

Spread more patch as needed with a drywall knife. Place the patch in position and hold it in place for several minutes while it begins to adhere.Spread plaster patch around the outside edges of the hole and along its inside edges.Remove the 2-inch perimeter, but leave the facing paper. Cut a piece of drywall 2 inches each direction larger than the hole.Cut through the paper surface on the marked lines using a utility knife or keyhole saw.Mark out a rectangle around the hole with a straightedge or carpenter’s rule.

Cover the screen with plaster patch, then let it dry before continuing.You may need a coat of fresh compound or a string to keep the screen in place. Cut a piece of wire screening slightly larger than the hole–or use a drywall patch screen–and cover the hole with it.Roughen the edges of the hole with coarse sandpaper, then wipe dust away from the hole.Remove loose drywall plaster and cut away torn paper with a utility knife.Prime and paint the area, feathering it into the paint on the rest of the wall.Sand the area with fine-grit sandpaper, then wipe the surface clean.Remove excess patch and let the repair dry thoroughly before continuing.Apply plaster patch to the corner as needed to fill in and smooth the corner edges.

If necessary, use a metal file to smooth the corner.

Joint compound is used to fill a small crack, therefore it’s thinner than drywall patch so it can seep in. Drywall patch is used to fill a hole, so it is thick. If a corner has been damaged, you can restore its appearance (see below).ĭrywall patch and joint compound serve two different purposes.If a dent, gouge, or hole appears, you can fill or patch it (see below).If a piece of drywall tape splits, you can repair it with joint compound (see below).If a nail shows, you can hide it (see below).Note that a wall kit doesn’t work on a ceiling because the ceiling requires a stiffer mesh to support the plaster patch material. Use them to patch holes in drywall walls and ceilings the instructions are included. You can buy handy drywall patching kits at larger hardware stores and home centers. Corners where walls meet get bumped and scraped and can be damaged. Nails sometimes pop out slightly from the drywall. What Can Go Wrong with Drywall?ĭrywall problems are relatively easy to spot. Sometimes texturing is added as a decorative element. The wall or ceiling is then primed and painted. The panels are nailed or screwed onto the wall framing and the joints are covered with a special tape and joint compound. A drywall panel typically is 4 x 8 feet or 4 x 12 feet in size and 1/4 to 5/8 inches thick. Drywall is also known as gypsum wallboard (GWB), plaster board, or Sheetrock. How Does Drywall Work?ĭrywall is a manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster and encased in heavy paper. Then you will want to refer to paint repair to finish the job.
#REPAIRING DRYWALL TAPE HOW TO#
It then gives simple step-by-step instructions for how to hide a popped nail, how to restore a wall corner, how to repair split drywall tape, and how to repair a dent, gouge, and hole. This Fix-It Guide on drywall tells how drywall works, what often goes wrong, how to identify a drywall problem, and what parts and tools you will need to fix it. Drywall covers the walls in most homes built in the last 60 years.
