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fixing a hole in the wall

B

Bacardi151

Senior member
a little boo boo with the wall, and now i need to fix it. i'm not a carpenter or anything remotely close to being one, so i need a noob guide on how to fix it. the hole is roughly about 5 inches in diameter. it would be great if the website had pictures on what the patching repair wallboard should look like and so forth. anybody knows of such a website?

 
which method did you do? the newspaper or fiberglass tape one??

if i do the newspaper one, how stable will that actually be? will the repaired "wall" feel thick?
 
Could you cut out the bad part to a beam so you can put in a new square of drywall on a beam and then just fill in the seams and paint over it?? I would assume this would be a good way to do it but I don't have the specifics for it.
 
yeah thats what i was thinking, to cut out a new piece and insert it, but i get confused on the instructions on cutting out a new piece of drywall, several websites keeps stating to make the repair piece 2 inches larger on all sides, and something about attaching a stick....i have no idea what they're getting at and i need a picture to understand it.
 
My goodness this is not hard, come on.

1. If you have a round hole, cut it so it is square with one of these($5)
2. Use some 1x3 as bracing around the edges.
-attach flat side up, so you have 1.5" per side to screw in to. (even a novice can hit 1.5")
-use on all 4 sides for a sturdy repair
3. Cut a piece of drywall OF THE SAME THICKNESS (probably 1/2") to the SAME SIZE of the hole, or very slightly smaller (1/4" or less)
4. Lay a foundation of drywall compound around the seams, no more than 1/16" thick.
5. wet drywall tape with water, and press into the compound around the edges with a taping knife ($7)
6. let dry.
Note: if you are a panzy, you can get self stick drywall mesh tape and skip steps 4,5 and 6)
7. cover tape with another layer of compound, just thick enough to cover tape.
-blend into wall.
-total compound coverage area may be as much as 12" wide to blend with wall so a bump is not seen.
8. let dry
9. sand with 120 grit sandpaper or sponge.
-if you taped/compunded correctly, you will remove minimal material
10. wash wall
11. paint.
12. enjoy the fact that you just did it yourself.
 
Originally posted by: Bacardi151
yeah thats what i was thinking, to cut out a new piece and insert it, but i get confused on the instructions on cutting out a new piece of drywall, several websites keeps stating to make the repair piece 2 inches larger on all sides, and something about attaching a stick....i have no idea what they're getting at and i need a picture to understand it.
Click to expand...

What they're saying to do:

First, cut a square piece of new drywall that is two inches larger than the damaged area. Next, hold the square of drywall you just cut up to the wall, over the damaged area, and trace its outline on the wall with a pencil. Then use a small handsaw (just like the one Evadman linked to above; you can get one like it at a home center type store or any good hardware store) to cut out the entire damaged area along the pencil line. (You now have a big 'ol square hole in the wall, and a patch piece of drywall to match it perfectly.)

Then, cut some wood that's about five inches longer than the hole is tall. (1 by 2 board is a good size to use.) Use two drywall screws on each end to secure the wood to the wall, inside the wall, so that it spans the hole. Use one or two pieces of wood, depending on the size of the hole you've cut in the wall. (What you're doing with the wood is making a backing to attach the drywall patch-piece to.)

Finally, fit the drywall patch-piece into the hole, secure it to the wood backing you just installed with some more drywall screws, patch the screw heads and seams with drywall patching compound, sand smooth, paint, and you're done.

I hope this makes sense. It's less complicated than it sounds; once you figure out what you need to do, it's pretty simple.
 
Originally posted by: Thegonagle
Originally posted by: Bacardi151
yeah thats what i was thinking, to cut out a new piece and insert it, but i get confused on the instructions on cutting out a new piece of drywall, several websites keeps stating to make the repair piece 2 inches larger on all sides, and something about attaching a stick....i have no idea what they're getting at and i need a picture to understand it.
Click to expand...

What they're saying to do:

First, cut a square piece of new drywall that is two inches larger than the damaged area. Next, hold the square of drywall you just cut up to the wall, over the damaged area, and trace its outline on the wall with a pencil. Then use a small handsaw (just like the one Evadman linked to above; you can get one like it at a home center type store or any good hardware store) to cut out the entire damaged area along the pencil line. (You now have a big 'ol square hole in the wall, and a patch piece of drywall to match it perfectly.)

Then, cut some wood that's about five inches longer than the hole is tall. (1 by 2 board is a good size to use.) Use two drywall screws on each end to secure the wood to the wall, inside the wall, so that it spans the hole. Use one or two pieces of wood, depending on the size of the hole you've cut in the wall. (What you're doing with the wood is making a backing to attach the drywall patch-piece to.)

Finally, fit the drywall patch-piece into the hole, secure it to the wood backing you just installed with some more drywall screws, patch the screw heads and seams with drywall patching compound, sand smooth, paint, and you're done.

I hope this makes sense. It's less complicated than it sounds; once you figure out what you need to do, it's pretty simple.
Click to expand...


thanks, it does make sense now, and i also found another guide that explains exactly the same thing.

however i have a question. after i put that 1x2 or 1x3 wood as a backing, and i try to fit the drywall patch in, what if the drywall patch is thicker? would i have to sandpaper it to the same level as the rest of the wall before applying the compound? or do i sand it down after applying the compound? or does drywall usually have a standard thickness?
 
Originally posted by: Bacardi151
however i have a question. after i put that 1x2 or 1x3 wood as a backing, and i try to fit the drywall patch in, what if the drywall patch is thicker? would i have to sandpaper it to the same level as the rest of the wall before applying the compound? or do i sand it down after applying the compound? or does drywall usually have a standard thickness?
Click to expand...
You can not sand (plane) drywall down like that. it is paper on both sides. There are 4 standard thicknesses of drywall, 2 major ones for residential. 5/8" thick for cielings and garages, and 1/2" for walls.

You sand after applying the compound. it is not possible to sand to the level of the wall, you taper the joint so it blends nicely.
 
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