How to fix a hole in drywall – 3 methods

Drywall is a common material used to build even walls in a matter of several days. It’s quite convenient not only for contractors, but for homeowners as well.

Drywall is easy to paint and repaint. It provides a certain level of sound control as well. Moreover, it has energy saving benefits, as it’s known for its insulation and temperature retaining features.

It means that it prevents heat from seeping out from your house during the cold season and cold air – during hot summer days. That will influence your energy bill significantly.

The fact that this building material is quite affordable and relatively easy to install makes it even more attractive for house builders and remodeling contractors. It’s also not too hard to conceal tiny nail or screw holes in it.

However, there’re a couple of downsides of having drywall walls. First of all, this material doesn’t handle with moisture as well as you’d want it to. And that may lead to mold issues and urgent drywall replacement.

Besides, you may easily damage drywall and make a big old hole in it. Especially if you have small kids running around your house.

A door that was opened too harshly or an accidental chair leg hit may ruin these walls and make you call a drywall repair/ installation contractor. (Leave a request for local pros on HireRush.com).

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However, you may attempt repairing drywall holes on your own. If you’re down to that, check out the tips below to learn how to deal with drywall holes of different sizes.

How to repair medium-size hole in drywall (traditional drywall fixing method)

Things you’ll need:

1. a piece of drywall
2. drywall or utility knife
3. measuring tape and carpenter’s square
4. drywall compound
5. sanding paper
6. primer
7. paint

How to fix:

1. Start off by outlining a square around the hole in your drywall (to make the repair much easier) and cutting the broken piece out.
2. Measure the sides of the square on your wall. Add about 3 inches to the length of the sides and outline a bigger square on the piece of new drywall.
3. After that, draw the square with the hole’s dimensions inside the bigger square the way that the first one is centered inside the bigger one.
4. Cut out the patch, cut into the drywall following the sides of the smaller square and break off the outer strips of the drywall material on the back side of the patch.
5. You should end up with a drywall square with paper edges that fits into the wall hole.
6. Prepare the drywall mix following instructions on its package. Spread it all over the patche’s paper edges.
7. Place the patch inside the hole and stick its paper edges to the drywall mix you’ve already applied onto the wall.
8. Smooth the edges out using a special knife. Apply a very thin coat of solution on top of the patch and around its edges.
9. Leave that to dry for as long as the compound’s manufacturers demand (better overnight) and sand the repaired area.
10. Prime and paint the patch to finish the job. You did it!

How to fix bigger holes in drywall

The process it pretty much the same, but it includes a couple of extra steps:

1. Before you install a drywall patch inside the hole, you need to attach a couple of wooden backing strips to the inner side of the wall parallel to the floor, as well as two strips behind the vertical sides of the hole.
   Those will serve as patch supports.
   
2. Once you cover the hole with the drywall patch (make one according to the previous guide) make sure to screw it onto the wooden supports. Tape the hole’s edges.
3. Adjust the shape of the patch if the hole is too big.
4. Repeat the rest of the steps as described in the first guide.
5. Adress to the services of local drywall contractors if the damage is too serious for you to be able to cope with it.

Quick drywall hole repair

1. Aluminum mesh along with drywall mix, primer and paint conclude an easy fix of small-medium drywall damage.
2. You just have to find a patch that’s slightly bigger than the hole and stick it onto the surrounding drywall to cover it.
3. Then, prepare the drywall mix according to the manufacturers’ instructions.
4. Apply the first layer of drywall solution onto the patch. Use a putty knife for that matter.
5. Go beyond the edges of the patch for an inch to make sure that the patch blends with the rest of the wall and doesn’t stand out too much.
6. Leave the first coat to dry overnight and apply a couple of additional ones to conceal the path’s structure.
7. When the compound is completely dry, sand the patched area. Prime it and paint it to match the rest of the wall.