Posts tagged "renovations"

Save Some Dollars By DIY’ing Your Drywall Repair

Don’t call a so-called expert when it’s just a hole in the wall that needs to be fixed.  This repair is an easy one – one that you can fix yourself. The following advice will help you to repair the small or large hole in your wall.

Just a little bit of preparation needs to be done before you start fixing that hole in the wall.  Firstly, gather all the tools you will require to make the repair.  This will include coarse and fine grit sandpaper, compound and putty knives.  If the hole is bigger in size, then you will probably need drywall, drywall nails and screws as well as a trowel.  Ensure the area around the hold is clean before beginning so the compound will stick to the wall..

Smaller holes like the ones made by nails and screws can be easily filled in with putty and a putty knife. Filling in a hole where a switch plate used to be takes a little more work.  Put some crumpled up newspaper into the hole so the putty has something to adhere to and then smooth it over with a putty knife that is bigger than the hole. After thoroughly drying out, then you can sand off the rough spots to ensure a perfect finish before painting.

When you have a medium size hole which can be defined as no larger than 10 inches, a hot patch is required. This is done by cutting a piece of drywall about the size and shape of the hole, then applying drywall tape to the edges folded up like a tab so it can adhere to the wall.  Then apply drywall compound to the whole area and repeat three or four times until it is smooth and even.

When you have a medium size hole, you are pretty well rebuilding a full piece of wall.  Start off by taking away the damaged drywall.  Remove it from one stud to the other.  Now cut another piece of drywall approximately the same size as the new opening.  Attach this to the studs with drywall nails or screws. Try to keep the seams as little as possible to avoid trying to fill in gaps later.  Apply drywall tape to the seams and then apply putty with a putty knife or trowel.  Let the area dry for atleast 24 hours before sanding down the bumps and rough spots on the surface.  Repeat this procedure once or twice more to ensure that the new part of the wall is flush with the old part of the wall.

Be easy on the spackling. Do not apply large amounts of compound thinking it will save you from applying more coats when it is dry. Apply compound in small amounts three or four times and let dry between applications. This is how your work can look like it was done by a professional.  Don’t get frustrated if you still having trouble with your DIY drywall project – just hire a local handyman to help you – cheaper then higher a professional drywall contractor.

Save Some Dollars By DIY’ing Your Drywall Repair

  Don’t stress over a hole in the wall. It is easily fixed — by you!  Yes, you can do it yourself and you won’t have to call someone who is a Mr. Fix-It.  Here are some helpful hints to fix that hole in your wall.

The first thing to do is get organized.  Collect all the tools you will need for the job. These include compoung, and fine and coarse grit sandpaper and putty knives.  If it a bigger hold you’re dealing with, then you will be need to get a trowel, drywall screws or nails and drywall. Clean the area around where you will be working so the compound will remain on the wall..

A hole made by a screw or nail can be easily fixed up with a putty knife and putty. Just smooth the putty over the area until covered evenly. For larger holes where a light switch or outlet had previously been, insert newspaper into the hole as a filler before applying putty.  Always remember to use putty knife that is wider than the hole to ensure that the area is fully and smoothly covered over. After it dries, sandpaper will ensure the finish is as smooth as it can be.

Medium sized holes that are no larger than 10 inches require something called a hot patch.  To do this cut a piece of drywall close to the size of the hole and then add the drywall tape to the edges of it to create a tab that will stick to the wall.  Next you’ll want to apply the drywall compound to the entire area.  This will need to be applied three or four times to ensure a perfectly smooth surface.

Anything bigger than a medium sized hole requires more than patch work.  You pretty well have to rebuild a piece of wall. First cut and take away the damaged drywall from one stud to the other. Now cut out a new piece of drywall that is the same size as the opening and attach it to the studs with drywall screws or nails.  The seams need to be as small as possible to avoid trying to cover up gaps later.  Put drywall tape on the seams, apply compound and smooth it with a trowel or putty knife.  Give it atleast 24 hours to dry.  Now you’re ready to sand down the rough edges of the compound.  Reapply compound, dry and then sand again about one or two more times, whatever it takes for the new drywalland seams to be even with with the rest of the wall.

  Over spackling can make your work look unprofessional which you don’t want to happen. You want people to think an expert did it and then compliment you when they find out it is your excellent workmanship. The way to do this is to apply compound three or four times in small amounts instead of one or two coats of a lot of compound. Always be sure to let the area dry between applications.  Now you’ve got a professional looking finish that will get noticed.  If you still feel doing your own drywall repair is too much, then hiring a drywall contractor is not the end of the world.