Outlines how to fix holes in drywall with clear step-by-step instructions and different methods to fix small holes and large holes with expert tips.
Even if drywall / plasterboard / gyprock walls are very robust, damage can of course still occur if, for example, a door handle is hit with full force against such a wall. Such holes look bad at first, but in principle they can be repaired very easily and quickly when you know the expert methods for how to fix holes in drywall.
How to fix holes in drywall: minor holes
Repairing small holes can of course be easy by simply buying a drywall repair kit from your trusted dealer. Since these sets are available in different variations, it is important to measure the hole precisely beforehand. But the handy do-it-yourselfer or craftsman repairs the hole in a drywall or plasterboard wall even faster and without a repair kit!
Materials needed
To repair a smaller hole in drywall, you will need the following materials:
- Clean tin can lid
- Thin wire
- Tape measure
- Jigsaw
- awl
- Short wooden stick
- spatula
- Drywall repair compound
- Sandpaper
- Primer and paint
- brush
Steps for fixing a small hole
1. Cut the lid of the tin so that its diameter is the same as that of the hole plus approx. 4 cm. Now use the jigsaw to saw a narrow horizontal gap in both sides of the hole. The gap must be just wide enough for you to slide the can lid through in a horizontal position.
2. Use the awl to poke two holes in the lid of the can. Now thread the wire through these holes.
3. Now hold the two ends of the wire and push the can lid horizontally through the horizontal gap that has been cut out. When the lid is completely behind the wall to be repaired, pull the wire towards you so that the lid completely covers the hole from behind. Now take the wooden stick, hold it in front of the hole and twist the wire together behind the wooden stick. This is how the rod holds the lid firmly in place.
4. Now mix your repair compound according to the product description. As an alternative to drywall repair compound, you can also use a mixture of plaster and water. However, it is important that you do not use a filler that contracts when it dries!
5. Now fill the hole with the repair compound with the help of the spatula. The lid, which is pressed against the wall from behind, ensures that you fill the hole exactly flush with the back wall. In this way, fill the hole almost (!) Completely without spreading the filling compound on the rest of the wall. Now let the repaired area dry. It usually takes about 24 hours for the repair compound to become white and dry. Now you can cut the wire and remove the wooden stick.
6. Now fill the rest of the hole with the repair compound until the level of the rest of the wall is reached. The wire ends can no longer be seen. Let the area dry again. Now sand the affected area lightly, then it can be primed and painted. This is how easy it is to repair a hole in drywall or plasterboard – surely one of the many reasons why this building material has become more and more popular over the years.
How to fix holes in drywall: Repairing larger holes
Sometimes you have larger holes or other damage (for example from water) on a plasterboard wall. These can also be put back in order without a special repair kit.
Materials needed
If you want to repair a larger hole in drywall, you will need the following materials:
- Matching drywall or plasterboard
- Craft knife
- Jigsaw
- Piece of wood
- Flat head screws
- screwdriver
- Filler or drywall repair compound
- spatula
- Sanding wheels
- Primer and paint
- brush
Steps for fixing a large hole
1. At the beginning, cut your replacement piece of drywall into a rectangle that is a little larger than the damaged area on your wall. Now cut out the damaged area in your drywall or plasterboard wall, also rectangular. To do this, lay your replacement piece on the wall and run around with a pencil. Cut out the marked area with your jigsaw. Make sure that you saw as precisely as possible on the inside of the pencil marking so that the cut-out wall piece is the same size as your replacement piece.
2. Now take the piece of wood, which should be about 15 cm longer than the drywall hole that you cut out. Hold the piece of wood against the wall from behind, align it horizontally and screw it to the wall from the front with two flat head screws. The screws should be completely countersunk into the plasterboard wall.
3. Use filler as an adhesive to hold the inserted drywall in place. To do this, spread the filler on the back of the panel and on the edges. Now insert the board into the hole so that it is flush with the rest of the plasterboard wall. Hold the board in place until the filler starts to harden. Now you can let go of the plate and let the whole thing dry overnight.
4. When the filler has dried, fill the gap between the inserted drywall and the drywall as well as the screw heads with filler so that they are no longer visible. Finally, you can sand, prime and paint or re-wallpaper the processed surfaces.
In this way you can repair a larger hole in a drywall or plasterboard wall with just a few tricks.
