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Repairing Damaged Drywall

Q: Last week while moving furniture, my sons accidentally shoved an end table against the wall and punched a hole in it. How can I fix this? — Charity in Lansing, Mich.

A: Ouch! Fortunately, drywall holes are not too expensive a proposition in terms of repair. You can even get your sons to help, turning an accident into a learning experience.

For supplies, you’ll need a power drill (for driving screws), a putty knife, a drywall/wallboard saw, a box cutter or drywall knife, drywall tape (a type of mesh tape), a drywall repair patch (a large, self-sticking mesh that can be cut to fit), drywall compound, sandpaper and matching paint.

If the hole is pretty large — more than a couple of inches in diameter — you will need a spare sheet or piece of drywall (also called wallboard in some places), as well as scraps of plywood and drywall screws.

For small holes, less than an inch or two in diameter, brush away debris and ease any jagged edges back into position. Cut away dangling or sharp edges. Grab a peel-and-stick repair patch, trimming if needed so that the edges extend at least an inch beyond the edges of the hole. Stick in place. With the putty knife, smooth on one coat of drywall compound, feathering the edges into the wall. Let it dry and smooth on a second coat. Once that is completely dry, sand the compound smooth, then paint to match the surrounding area. Note: If you have wallpaper instead of paint, you can patch the wall the same way and then patch with a matching scrap piece of wallpaper.

Larger holes need more support than a plain mesh can provide, so you’ll need to replace the damaged drywall. Using a ruler and pencil, draw a square around the edges of the hole, giving about a quarter inch of space from each jagged edge. Next, carefully cut away the drywall, following those lines. Now you have a clean square to work with.

Next insert those spare plywood strips. These go behind the drywall hole, providing a backing for your drywall patch to attach to. Hold each strip in place and drive a drywall screw through the drywall about 1/2 inch above the hole and 1/2 inch below.

Next, cut your drywall patch to fit the hole. It actually needs to be a tiny bit smaller than the hole, about 1/8 inch, so the patch blends better. Press the patch against the plywood backing strips and drive screws through the patch, two at the top and two at the bottom, and into the backing strips.

Finally, blend the patch in. Run mesh drywall tape over the edges of the patch so that it covers the gaps. Then, smooth drywall compound over the mesh tape, feathering into the wall (you don’t have to put compound over the center of the patch). Finish the same way as described for the smaller patch.

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