Repairing walls in my home?

Question

I have a few holes in my walls they are all smaller then 12" by 12" i'd really like to repair them but I'm not sure how. or what i would need. Is this a job thats better left to a professional or can it be a DIY? I'm pretty tool saavy and i do a lot of household repairs if anyone can tell me how to do this it's greatly appreciated

Answer 1

12"X12" those are pretty big holes. I probably would let a professional do it unless you have a really good handyman around let the guy do it. But for you might be able to do it if there is a crossbeam behind it. You can buy 2'x2' sheets of drywall at Lowes and a small bucket of drywall joint compound. Cut the drywall the width of the hole and some drywall screws plus a little bit of joint compound. That will do.  Hope this helped.

Answer 2

If they are drywall there is a simple fix.

Tools needed:

Drywall saw and/or razor knife

6 inch putty knife

joint compound

carpenters square

First you will want to use the square and mark a square around the hole.(it doesn't have to be a perfect square but each of the opposite sides should measure the same length) then using the drywall saw or razor knife cut the hole out to the lines you have marked.

Now you will need a piece of drywall that is 2 inches longer from top to bottom and, from side to side(you can buy half sheets of drywall at lowes or, if there is a construction site nearby stop and ask for the foreman to see if they have any scraps you can get.) So if the hole you cut out is 5"x7" you will need a piece that is 7"x9"

Next you want the back side of the piece up on a hard surface(table/workbench). Measure in 1 inch and draw a line on all four sides. Once the lines are drawn use the razor knife to cut through the paper(you can go a little deeper but do not cut the paper on the front side)

Once you have done this on all four sides use a piece of scrap 2by4 and place it on the line you cut. move the piece of drywall to the edge of the table/workbench. Line everything up strait so the only part that hangs over the edge is the 1 inch part. Then gently break the gypsum(be careful not to break through the paper on th front side). Once it has broken you will be able to peel the gypsum away from the paper on the front. Repeat this on all four sides

When you have finished you will have a piece that fits neatly into the hole with a one inch flap of paper all the way around. Before you do anything else make sure you have a proper fit.

Then before you put the patch you have made in. Take the putty knife and put joint compound on all four edges of the hole. Now put the patch in the hole and, use the joint compound to glue the paper flaps down to the wall(it will only take a thin coat to do this). Then using the 6" putty knife put a thin coat of joint compound on the whole area and let it dry overnight.

Then you can sand it smooth(another coat of joint compound may be necessary) and, paint.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Here is a good video on how to patch drywall holes.  The needed tools and supplies are shown right at the start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zop6ND1h...

For a really large hole, you might need to add a little support behind it.

This IS something most folks can do as DIY.

Don't forget to prime the repairwork before painting, or the paint will dry a different color.

Have Fun