Patch It Up
At Santee Hardware, we often get asked how to repair drywall. No matter how cautious you are, accidents can happen. With drywall covering most of your house, it's best to learn how to complete this easy home repair job yourself.
Oddly enough, the first step in fixing a hole in drywall is to make the hole bigger. You're going to want to cut the hole into a square or rectangle. Take your drywall saw and carefully square up the hole.
Next, you'll add a backer board to secure the new drywall. Slide the board into the hole and secure it with 4 screws. You'll want to countersink the screws just below the surface of the drywall.
Now, measure your square hole and cut a piece of drywall the sit into the hole. Then use your mesh tape to secure the drywall.
It's time to prep your setting compound. Mix it up to the proper consistency and then apply it to wall with your drywall knife. Make sure you embed all the mesh tape, and try to eliminate any air pockets. Smooth it out as best you can, but remember that this is only the first coat. Once the first coat has set, apply a secondary goat taking special care to smooth the transition around the edges of the repair.
Once that has dried, taking your 100 grit sandpaper to smooth it out. Use your hand to make sure that every bit it smooth.
The final steps are priming and painting. Don't skip the priming step as the setting compound will absorb the paint.
That's it! Come on down to Santee Hardware when you're ready to get started.
