How to Repair Holes and Cracks in Drywall or Sheetrock

Drywall has been an important wall and ceiling material for many years in the home and also for commercial buildings. Before it’s advent plaster was the only material used to achieve the smooth finish necessary for an attractive painting surface. The low cost and easy installation of drywall more than makes up for the durability of plaster.

The main drawback to drywall, or sheetrock, is the susceptibility to cracking or of holes being punched through the surface. Also, after years of hanging pictures or other ornaments on the wall it will have small holes that detract from the appearance. These can be repaired quite easily if you are a hands on person and like learning something new as well as saving a bit of money doing it.

The worst part of repairing drywall is the mess it can make. Sanding the excess compound to a smooth surface causes a lot of dust which seems to cover everything. This can be minimized by wet sponging the compound before it dries. But first, the hole or crack must be prepared.

Whether wall or ceiling, the method is the same. For large holes simply cut a square or rectangular piece of drywall slightly larger than the hole to be repaired. Trace around this new piece onto the wall over the hole and cut out with a drywall saw. This small tool is very useful and inexpensive. It has a sharp point and can be used to start a hole in the drywall. A razor knife is a must for trimming and cutting the drywall and for taping.

Try to make the sides of the piece center on the studs. This will give solid backing to the sides. If you are worried about the top and bottom you can also attach a support between the studs horizontally with screws or nails. The crack between doesn’t have to be tight because the compound will fill it anyway.

Using drywall screws, usually one and a quarter inch length for half inch drywall, attach the new piece by putting a screw every six or eight inches apart. Be sure the heads of the screws sink below the surface but not too deep. By sinking them below the surface you are allowing the holes to be filled with compound.

Paper tape was formally used to cover the joints but now screen or fiberglass tape is available already coated with adhesive to stick over the joints. For most repairs a single covering of joint tape will suffice. Overlapping the tape a little is fine and will give added strength You are now ready to apply the joint compound.

Drywall joint compound can be purchased in different size containers. Unless you have a lot of repairs buy the smaller size as the compound will dry out eventually and become lumpy. Adding a little water can make it smooth in some cases but old compound will be hard to make smooth again. A five gallon container of compound is very cheap compared to a small one so keep this in mind if you have many repairs to make.

As you will discover when buying your materials, there are many different sizes and shapes of tools for applying the compound to the joints. Some are used for inside and outside corners while others are used for joints. For most small repairs discussed here a one and a half inch, a six inch, and a ten inch tool, will do nicely.

Although not essential, a plastic drywall compound container with removable metal edges will make the job much easier by having an easily held container to hold the compound in and also for scraping the tool of excess mud. This also keeps the mud in the storage bucket from drying out as you work.

The inch and a half tool is used for filling up the screw holes not in a joint. The other tool are used for applying a thin layer to the joint, making sure you fill the joint up on the first application. Usually three layers are applied to achieve the final result. It is better to apply small layers of compound because most of the work is in smoothing out the finish. It is easier to apply more than sanding off the excess.

The compound will start drying on the edges very quickly depending on the humidity. A thin layer can dry in a few hours. Before it completely dries a wet sponge can be used to smooth the compound out before the next application. Keep the sponge wet and use very little pressure or the compound will wipe off. Keep the sponge off of the drywall not being finished as much as possible because the paper on the drywall will become wet and cause a rough spot.

Allow the compound to dry and repeat applications until the joint is covered and no tape or screw holes are visible. By wet sanding each layer the final sanding will yield less dust. After the final coat has been wet sanded with the sponge allow the area to completely dry. The compound should be thicker in the middle with the edges feathered to blend onto the unfinished area. I have found that using a drywall sanding sponge with medium and fine sanding surfaces on either sides the easiest to use for the final finish.

Start with the medium side of the sanding sponge to remove the excess compound. Once again, try not to sand the untreated drywall as much as possible. When you are satisfied with the appearance use the fine side of the sponge for a smooth finish. Any imperfections can be treated with a small application of compound if needed. By running your hand over the surface you can find bad places not seen with the naked eye. There is nothing in this procedure that can’t be redone if needed so no chance is taken.

For repairing cracks, merely cover them with the screen tape and finish the same way. The ability to blend the compound into the unfinished area will become easier as you gain experience. For nail holes, Dimple the surface over the hole with a hammer and fill with compound. Several applications will be required for these repairs also as a heavy application tends to crack when drying.

Small holes can be repaired by placing thin wood behind the hole along the edges and held on by drywall screws on the outer side of the repair. You can then place a small piece of drywall in the hole which is then attached to this backing. It is not necessary to go from stud to stud for this repair. This is the method used for repairing where a doorknob has damaged the wall.

This is one job you can’t really mess up if you are careful and can save you a lot of money in the long run. It may even earn you money as many drywall finishers don’t like small jobs. Be sure to wear a mask when dry sanding and as always be careful with the sharp tools. Enjoy your new found skill.

Tools needed

Drywall

Razor knife

Fiberglass drywall tape

Drywall compound

Drywall screws

One and a half inch, six inch, and ten inch applicator tools

Drywall sanding sponge

Plastic compound container with metal edges