Drywall Repair

Are you using artwork to hide a nasty little secret? Ugly holes and gouges in your walls?  If you’ve accidentally knocked a hole in your sheetrock with a hammer or the back of a doorknob, here’s how you can get rid of them. It’s easy to repair hammer holes and hairline cracks in your drywall - and you can do-it-yourself.

Basic Materials
    * Joint compound
    * White paper sheetrock tape
    * Sheetrock square
    * Metal screen
    * Crack Cover
    * Box knife
    * Tape knife or wall trowel
    * Plastic tray for mixing compound
    * Repair fabric
    * Drill
    * Sheetrock screw
    * Scissors
    * Pencil
    * String

METHOD #1
For Holes & Gouges
   1. Measure and cut a small square of sheetrock at least three inches bigger than the hole.
   2. Hold the square over the hole and trace it with a pencil.
   3. Score the pencil lines with a box knife then cut through the sheetrock.
   4. Insert your finger into the hole and pull the sheetrock out. It should just crumble away. Continue until the square is a nice, clean opening.
   5. Cut a strip of 1"x1" wood long enough to slip into the square opening and extend behind the sheetrock above and below the opening.
   6. Secure the wood strip to the sheetrock with a screw on the top and bottom
   7. Now insert the sheetrock square into place, covering the wood strip.
   8. Secure the square to the wood strip with one screw in the center.
   9. Mix up some joint compound. Then using a wall trowel or tape knife, spread it like cake frosting over the square. Be sure to push the compound into the joint between the old and new sheetrock.
  10. Tear off a length of white tape long enough to cover the bottom of the patched area.
  11. Spread joint compound over it.
  12. Tear off a second length of tape and place it over the top of the patch.
  13. Spread joint compound over the tape.
  14. Continue the process until the hole is patched. (allowing the compound to dry in between coats)
  15. After the compound has thoroughly dried, sand it smooth, texture the area and paint it with a finish coat.

METHOD #2
For Holes & Gouges
   1. Measure and cut a piece of metal screen slightly larger than the hole.
   2. Tie a good length of string to the middle of the screen.
   3. Bend the screen so you can push it through the hole, then allow it to flatten against the inside of the sheetrock. Make sure the string hangs on the outside of the wall.
   4. Tie the loose end of the string to a pencil and wind the string around the pencil to pull the screen tightly against the wall.
   5. Cover the screen with joint compound.
   6. Clip the string.
   7. Follow step 10 through 15 outlined above.

TIP:  If you want to be sure the hairline crack won’t reappear, spray it with an even coat of "Crack Preventer" before you texture the repaired area. It sprays on like paint, but dries like rubber. If there is any shifting or settling in your wall, this sealant will stretch, rather than crack like standard caulk. After the 'Crack Preventer' has dried, you can texture and paint the repaired area.

HAIRLINE CRACKS

Hairline cracks are a common problem in many homes. If you have hairline cracks, here’s how you can make them disappear.

   1. Cut a strip of self-adhesive repair fabric slightly longer than the length of the hairline crack.
   2. Press it firmly over the crack until it adheres.
   3. Spread a coat of joint compound over the fabric.
   4. Let the coat dry thoroughly, then repeat until the crack is now longer visible. Be sure to let each coat dry before applying another.
   5. Sand the dried compound smooth.
   6. Texture the wall. (if applicable)
   7. Paint the wall.