Repairing Holes in Sheetrock the Right Way

Having a gaping hole in your drywall is nothing new; I am going to tell you how to fix it the right way and without adding more holes in the process from frustration.

Drywall or sheetrock has been around awhile, since 1917 according to United States Gypsum Company's web site fact sheet. The product didn't really take off until World War II and has been with us since then.

Drywall is fairly easy to repair; the down side is it creates a fine dust, lots of it. There is going to be a giant mess if you don't cover things. If there you can get a helper, having them follow the saw cut with a shop vac as you're sawing will help reduce the dust.

1. Find the wall studs: Use a handheld stud finder, they are battery operated and available at your local Home Depot; or lightly knock on the wall. Use your knuckles and tap, you will hear the difference as you pass over the stud in the wall. Tap about an inch apart till you find studs on both sides of the hole. Mark them lightly with a pencil, the studs are about one and a half inches wide, you want to find the center of the stud on both sides going up and down the length of the hole.

2. Measure the hole: From the top of the hole you're going to make, to bottom of the hole and center of stud on the left side to center of stud on the right side. Mark the final hole out in pencil on the wall using a straight edge. It may be necessary to cut along the studs to find the center accurately in case of bent or crooked studs.

3. Cut the broken drywall away: Using a keyhole or jab saw, cut an opening in the center of your intended hole so you can check for wiring. Keep the saw at an acute angle so it doesn't penetrate the wall very far until you can see inside the wall, nothing will ruin your day faster than hitting a live wire! Usually the wiring is up against the studs, but it can run across the wall as well, be very sure of what's behind the sheetrock. Sawing down the middle of the studs is simplified with a circular saw, set the depth adjustment just a hair deeper than the thickness of the sheetrock, that way you won't cut deeply into the studs and saw past the top and bottom marks so the piece will come free. Be sure to use an old blade, more than likely you will hit some nails while cutting.

4. Cut the new piece: Cut it 1/4 inch smaller than your hole, just subtract a quarter inch from your length and height, this will give you 1/8 inch on each side to slip in the hole without fighting or trimming it.

5. Preparing the hole: Sometimes it's necessary to insert a length of 2x4 on the top and bottom edges of the hole, to keep the patch flush with the surrounding wall and to prevent it from flexing in the middle. Use one and a quarter inch sheetrock screws to install them. Just have the center the wood on the edge of the hole, so that half the wood is showing and half is behind the sheetrock of the wall. Screw through the existing sheetrock into the wood, it helps if you clamp it for this process with bar clamps otherwise it will try to move on you. Set the screws about six to eight inches apart. It isn't necessary to connect these to the wall studs; the old sheet rock will hold the pieces of 2x4 in place and that's all that is needed. Now the hole has a frame within it to screw the patch to,

6. Attaching the patch: Screw the patch to the wall studs and the 2x4's you screwed into the holes opening, keep the fasteners away from the edges of the patch as best you can or they will tear out, even if you have to angle them slightly to reach the studs.

That's all there is too it! Not too complicated after all. All that's left is to tape, texture and finally paint it. Look for future articles on those topics by this author.

History provided by

United States Gypsum Company