Drywall Repairs, Quick and fast repairs for your wall.

by JP, April 13, 2008

We all have seen those little imperfections on our walls that annoy us. Those holes left by picture hangers and nails, and those drywall nails or screws used to hang the drywall that has pulled back through. (There are other names for drywall such as wallboard, gypsum board, gypboard, and Sheetrock a brand name). These are easy to fix.

Before we start to fill these little problems, we need to prep the areas first. Sounds complicated but it isn’t. If you are fixing a protruding nail just drive it back in with a hammer that has a smooth rounded head, this will leave a dimple in the wall surface. Be sure that you do not drive the nail so far in that it tears through the outer surface of the drywall. If the nail has pulled in, just leave it; we will fill over the indention that is there. Now, if you have a small hole left by hanging a picture, you only have to worry about it if it has some material that has lifted from the surface. I do not recommend that you hit it with the hammer to smooth it out, this might cause more damage, just use a sharp razor knife and cut a bevel around the hole towards its center. Be sure to remove all of the raised material. This will create a dimple that is now ready to be filled.

Now we are ready to fill our holes. The best thing to use to fill these little holes is Spackle, which you can get at any home improvement store. Or you can use joint compound, (but that usually comes in large buckets which would be to much for small repairs). Just push the Spackle into the hole using a small putty knife, or for those really small holes just use your finger. Let your repair dry completely and then check it to see if it has left a small recess in the surface. Some holes, if large enough, will leave a recess when the Spackle dries due to shrinkage. Just apply another coat. Don’t worry if your patch is a little raised, in fact it is preferred, we will fix that next.

When the patch all is dry, its time to sand it smooth with the surrounding surface. Use a piece of sandpaper, medium or fine grade (180 to 220 grit works well) to sand it flush with the rest of the wall. If the holes are really small, using a damp cloth will accomplish the same thing, just be sure not to wash out your repair.

That’s all there is to it, now your ready to paint.