to be embedded in the mud without any wrinkles or bubbles.

Do this for all edges of the patch, then clean your tools and wait until the joint compound is completely dry. (I usually wait a full 24 hours.)

Next, start layering joint compound over the patched area. Many people put on as little compound as possible on the walls. I did this for years, and it was a big mistake. Instead, put a lot of compound on the wall first, then go back with your knife and scrape off the excess to leave a smooth-ish patch over the drywall.

This is an example from finishing a drywall seam, but the same concept applies.

In order to make the patched area blend in to the existing wall, you’ll want to put joint compound in a much larger area than the original patch.

This is just to illustrate that the final “patch” will be much larger than the original hole.

Once the first coat dries you’ll need to sand it down, and will likely need one final coat. I do not recommend using the little sanding sponges that seem so popular because they can apply uneven pressure when sanding. Instead, a sanding pad like this is a good option.