How to Patch a Hole in Drywall

Tools and materials you will need to patch a hole in drywall:

–Drywall compound

–Sandpaper or a sponge

–Drywall saw or utility knife

–Small and large drywall knife

–Drywall mud pan

When patching a hole in drywall, begin by cutting out the damaged area with a template. Your template can be anything that is round or square (a plate, book, etc.). Just make sure your template is about one inch larger than the hole on all sides. Simply trace around your template, then use a drywall saw to cut out the damaged area. Next, use your template to cut a new piece of drywall to fit in the area you just cut out.

In order to have something to screw the new piece of drywall to, take one or two pieces of 1X3 and cut it approximately three inches wider than your hole. Screw a drywall screw in the center of these strips to give yourself something to hold onto so you can fit the 1X3’s inside the hole. While holding these strips against the back of the drywall, you can screw through the drywall into the ends of these strips to hold them in place. Now you have something to screw your new piece of drywall to. Make sure to countersink the screw heads just below the drywall surface.

Now you are ready for some drywall tape and mud. Put drywall mud around the seams of your patch. Cut the tape so that it extends beyond your seams by approximately one inch. Make sure that, wherever there is tape, there is mud underneath. Take your drywall knife and embed the tape into the mud simply by putting pressure on your knife and dragging it across the tape. Make sure wherever you overlap the tape there is mud under the top overlap piece. Once you have the tape embedded in the mud, cover the whole patch with a light coat of mud. After the first coat of mud is dry, you will probably require a second coat a little beyond the edges of the first coat. Use a drywall knife that is big enough to smooth the mud over the entire patch in one stroke if possible. When your second coat is dry, smooth out with sandpaper or a damp sponge, and you should be ready to texture and paint.