Accidents happen. Whether it was a water leak, an errant toy that left a dent or a small hole, a gymnastic routine with a foot through the wall, or just everyday wear and tear. Often it’s the walls in your home that take the abuse resulting in drywall issues needing to be fixed.
While our Remodel-Design-Build Team at The Cleary Company encourages you to hire professionals to fix the larger, more involved damage (unless you are an experienced DiY homeowner), it makes sense for you to repair smaller issues yourself.
But how does one go about repairing drywall issues?
Tools & Materials
Drywall patch kits are sold in most home improvement stores, like Home Depot, and contain most of what you need for small repairs. Or create your own with the following items.
- Joint compound, drywall mud, or spackle – Look for quick-drying options.
- 3 to 4-inch putty knife.
- Mesh if the hole is larger than a ½ inch.
- A boxcutter is a good item to use to keep the area neat and free from frayed edges of drywall. A clean cut leaves fewer bumps.
- A dust mask is a good idea to wear when sanding the drywall compound.
3 Types of Small Drywall Repairs & How to Do Them
Dents & Dings
- Scrape any loose debris from the area.
- Spread a thin layer of fast-drying spackle over the area, creating a level layer with the drywall.
- Let it dry then sand and apply touch-up paint.
Popped Nail Heads
- Add a drywall screw above and below the popped nail head and secure the screw to the drywall. This will keep the existing nail head from popping out again.
- Sink the screws far enough below the drywall surface to allow spackle to be applied.
- Drive in the popped nail with a hammer.
- Cover the nail and screws with a thin coat of spackle, allow to dry, sand, and apply touch-up paint.
Holes
- Buy a patch kit and put the self-adhesive mesh patch over the hole.
- Cover the patch with spackling (joint) compound in a thin crisscross pattern, and thin the edges so it blends with the wall and doesn’t create a rough demarcation line.
- Let dry and reapply if more is needed.
- Sand smooth and paint. Depending on the size of the hole, you might have to repaint the whole wall.
- A bigger hole requires a few more steps beyond these and since there is more involved, we encourage you to use a repair person or watch some YouTube videos to learn the steps. You’ll need more tools for this as well!
Have a bigger project you need help with? We can help with referrals of a handyman or drywall professional. Give us a call at 614.459.4000!
Are you ready for an interior home remodel? Schedule a phone call with our Client Relations Coordinator to discuss your project!