How to Repair Minor Drywall Damage

Dings happen--and fasteners pop. Maybe that contractor you hired didn't do such a great job of applying the drywall (he didn't press it firmly against the wall when installing the fasteners), or maybe he used cut-rate framing lumber. Never fear. You can repair gouges and popped nails or screws inexpensively yourself.

Difficulty:

Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Drywall-reinforcing Tape (paper Or Fiberglass)
• Joint Tape
• Premixed Joint Compound
• Spackle Knife
• Primer
• Touch-up Paint And Paintbrush
• Metal Bread Pan Or Hawk
• Drywall (see Tips)
• Utility Knife
• Long-nose Pliers
• Putty Knife
• Sandpaper
• 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) Type W Drywall Screws
• Caulk Or Spackling Compound
• Drywall Clips
• Drywall Saw
• Drywall Screws (coarse Thread)
• Hammer
• Screwdriver Or Electric Drill And Driver

Filling tiny holes

1. Apply a dab of caulk with your fingertip or apply premixed interior spackling compound, available in very small cans, with a putty knife. Fill the hole but don't leave any residue on the surrounding surface.

2. If the compound shrinks as it dries, leaving a dimple, apply another coat. When the compound is dry, touch up the paint.

Repairing a small hole or gouge

1. Place an appropriate quantity of premixed joint compound, available in 1- and 5-gallon (4-l and 19-l) sizes, into a metal bread pan or onto a hawk (see Warning).

2. Pick up a small quantity of compound on the corner of a spackle knife and spread it over the damaged area. Hold the knife on the wall at a low angle and draw it across the compound horizontally; then wipe the knife clean on the edge of the pan and make a second pass vertically.

3. When the first coat dries (it will turn from gray to bright white), apply a second coat, but use more compound and extend it a little beyond the first coat. In the rare case when two coats are not enough, apply a third coat.

4. When the patch is dry, sand lightly and apply primer over the repaired surface before applying a paint topcoat.

Repairing popped fasteners

1. Press firmly against the surface as you drive in one drywall screw on each side of the popped fastener (just above and below it on a wall, or in line with the ceiling joist) with a screwdriver or an electric drill and driver.

2. Drive in the popped fastener tight to the drywall with a hammer or screwdriver. Remove any loose drywall but try not to tear off the paper facing. Apply joint compound and smooth it over as described in "Repairing a small hole or gouge".

Repairing larger damaged areas

1. Apply joint tape wherever the paper facing is badly damaged or missing. To embed paper tape, cover the damaged area with a thin layer of joint compound, press the paper into the compound and smooth it by drawing a clean spackle knife across it with firm pressure. If you're using adhesive-backed fiberglass tape, just press it onto the drywall.

2. 

   When the first coat is dry, scrape off any dry bits on the surface and apply a second and third coat (see A) as described in "Repairing a small hole or gouge".

Patching a large hole

1. 

   Cut a drywall patch. Place it over the damaged area to trace it. Cut along your lines with a drywall saw (see B) or by making repeated passes with a utility knife. Remove the damaged pieces and clean up the cut with a utility knife.

2. 

   Install drywall clips near the four corners of the opening. Slip them over the drywall (narrow spring tabs out) and secure them with 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) Type W drywall screws (see C). Position and screw the patch to the clips (see D).

3. Grasp the clip tabs with long-nose pliers and twist to break them off below the surface. Tape and finish the seams as described in "Repairing larger damaged areas," above.

Tips & Warnings

• When embedding joint tape, don't press so hard that you squeeze out all the compound, or the joint is likely to fail.

• Drive screws so they dimple the surface but don't break through the paper facing.

• Ask a drywall supplier for a broken piece of drywall, or use a patch kit that includes all the materials you need.

• If you don't have drywall clips, bridge the back of the opening with a board 4 inches (10 cm) longer than the opening. Secure the board to the drywall and the patch to the board.

• Take care when using a saw to cut out damaged drywall. To avoid cutting into wiring or piping, enlarge the hole with a hammer as needed to explore under the surface.

• Never work directly out of a bucket of compound. Doing so inevitably contaminates the material. Instead, transfer batches of material into a bread pan or onto a hawk, an aluminum square with a handle mounted on its underside.