How to Patch Drywall

Background:

My Mom purchased a small house down the street from us. It was in decent shape but needed some repairs and updates. In addition to electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and several cosmetic updates such as painting, tiling the bathroom floor, updating the shower, installing new flooring, painting kitchen cabinets, updating the fireplace, replacing doors, etc. we needed to patch several holes in the drywall.

There were inoperable space heater inserts in the wall in three different rooms. Because we replaced the HVAC system, we decided to remove these eyesores. Removing them left large holes in the drywall that needed to be patched. In addition, we had to remove drywall to allow the electrician access to the main electrical box.

Materials Needed:

• • Drywall saw
  • Drywall
  • Drywall screws
  • Drill
  • Drywall joint tape
  • Drywall mud
  • Putty knife
  • Drywall sandpaper

Step 1:

First, determine the thickness of the existing drywall. Our drywall was 5/8 inch.

Step 2:

Clean up the opening with a drywall saw. In our situation, we made this a more even rectangular shape. This will make cutting the replacement piece a little easier.

Step 3:

Cut drywall to fit the opening and screw into place. Make sure your screws are going into the wood studs in the wall. This will ensure it is securely held in place.

Step 4:

Use drywall joint tape over the seams. Notice that we did not overlap the drywall tape on each corner. Overlapping could make tape show through or require additional mudding and sanding.

Step 5:

Add a coat of drywall mud and allow to dry. We use Dry Dex Premium Light Weight Low Dust Joint Compound from Home Depot.

Step 6:

Sand the mudded area. Feel with your hand to see if the wall surface is getting smooth.

Step 7:

Add more sheetrock mud, allow to dry, and sand again. Typically, you will need to repeat step 7 several times. It took us 4 times. Be patient because this can take days to complete due to drying time. We did this project between other projects.

Step 8:

When the wall is smooth and you cannot see any joints or tape, prime and then paint your desired color. We use BEHR Paint in Primer in One from Home Depot. Below are two more pictures of where we patched the drywall.

It is as if the holes never existed!

Let us know below what you think and if you have additional questions.

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