How to Fix My Bathroom Drywall

Apply joint compound over the new seams.

Drywall panels offer smooth walls that you may paint or wallpaper. However, if cut edges of drywall are exposed to frequent moisture, the drywall may swell and crumble. Before you replace the section of damaged drywall, address the cause of the problem first. Fix a leaky roof, a leak around a window or a vent or fix a plumbing leak to prevent a recurrence of the problem.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Stud finder
• Utility knife
• Nail bar
• Drill
• Drywall screws
• Joint compound
• 6-inch taping knife
• 10-inch taping knife
• Self-adhesive drywall mesh
• Moisture-resistant drywall

Instructions

Measure the Damaged Area

1. Locate the studs on either side of the damaged drywall with a stud finder. Mark the centers of both studs by drawing a line down the middle. The stud finder will indicate the width of the stud, so you can determine the center-line.

2. Measure around the damaged drywall from the center of one stud to the center of the other stud. For example, if your damaged area were 18 inches wide and 5 inches high, you would measure from the center of the stud to the left, to the center of the stud to the right of the damage. Measure at least 2 inches higher and lower than the damaged area. In this example, that would form a rectangle about 9 inches high and 32 inches wide, since standard studs are placed 16 inches apart.

3. Transfer the measurements to a new piece of drywall in a rectangular shape.

4. Cut out the new panel before you cut out the damaged section. Use a utility knife and score along the lines you drew on the new panel, about 1/4-inch deep, all the way around. Then go back and cut all the way through the scored line.

Cut the Drywall

1. Position the cut section of new drywall over the old damaged wall section, lining up the edges with the stud lines you drew on the wall earlier.

2. Draw a line all the way around the new section on the wall. This is your cut line.

3. Cut out the damaged drywall section by scoring 1/4-inch deep along the line and then scoring an "X" from corner to corner.

4. Tap the middle of the "X" to break out a small section of the drywall and then bend the inside drywall sections back and forth. They will break along the scored lines.

Install and Finish the Drywall

1. Position the new drywall section into the hole on the wall. It should fit snugly, since you used the new section as a template to cut out the old section.

2. Insert drywall screws at the rate of one screw every 8 inches, into the studs. Countersink the heads of the screws 1/8-inch below the surface of the drywall. This is called "dimpling."

3. Cut and apply self-adhesive mesh drywall tape to the joints around the new section. Do not overlap the tape.

4. Apply premixed joint compound with a 6-inch taping knife, pushing it through the holes in the mesh tape and smoothing it with the surface of the wall. Let the compound dry completely.

5. Sand the dry joints with a drywall sander before adding another thin coat of joint compound, smoothing it thinly over the first coat. Dry, sand, and you're ready to paint your bathroom wall.

Tips & Warnings

• If the drywall problem is over a sink vanity, adding a backsplash will keep water off the new wall.

• Use caution when cutting drywall with a utility knife.

References

• "Working With Drywall"; Bryan Tradem, 2009
• Commonsense Home Repair: How to Repair Drywall -- The Skills You Need

Resources

• Ask the Builder: Drywall Tools