How To Repair A Small Hole In A Wall

Whether y'all hire or own a house or apartment, I recall nosotros've all had an occasion where there's been a hole in a wall that'southward needed to be patched due to some accidental puncture, decorating change, or renovation issue.

I know I've definitely patched a few in my time and I usually use these patch kits (they come in different sizes) to patch over the pigsty.

We are currently working on renovating our new mid-century home and we have a few drywall projects to do around the business firm, and my mom reminded me of a story from when I was little where a carpenter neighbour helped patch a pigsty in our childhood bedroom.

She said she thought it was and then absurd because instead of using a mesh patch or edifice upwardly the wall behind the hole, he simply cutting out a small piece of new drywall (a few inches bigger than the hole), traced the shape of the hole onto the back of the drywall lightly with a utility knife, and then snapped off the excess drywall chunks.

He left the front drywall newspaper layer intact and so he could insert information technology into the wall like a puzzle piece. I had never heard of this hack, merely it turns out it is a real trick that can exist used to repair a custom hole with but a bit of extra drywall. So I tried it this week and it totally works! Here'due south what I did:

Trace your hole: Put a piece of paper over your hole and trace it either with a pen (if you lot tin can meet the lines underneath) or brand an indent in the paper with your fingers effectually the hole edge (if y'all can't run across the lines) so you lot tin can trace the indent with a pen once you take information technology off.

If y'all have a really crazy shape of a hole, you tin can knock out some extra drywall past lightly borer at the edges with a hammer or screwdriver to make a more than uniform circle or oval hole.

Looking to do other drywall projects? Bank check out these DIYs…

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Cutting your drywall chip: Use your utility knife (that kind where the blade folds in feels extra safe to store effectually little kids) to cut and snap a piece of drywall that'south a few inches bigger than your hole.

Eye your tracking on the back of the drywall scrap and trace your hole shape onto the back of your drywall with your knife or 10-Acto knife.

Brand sure your tracing is reversed so information technology will be the right shape when you get to put it into your hole! You don't have to go super deep on your starting time laissez passer, but trace it a second time when you lot remove the tracing paper to become a bit deeper.

Snap off the extra (simply keep the newspaper on): At present that you have a shape traced, score a directly line beyond the pinnacle and lesser of your shape and snap off those extra sections. Rather than cut those sections off, simply pare the drywall off the newspaper so the forepart paper stays attached to the drywall patch.

Depending on your shape, y'all may demand to proceed scoring and snapping bigger chunks off or yous may exist able to snap right at your traced line and peel off from there.

I just had to score across the top and bottom and then the sides peeled off on their own. Yous can also trim down your excess paper with scissors if you have besides much on the outside (I would do about ane.5″ around the edge).

Yous can make sure your piece fits in the wall, and if it won't, y'all can clamper off a little more than of your patch with your knife until it fits easily.

Attach your patch with mud: Now that you have your puzzle piece set up to get, sand the pigment around the hole with some rough sandpaper to remove the gloss from your paint (the mud will stick better to a slightly rough surface).

Add together a thin layer of drywall mud (that pocketbook of dry mix is nifty because you lot tin can just mix upwards a little at a time equally needed) effectually the border of the pigsty to deed as a glue to hold your patch to the wall.

Slightly moisture the newspaper edges of your patch and stick your patch into the wall. Utilise a joint knife (I like this 6″ one) to smooth over your patch then you run into the excess mud squeezing out the sides to ensure a good seal. Y'all can also use regular spackle rather than the drywall mud if you prefer to utilize that production.

Polish over your patch/sand/paint: Once yous've smoothed out the under layer of mud, go over the top of the patch with another thin layer and try to feather out the edges then you lot'll take less sanding to do later.

Let that mud fully dry out and go over the patch again later with another sparse layer, going out even wider than the start layer and feathering out the edges again then you don't have hard edges to sand. Once it's all dry out, give information technology a sanding with some sandpaper (medium beginning then a fine grit) and you're ready to paint over your patch!

Handheld sanders like this are helpful for sanding or these sanding sponges are bully too! You lot'll desire to make sure to wear center protection and an N95 mask when sanding drywall or patching compound to keep from breathing in any of the dust during sanding and cleanup.

The pigsty is gone!! And in case y'all are wondering, this does piece of work on plaster walls equally well! My wall is really plaster (it's an older home and so most of the walls are) and it worked just fine.

I would advise painting over your repair with a higher nap roller (or look for ones that say they are for semi-rough surfaces) as that gives the super smooth new patch a little texture so it will friction match the rest of the wall meliorate.

This technique is meant for smaller holes in drywall, so if you take more of a medium-large size pigsty, you'll want to spiral in wooden boards to the back side of your drywall hole to act as a brace and cut and adhere a drywall section to those boards–kind of like you would when framing out a wall.

I filled in a big niche area with drywall doing that kind of method if you are interested in doing that…Promise this gives y'all a new handy tool in your toolbox for next time you have a pigsty in your drywall! xo. Laura

Curious how this room makeover turned out? Check out my Living Room Tour (Earlier + After!)

P.Southward. Check out wall and dwelling decor on our wishlist and shopping pages to decorate your hole-free walls!

How to patch a drywall hole

Easy hack to patch a drywall pigsty

scrap of drywall
utility knife
drywall mud or spackle
six" drywall pocketknife
fine sandpaper
wall paint
dust mask and middle goggles

Trace your pigsty: Put a piece of paper over your pigsty and trace it either with a pen (if you can see the lines underneath) or make an indent in the newspaper with your fingers effectually the hole edge (if yous can't see the lines) so you tin can trace the indent with a pen one time you lot accept it off. If you have a really crazy shape of a hole, you can knock out some extra drywall past lightly borer at the edges with a hammer or screwdriver to make a more uniform circle or oval hole.
Cut your drywall flake: Apply your utility knife (that kind where the blade folds in feels extra rubber to store effectually little kids) to cutting and snap a piece of drywall that's a few inches bigger than your hole. Center your tracking on the back of the drywall fleck and trace your pigsty shape onto the dorsum of your drywall with your knife or Ten-Acto knife. Make certain your tracing is reversed so information technology will be the correct shape when you go to put it into your pigsty! You don't have to go super deep on your kickoff laissez passer, but trace it a second time when you remove the tracing paper to go a scrap deeper.
Snap off the actress (but keep the paper on): At present that you accept a shape traced, score a straight line across the top and lesser of your shape and snap off those extra sections. Rather than cut those sections off, only peel the drywall off the newspaper so the front paper stays attached to the drywall patch. Depending on your shape, you may need to keep scoring and snapping bigger chunks off or you may be able to snap right at your traced line and peel off from at that place. I simply had to score across the top and bottom so the sides peeled off on their ain. You can too trim down your excess paper with pair of scissors if you have also much on the outside (I would do about 1.v″ effectually the edge).

Y'all can make sure your piece fits in the wall, and if information technology won't, you can chunk off a little more of your patch with your pocketknife until it fits easily.
Attach your patch with mud:Now that you have your puzzle piece ready to become, sand the paint around the hole with some rough sandpaper to remove the gloss from your paint (the mud will stick better to a slightly rough surface) and add a thin layer of drywall mud (that handbag of dry out mix is great because y'all tin merely mix up a piffling at a time as needed) around the edge of the hole to act as a glue to hold your patch to the wall. Slightly wet the newspaper edges of your patch and stick your patch into the wall. Use a articulation pocketknife (I like this half dozen″ one) to smooth over your patch so you see the backlog mud squeezing out the sides to ensure a expert seal.
Smooth over your patch/sand/paint:In one case you've smoothed out the under layer of mud, go over the pinnacle of the patch with another thin layer and try to plume out the edges so you lot'll accept less sanding to do later. Let that mud fully dry and become over the patch again subsequently with another thin layer, going out fifty-fifty wider than the offset layer and feathering out the edges again so you don't accept hard edges to sand. Once it's all dry out, requite it a sanding with some sandpaper (medium first then a fine grit) and you're ready to paint over your patch! Handheld sanders like this are helpful for sanding or these sanding sponges are great too! Y'all'll want to make sure to wear eye protection and an N95 mask when sanding drywall or patching compound to go along from breathing in any of the dust during sanding and cleanup.