How to fix damaged drywall

Way back in the day, walls were made of plaster making them virtually indestructible. Plastering has declined for most home construction. It’s time-consuming and too costly in all but the highest priced homes.

Enter drywall to save the day. Drywall hangs quickly, is fairly easy to work with and less expensive. The downside, drywall cracks easily and doesn’t withstand the abuse a vacuum cleaner might inflict when tumbling down steps and crashing into the wall at the bottom.

Have you ever had a new piece of furniture or a washer and dryer delivered then discover the delivery people caused indentations in a wall? Children can poke holes in drywall covered walls. The housekeeping maid can do damage just as easily.

Drywall cracks as it expands and contracts as it warms and cools to the air temperature and will crack when a home settles. Wet drywall falls apart readily.  Fido, the family pup, can damage drywall when he decides to dig a sharp claw into the wall attempting to squash the innocent fly who landed to rest before flitting off to its next aerial adventure.

The staff employed by our Pittsburgh cleaning service have all seen these types of damages and more. When these types of damages happen to drywall, they raise the question of how to complete repairs.

Divide First To Conquer

Thinking about the above damages, you might easily imagine Fido leaving deep gouges using his thick claws. An item like a vacuum cleaner falling several steps might crack or poke a large hole in your wall. A small hole made by a child using a nail daddy had or a pen mommy had, make for quite a different repair than the hole created by the vacuum.

A crack could be slight or deep. Drywall falling apart from a leak is different still.  Indentations caused by the installation crew is different than holes made with a nail.

We can summarize these damages into large holes or small holes going all the way through the drywall. And we can see that damages can be larger indentations or smaller indentations that haven’t completely punctured the drywall. Finally, we can image slight hairline cracks or deeper cracks.

Broadly speaking we have damage that hasn’t gone all the way through and damage that went all the way through the drywall. Keep these concepts in mind to effectively assess and repair the problem.

Let’s Tackle The Easy Repairs-Indentation Repairs

Let’s start with the easiest repairs which are the indentations, either larger (like a quarter in size) or smaller (think claw marks). Simply use a putty knife and some spackle which can be bought from your local hardware or home improvement center.

Using a putty knife, scoop out enough spackle to fill the hole and push it into the indentation before smoothing it with the putty knife. If the Spackle does not smooth easily dampen the putty knife with a bit of water and the spackle should be even with the wall when completed properly. Let it dry for 24 hours then prime first before painting.

How To Easily Repair Large Or Small Cracks

More challenging, but still easy to repair, are cracks caused from settling or changing temperatures. If the crack is thin you’ll need to enlarge it!  Thin cracks don’t hold putty or spackle very well.

To start, use an old screwdriver and scrape out the crack to widen it. Some say to open it to 1/4 inch wide, but you don’t need to make it that large, instead 1/16 to 1/8 inch will do nicely. Scraping the crack also removes loose material enhancing repairs.

Instead of spackle use caulking for this repair by squeezing a bit of caulking onto a plate or saucer that you don’t need. Add a drop or two of cold water to caulking and mix with your putty knife. Thinning the caulking a bit helps using this technique.

I recommend caulking because it expands and contracts as the crack expands and contracts which ensures a more durable repair that outlasts spackle. The caulking should be slightly thinned before using the putty knife to fill the crack. Fill the crack until it’s even with the wall and wait 24 hours before priming and painting.

Any crack more than 1/4″ wide doesn’t work with this technique.

Easy Repair For Larger Holes – Use Backing Material

This type of repair is more challenging and addresses holes that are smaller than a tennis ball and completely through the drywall. Brush out the hole’s inside edges removing loose material before beginning the repairs. Stuff the hole with a crumbled sheet of paper which provides a backing preventing your patch from going through and falling behind the wall.

For holes larger than a tennis ball, cut a piece of metal wire mesh and bend it so it fits into the hole and gets caught on the drywall as you push it into the hole. This takes practice to get the hang of it. The mesh must be a bit larger than the hole but able to fit in the hole when bent slightly.

Use joint compound or spackle for this repair and start by using your putty knife forcing filler into the backing and the insides of the hole.  Continue working around the hole pushing filler into the mesh and insides of the hole working toward the center of the hole building your filler up until the patch is level with the wall.

Let patch dry completely which can take days depending on how large the hole is.  If the patch shrinks below the surface of the wall, add more filler.  When the patch is dried and even with the wall, prime and paint it. If the patch sticks out above the wall use sanding screen to sand it flush with the wall before priming and painting.

For holes larger than a tennis ball but smaller than 24 inches cut a piece of drywall a little larger than the hole.  Poke a small hole in the middle of the drywall and slip a string through it. Tie several knots in the string until the knot grows large enough so when pulling from the other side the knot will keep the string from coming back out of the hole.

Holding the string from the front, tilt the drywall sideways to push it into the hole until it passes the back of the hole and ends up behind the broken drywall. Keep light tension on the string the entire time and position the drywall behind the hole.

Continue pulling on the string to keep the drywall in place, as you fill the hole with quick-set patching plaster. Quick-set plaster adheres to the backing and sticks to the inside of the hole. The trick is to work around the hole while keeping the string tight to prevent the drywall backing from slipping.

Within a few minutes, the quick-set will dry enough and hold the backing in place. When the backing is secure without having to keep the string taut, cut the string before beginning to fill the rest of the hole. Let each coat dry before adding more filler and when the patch is dry completely sand, prime and paint as before.

For holes larger than 24 inches cut a piece of drywall and nail to a wood stud before patching. Use joint compound for patches of this size. You’ll need to use joint tape to cover the cracks for this repair but if your hole was caused by a leak remember to cut out any remaining drywall that’s wet before making repairs.

Final Thoughts

As you can tell, different hole sizes and the hole depths call for different repair techniques. Once you’ve made a few repairs all hole repairs become second nature.

Learning these techniques will save you a bundle over a lifetime.  You’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing your repairs are done like a professional would do them! Happy patching.

Leave your comments below and share this article on your social platforms if you found it useful.  Thanks for reading and we look forward to seeing you next time.

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If you find yourself staring at damaged walls and ceilings in your home, it might be time for a little TLC and an update. The interiors of most homes are covered with gypsum wallboard, which is commonly known as drywall, or by its trade name, Sheetrock. Drywall is durable to a degree, but it can only take so much before you start to see holes, cracks, and dents—especially if you've got toddlers or pets running around.

⚒️ You like fixing stuff. So do we. Let's DIY some cool $h*t together.

Fortunately, most drywall damage can be repaired quickly and easily. All you need are some basic tools, the right materials, and a few tricks of the trade. This step-by-step DIY guide will show you how to repair drywall—from doorknob damage, to cracks under the window, all the way to saggy ceilings—but first, we need to go over some safety measures.

⚒️ Tips To Stay Safe While You Repair Drywall

1) Lift Carefully. When patching extensive damage, it's best to buy full 4-by-8 foot sheets of drywall, and then cut them down to size as needed. But, be advised that a full sheet of standard 1/2-inch drywall weighs about 54 pounds.

Drywall sheets are awkward to lift and carry, so you'll want to avoid straining your back. If possible, always work with a helper and remember to lift with your knees, not your back. Also, be careful when leaning drywall sheets against stuff. If a sheet should fall over, it could severely injure someone, especially a child or pet.

2) Empty Bucket Warning. Premixed joint compound comes in various size buckets, which are handy to use around the house and yard once they're empty. However, five-gallon buckets pose a serious threat to toddlers. The buckets are just the right height that if a small child leans over the edge, they can tumble in headfirst and find themselves unable to scramble out. Therefore, if you use the bucket for carrying water, never leave the bucket unattended, even if it's holding just a few inches of water. And, never leave buckets outdoors where they can fill with rainwater, creating a potential drowning hazard.

If you use the buckets primarily for carrying and storing tools, gardening supplies, and other dry goods, eliminate the possibility of a child drowning by drilling drainage holes through the side and bottom of the bucket.

3) Clean Up the Dust. Making drywall repairs typically requires sanding joint compound to produce a smooth, unblemished surface. However, joint compound dust is a respiratory irritant that contains super-fine gypsum and silica particulates. When sanding joint compound, always wear a dust mask, or better yet, a dual-cartridge respirator, to protect your lungs.

It's also a good idea to spread a drop cloth on the floor where you're sanding. When done sanding, wipe the dust off the drop cloth with a damp sponge, then clean the surrounding areas with a shop vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter. Once the air has settled, finish up by vacuuming. This two-step cleaning is necessary because most household vacuums can't capture super-fine sanding dust, and will only blow it back into the air.

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The two most common types of premixed drywall compounds—also known as spackle—are lightweight and all-purpose. The lightweight product weighs about one-third less than all-purpose, it dries more quickly, and takes less effort to sand smooth. All-purpose compound dries harder and typically costs less.

Both types are easy to apply and have a shelf life at room temperature of about nine months. If you have drywall damage in several rooms, buy a five-gallon bucket of compound. For smaller repairs, something like this will suffice.

Note that dry-mix joint compound is also available, which comes in powder form. It must be mixed with water to the proper consistency prior to application. Dry-mix compound is more affordable than the pre-mixed varieties, but pre-mix compound is easier and quicker to use for DIY repairs.

⚒️ Problem 1: Doorknob Damage

Step 1: One of the most common drywall repairs occurs when a door is swung open a little too forcefully and the doorknob punches a hole through the drywall. The simplest way to fix the hole is with a peel-and-stick repair patch. The patch consists of an adhesive-backed aluminum screen that's reinforced by fiberglass mesh. Simply peel off the protective backing and press the patch over the hole.

Step 2: Use a four- or six-inch-wide drywall knife to apply joint compound over the patch. Be sure to apply enough pressure to force the compound through the mesh. After the compound dries, sand lightly and apply a second, thinner coat of compound, making sure to extend it a few inches beyond the first coat. Repeat a third and final time. When dry, sand lightly, then prime and paint.

⚒️ Problem 2: Crumpled Corner Bead

Step 1: When two sheets of drywall meet at an outside wall corner, they're protected by an L-shaped metal strip called a corner bead. Corner bead is nailed over the corner and then concealed by two or three layers of joint compound. Metal corner bead is pretty tough stuff, but it's not indestructible. It can get dented through any number of activities, including run-ins with the vacuum cleaner, a child flinging a toy, or when moving furniture. The good news is that, ordinarily, only a small section of the corner bead gets damaged, making the repair much simpler.

Begin by using a hacksaw to cut through the corner bead approximately two inches above and below the damaged section. Next, take a utility knife and cut along each vertical edge of the corner bead, making sure you slice through the paint and joint compound.

Step 2: Pry the severed piece of corner bead from the wall using a thin pry bar and straight-blade screwdriver. Try not to damage the surrounding drywall surfaces. Now, use aviation snip to cut a new piece of corner bead to replace the damaged section.

Step 3: Set the new piece into place and fasten it with 1½-inch-long drywall nails, which have very thin, flat heads that are easier to conceal with joint compound than drywall screws.

Step 4: Apply two to three coats of joint compound, making sure to sand between coats. Spread the final coat with an eight-inch drywall knife. When done, prime and paint to match the walls.

⚒️ Problem 3: Creeping Cracks

Step 1: Vertical drywall cracks will often appear above and below windows and doors. These hairline cracks are usually caused by lumber shrinkage and settling in the house frame. To repair the cracks, start by using a sanding sponge to sand the crack smooth. After sanding, vacuum the crack to remove all loose dust and debris.

Step 2: Next, use a narrow putty knife to apply a thin coat of joint compound to the crack. Wait for it to dry, then sand it smooth. Repeat, applying a second thin coat.

Step 3: To dissuade the crack from reappearing, spray the repair with a thin coating of elastic crack cover-up, such as Good-Bye Cracks.

⚒️ Problem 4: Nails That Go Pop

Step 1: Nail and screw pops are also caused by lumber shrinkage. To fix a popped nail or screw, start by twisting the tip of a utility knife into the wall to carve away the joint compound from the fastener head.

Step 2: Use a screwdriver to tighten the screw, driving it well below the surface. If it's a popped nail, use a hammer and nail set to tap it in deeper. If it feels as if the nail isn't hitting solid wood, yank it out with pliers and drive in a drywall screw, making sure you hit the center of the wall stud or ceiling joist.

Step 3: Hide the repair using a drywall knife to apply three thin coats of lightweight joint compound. Sand between coats, then prime and paint.

⚒️ Problem 5: Saggy Textured Ceilings

Step 1: Water damage will usually stain a drywall ceiling, but in some extreme cases, the drywall will actually sag down from the joists. This is a particularly tricky repair on a textured ceiling. Start by using a hand-sanding pad equipped with a sanding screen to remove the texture and smooth out the area.

Step 2: Next, press the drywall up tight against the joist and secure it along the seam with drywall nails or screws driven into the center of the joist.

Step 3: Water stains will often bleed through standard primer. To prevent the stains from reappearing, brush on a coat of primer that is specifically formulated to block out the toughest stains.

Step 4: To blend in the repaired area with the surrounding textured ceiling, use a thick-nap roller to apply a thick mixture of drywall compound, thinned with a little water.

Step 5: Before the thinned drywall compound dries, add texture to the ceiling with a short-handled brush. If your ceiling has a popcorn texture, try concealing the repair with popcorn texture in a spray can.

⚒️ Problem 6: Loose Inside-Corner Tape

Step 1: Seams between sheets of drywall are hidden behind paper drywall tape and several thin layers of joint compound. Occasionally, the paper tape will pull loose and peel up, especially in bathrooms where the tape is repeatedly exposed to hot, moist air. And this problem often occurs at inside wall corners.

While it's tempting to simply glue down loose tape, it's best to cut it out with a utility knife and replace it with a new piece of tape. After cutting away the loose tape, apply a thin bed of drywall compound to each wall in the corner.

Step 2: Next, cut a new piece of paper tape to length, fold it lengthwise along its center crease, and press it into the wet joint compound.

Step 3: You can press the tape into the compound and smooth it out with a four-inch knife, but using an inside-corner knife makes the job much easier. This specialty tool smooths both sides of the inside corner at the same time.

⚒️ Problem 7: Patching Large Holes

Step 1: To repair a large hole in drywall, first draw a square outline around the hole using a 24-inch level. As you mark the four lines, be sure to center one vertical line on the center of a wall stud.

Step 2: Cut three sides of the square using a drywall saw, which is also called a jab saw because you start cutting by jabbing the saw's pointed tip through the drywall. Lift away the debris as you cut to keep it from falling into the wall cavity.

Step 3: Remove the drywall on the remaining side of the outline by using a utility knife to cut down the center of the stud.

Step 4: Cut a one-by-four foot pine board six to eight inches longer than the square opening in the wall. Squeeze some construction adhesive onto the ends of the board.

Step 5: Slip the one-by-four into the hole with the glued surface facing the back of the drywall. Position the board so it extends into the opening by at least 1½ inches. Secure the board with two clamps.

Step 6: After the adhesive dries, cut a drywall patch to loosely fit into the hole. Apply some construction adhesive to the exposed surface of the one-by-four, then press the patch into place and secure it to the stud and to the one-by-four backing board with 1¼-inch drywall screws.

Step 7: Wipe down the wall and drywall patch with a slightly dampened sponge to remove any dust. Next, apply adhesive-backed fiberglass mesh drywall tape over the four seams of the patch. Overlap the tape at the corners for maximum strength, and center each piece directly over a seam. Firmly press down the tape for good adhesion.

Step 8: Use a four-inch drywall knife to apply the first layer of joint compound over the tape. Allow the compound to dry overnight.

Step 9: Smooth the dried compound with a hand-sanding pad fitted with a sanding screen.

Step 10: Use an eight-inch knife to apply several skim coats of joint compound over the repair, making each one slightly larger than the preceding one. Sand the final coat smooth with 220-grit sandpaper. Finish by rolling on a coat of primer, followed by two topcoats of paint. And note that, in some cases, it might be necessary to paint the entire wall to ensure the patch is undetectable.

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