Drywall patch kits are popular, but don’t write off the more involved methods
Patching a hole in drywall isn’t a complicated task, and it doesn’t require any prior drywall or construction experience. The amount of time it will take is largely related to the size of the damage. Patching a small hole can take as little as 10 minutes, whereas a large area can take hours, if not days, to patch. The good news is that this is a perfect DIY project if you have the time.
There are a number of reasons why you should repair drywall—especially holes. Some of the more common reasons include:
Drywall holes are not aesthetically pleasing.
Damage to your drywall can spread over time.
Depending on the location of the hole, it can be a pathway for pests to enter your home.
Drywall holes compromise the insulation of your home.
A hole in drywall can allow outside weather and humidity to enter your home.
Even though you might consider a small hole nothing to worry about, the good news is that fixing it is rather simple and pretty affordable. Drywall repair costs are among some of the least expensive repairs you can perform in a home.
The cost to patch a hole in drywall varies significantly. Damage can be as small as a pea or so large that you need to replace an entire sheet (or wall). However, you can certainly DIY a small or even medium-sized hole yourself for less than $30.
It starts getting complicated when there are larger issues—like water damage, big holes, or if you need to remove drywall to access a pipe or electrical wires. Then, you could be looking at an average cost of more than $580, with a range between $294 and $894.
You can patch small holes without any specialized tools. In fact, some patch kits come with everything you need. If you choose to DIY patching a larger hole, you may need specialized tools like drywall saws, electric screwdrivers, and other items that can quickly balloon costs.
The first few steps to patching a drywall hole are the same regardless of the size of the hole. Follow the two steps below for all types of damage. After doing so, continue to the sections for each individual hole size.
Small damage: Any visible damage that is less than one inch in diameter.
Medium damage: Any damage that is between 1-8 inches in diameter (fist-sized would be the upper limit of what would be considered medium damage).
Large damage: Anything that is larger than medium-sized damage.
Depending on the size of damage to your drywall, use the steps below to learn how to patch a hole in drywall.
For any tiny holes, you won’t need to prep the wall at all. For small holes, such as those caused by a lock on a doorknob, you may need to simply sand the area. This ensures that once you patch the hole, there is no loose drywall that will cause a bumpy texture later.
For small holes, you probably won’t need a patch kit or drywall tape. You can spread a small amount of spackle—joint compound is different from spackle—over a small hole. As long as it’s plugged, that should be enough. If the small hole went clear through the drywall, rather than denting it, you may need to apply some drywall tape. However, that may be categorized as medium-sized, which is covered in the next section.
Before you paint, you’ll need to sand the spackle or joint compound. Use fine-grit sandpaper and don’t apply too much pressure. You need the repair to be level with the rest of the drywall so that when you paint over it, there isn’t any inconsistency. Once you’ve finished this step, simply paint over the repair, and you’re done!
You can prep the wall the same as you would for small holes, but medium holes usually have pieces of drywall hanging off and have jagged, irregular edges. If there are any obvious pieces hanging, cut those off with a utility knife. Run the same knife along the inside of the hole to clean up the edge. This will make patching it much easier and ensure a better final product.
You can buy very effective patch kits at home improvement stores. They’ll come in small sizes up to around an 8-inch diameter and are generally made from a fiberglass mesh. Place the patch over the cleaned section of the drywall.
Use a thin layer of drywall compound and spread it over the patch, fanning it out beyond the patch by about an inch. Don’t worry about being precise, you’ll be following up with another layer. The objective of this step is to cover the texture of the patch and blend it into the wall.
Use a medium-fine sandpaper grit—100 to 220—and sand just enough of the compound off that it is completely flat and you can barely see the mesh underneath, but just thin enough so that you can’t feel its texture. Wait for this to completely dry, then wipe it with a towel to clean off any dust.
Use another layer of drywall compound, but spread this one thinner and more carefully. This will be your finishing layer and you want it without bumps, irregularities, or ridges. Spread it as consistently as possible over the previous layer.
Use a finer grit of sandpaper and use light pressure to sand the second layer of compound. You are trying to match the thickness to the undamaged wall surrounding it. A 220-grit sandpaper is a good choice at this stage. Again, let it dry completely, wipe it with a towel, then paint over it.
You don’t necessarily need to clean the area that you will be patching because in order to patch large holes—larger than a fist—you will need to cut out a rectangular or square section of the damaged drywall and replace it completely. Measure about an inch beyond the damage on all sides, then draw your shape on the wall with a pencil. Squares and rectangles only, as they are the easiest to cut.
Check what’s behind the drywall using a stud finder. The last thing you want to do is cut into a supporting beam. If you have schematics of your house–even better. Use a drywall saw and remove the damaged area. When you do so, be absolutely sure to use as little force as possible. You only want to cut out the drywall, not damage anything behind it.
Remember how you took measurements of the damaged area? Lay out those measurements on a new drywall sheet and subtract one-quarter-inch from each measurement. The square or rectangle you cut out should be slightly smaller than the one you just removed. There are a few different ways to cut drywall.
Take your newly cut piece and attach it to the wall. You may need to use drywall-specific screws. If there are already holes drilled from when you removed the existing piece, you can use those. Use a minimum of six screws to affix the new piece of drywall, leaving the same amount of space around the installed piece.
Place drywall tape over the edges of the new piece of drywall, overlapping with the existing wall. If there is a small gap between your new drywall—this is OK—and the wall, you’ll need to apply compound and sand it.
Once the new piece of drywall is installed, and any gaps are covered with drywall tape, you can follow the steps in the previous section starting with, “Cover the Patch With Drywall Compound.” Instead of covering the patch, though, you’ll be covering the drywall tape, but the process is the same the rest of the way.
The very last step, no matter what size of repair, is to clean thoroughly. Vacuum the room, wipe up any dust, and wash your work clothes immediately.
The number one drywall repair tip we can give when working with drywall is to work clean. Drywall creates an enormous mess very easily, and since the dust particles are so fine, they can float long distances, settling on furniture and in carpet.
Wipe your work area with a wet towel in between steps to absorb some of the dust. Always work with eye protection and a respiratory mask. It’s also a good idea to use painter’s sheets (also called drop sheets) to cover the floor of your work area. They cost less than $10 and provide a significant amount of protection. You can even drape them over furniture, as the sheets are pretty large.
For small and medium-sized holes, it’s an easy DIY project for almost anyone. There are no specialized skills required, and many people feel good knowing they repaired the hole themselves. For larger holes, it really depends on whether or not you have the time, the tools, and the desire to take on a slightly more complicated project.
If you’re questioning whether you want to complete the task, you can always work with a professional drywall repair specialist near you. For small and medium-sized holes, expect to pay less than $30 for the entire project. If you already have some spackle and sandpaper, the cost may be $0. If hiring a professional to repair the damage, you can expect to pay an hourly rate of around $60 per hour.
You can fill in drywall holes that are less than one-half-inch in diameter, but even that is stretching it. It’s difficult for the spackle or drywall compound to remain intact if it has no reinforcement, which is why large holes—anything bigger than a fingernail—will likely require patching with either drywall tape or, more commonly, with a drywall patching kit.
Not repairing damaged drywall can result in further deterioration of the wall. Drywall is brittle and flakes off easily, which is why you should clean the area around the damage before repairing it. Mold or mildew can spread and pests can enter through drywall holes. There are not many damages inside a house that affect the aesthetic value as strongly as damaged drywall that are so simple to fix. Any damaged drywall should be repaired immediately.
Drywall repair, even for all but the tiniest of holes, is a messy job. It involves loosely spreading compounds on irregular surfaces, sanding the compound once dry—creating a lot of dust—and then vacuuming it up. For larger repairs, you will need to do all of the above, but only after you saw out and cut an entirely new piece of drywall. It’s a messy job that has the capability of requiring a deep clean of the room where the repair is done.
