An oversize drywall cutout around an electrical box can ruin the appearance of an otherwise perfect taping job. Inventory is sold and received continuously throughout the day. Paste mud on the edges of the cut piece and push it into the hole. In order to do this, the hole will need to be roughly drawn onto the patch.
Both parts have their challenges, and both have tried and true techniques that make the patch strong and virtually disappear. See professionally prepared estimates for drywall hole repair work. Jun 29, 2017 when you patch a large drywall hole between 46 inch diameter, the best thing to do is cut a similar size drywall piece to fill the hole. Fix drywall around outlets home improvement stack exchange. When you relocate an electrical outlet, youre usually left with an empty electrical. Then cut out the section with a drywall saw or utility knife. Start by using a drywall saw to cut a square around the hole. How to fix drywall around a switch home guides sf gate. Patching compound dries rockhard in about 10 minutes, and it doesnt soften again. Be safe and dont cut into a wall to repair a hole until you verify that electrical cords and plumbing lines arent running through the cabinet behind. Easy steps to patching a hole in your wall my design rules. Over time, gypsumboard walls can sustain ugly cracks or holes. How to repair the hole in wall after you removed a swicth or outlet.
Measure the hole then cut a scrap piece of drywall that is slightly larger than the holes diameter. How to patch unused electrical outlets or other holes in drywallhomestagingbloomingtonil. Like covering a hole in your jeans, patching drywall aims to cover a problem area and reinforce the original structure and appearance. If you ever find yourself staring at a hole marring an otherwise perfectly good wall, dont worry. The phone cable is very low on the wall, only about 1 1 12 inches from the floor and the wires come straight out of a small hole only big enough for the wires. Next, take a piece of drywall and cut it so that it fits into the hole. How to cover an outlet with drywall home guides sf gate. I have an older home, built in the late 50s and the old telephone jacks in the bedrooms are causing the issue.
If its a big hole, cut a couple pieces of scrap wood a little bigger than the hole, and angle them inside the hole and hold them in place by screwing through the drywall close by, to. Nov 25, 2008 tape is for use with proper patching work. How to patch drywall with fiberglass mesh howtos diy. As an amazon associate i make a small commission from purchases. Get fair costs for your specific project requirements. The first step to the process was to cut a larger hole with a more consistent edge around the outlet to give us something stable to which we could attach the drywall patch.
I completed my first drywall project and i learned that i hate doing drywall. If youre repairing a hole in your wall, there are a few standard steps youll follow. Jul 06, 2011 when we started this little patching project, the plaster was jagged and falling apart around each outlet in the room. Sep, 2019 if theres one main issue that the modern homeowner must face, its the fact that drywall dents, dings, and breaks quite easily compared to oldfashioned methods of construction.
Jun, 2018 whether youre fixing a hole thats a few inches or a few feet, these tips may help ensure you have a smooth wall again. Or make a shallow cut by repeatedly scoring the line with a sharp utility knife to begin a hole patch. Replacing drywall in that case would look a lot worse than the repair or dinner plate sized covers. For a very smooth drywall hole repair, spread a third coat with a 12inch drywall taping knife and let dry overnight, then sand, wipe with a tack cloth and paint the area. If its a big hole, cut a couple pieces of scrap wood a little bigger than the hole, and angle them inside the hole and hold them in place by screwing through the drywall close by, to hold them in place. Once you have learned how to patch a hole in the wall, you can do this simple repair to patch drywall anywhere in your home. Place the patch over the hole and pencil its outline on the damaged wall. Then dimple the hole slightly concave with a hammer to indent any raised edges. Depending on actual sheetrock hole size prepatch an old work box may work but both tabs must catch on the original sheetrock. Cut the tape long enough to cover the horizontal joints on the top and bottom and position the two pieces so they meet in the center. How to repair drywall drywall repair tips sheetrock repair. Continue doing this until paper flap is smooth against wall with no excess in a lump underneath.
Patching punctured drywall is a common repair, but a lot of people make it more complicated than it needs to be. Use a drywall or reciprocating saw to cut out the area within the traced lines image 3. Fortunately, drywall is fairly easy to repair, but there is an art to it. Make certain that you apply enough compound to fill the void behind the tape, then work off the excess with the drywall knife.
I really doubt there is an electrical box behind the drywall. Depending on actual sheetrock hole size pre patch an old work box may work but both tabs must catch on the original sheetrock. How to fix a wall electrical box patch drywall repair part 1 of 2. Spread joint compound over the patch with a drywall knife. Someone told me i can use joint compound or something to fill the hole and reuse the hole.
About 1 hour most people like to hang items on walls. Snap back the drywall pieces inside the outline, then cut each one free with the knife. Do i have to patch an outlet hole in the drywall or can i. If the drywall that was removed is still available, it can oftentimes be reused with this method. Shop drywall repair in the drywall section of lowes. Oct 14, 2019 scrape away loose debris from the hole. Place drywall piece over the damaged area image 1 and trace around it with a pencil image 2.
If you need to apply more into a wide gap, mix a fresh batch and spread it after the first application of. Turn the patch over and score four lines, snap it, and peel off the gypsum core. The first step of how to patch a small hole in the wall is to drive nails back down using a nail set. Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store and online.
When patching over nail holes, dimple the area by striking it with a hammer this will provide a better surface for holding the drywall compound. Complete drywall taping process for remodels duration. Put the piece of wood into the hole in the wall and pull it flush against the back edges of. Get an extra piece of drywall and cut a patch 2 inches larger than the hole on all sides. One method is to tie a piece of string onto a wooden strip that is longer than the hole is wide. The hole does not need to be square to use an ohio patch. Sep 20, 2017 this is my super easy and effective patch for holes up to 8 inches.
The best way to fix it is with drywall compound and joint tape. See typical tasks and time to repair drywall holes, along with per unit costs and material requirements. How to patch unused electrical boxes and other holes in drywall. If so, work carefully around them with a drywall or keyhole saw. Place piece of drywall in hole and with a 6 putty knife scrape out excess putty by dragging putty knife from center of repair to outside of damaged area. I made a mistake with drilling a hole in the drywall. Apr 11, 2010 holes in drywall are patched with joint compound. Lay two pieces of paper drywall tape on the vertical joints on the sides of the patch. If you have screws, dig the drywall compound from their heads with a utility knife and turn them in tight with a screwdriver. How to repair cracks and holes in drywall howtos diy. Thankfully, theres a host of different patch kits available which will let even an amateur readily take care of the issue, and weve brought the best ones read more about the best drywall patch repair kits. How to patch drywall drywall repairpatching drywalldrywall finishingfixing drywall holespatching holes. The first step to patching a hole in drywall is to make sure you have the right tools on hand.
Learning how to patch drywall yourself can also save you money as you wont need to bring in a professional to fix a hole in drywall. How to patch drywall around an electrical box youtube. If youre patching tiny nail holes, you can cover up the repairs by dabbing on touchup paint with a soft cloth. Make a butterfly patch start with a scrap of drywall. Its easier to add backer board than to try to cut the drywall over studs as you learn how to fix drywall. Feb 08, 2017 drywall is relatively simple to install and easy to repair.
Luckily, the towel bar i was removing had the cutout of drywall still loosely attached inside the wall. Draw an x on the wall above the hole and an arrow on the patch that points at the x so youll know how to orient the patch in step 6. Find a scrap of drywall thats the same thickness as the damaged drywall, and cut out a squarecornered patch big enough to cover the hole. Easy installation, precut to fit standard receptacle box repairs and reinforces miscut or damaged drywall areas around receptacle box material is not affected by water and damp conditions material will not fuzz up during sanding. This product is primarily for patching an oversized opening for a switch or outlet box cut the hole too big since there is just a skim coat on the edges closest to the box. Fiberglass tape beds shallow, and feathering around the box will make the cover plate sit flat. Use a drywall saw to cut from the edge of the hole to each corner of the outline. Cut two pieces of 2x4 slightly larger than the hole. When items are removed, those holes need to be patched. The new hole will be really close to the old hole, or knowing my poor drilling skills, it will overlap the old hole.
Apparently im not good at it either because when i finally screwed on the outlet covers it is obvious my measurements were off. Its also easy to repair badly, which can leave a lumpy mess that declares shoddy to anyone who enters the room. Put patching compound on edge of the piece of drywall and flap and some on wall at hole. There are a number of reasons why you need to repair holes in drywall. The patching method im going to demonstrate here works with holes of any size up to the diameter of the largest hole saw you carry, which in my case is 4. Cover the hole or dent with fastdrying spackle to bring the spackle level with the drywall surface and let it dry 24 hours or the time recommended by the manufacturers instructions. The challenge when patching a hole is actually holding the drywall patch in place while the compound dries.