TOOLS
FOR THIS TASK
2” Putty
Knife
Fine
Sandpaper
Light-duty
Electric Screwdriver (or regular Phillips Head Screwdriver)
Measuring
Tape or Ruler
Pencil
Paint to
Match
Sanding
Block
Scrap
of
Sheet Rock (sometimes available in broken pieces from a building supply store)
Scrap of
Wood
Sheet
Rock (Hole) Saw
Small
Box
of 1” Sheet Rock Screws (available at any hardware store)
Small
Container of Spackle or Joint Compound
Utility
Knife
The first
step is determining if your wall is sheet rock or plaster. The difference:
Sheet rock will be approximately ½” thick and hollow behind
it.
Plaster will be more solid
and will be laid over wood or metal strips called lathe.
We will
start with a sheet rock repair, as most homes built after the late 1950’s use
sheet rock for walls and ceilings. Earlier homes will have a plaster and lathe
system.
- Start by squaring out the
hole in the sheet rock with your utility knife and sheet rock hole saw (a
sharp, serrated steak knife will work for cutting the hole in a pinch.) The way I square a hold is
to draw a line at least ¼” wider than the existing hole on all four sides.
- Select a piece of scrap sheet
rock large enough to fit over the hole and cut a square out of it taking
into consideration the ¼” slack you drew on all sides.
- Lay the new piece over the
hole and trace it on the wall to make your cut along the trace marks to
make a nice fit
- Get a small piece
of scrap
wood about 2” longer than the opening in the wall and insert the wood into
the wall. Center the wood so
that the ends of the wood should be on either side of the hole, and you
will see solid wood through the hole.
- On
each end (where the ends
are behind the wall) screw a 1” sheet rock screw into the wall so it
catches the wood. Be careful not to screw too tightly. Screwing in too
tightly will cause the screw to pull all the way through the sheet rock.
(A good rule of thumb is to tighten the screw only until a slight fraction
of the screw head is nestled below the surface of the sheet rock – almost
flush but causing a very slight dimple.)
- Take
the new piece of sheet
rock you’ve cut and place it in the center of the hole.
- Cover all joints and screws
with spackle or joint compound.
- Smooth
off and dust your
patch and let dry.
- Once
dry, if it is not yet
smooth, apply more spackle and let dry and sand again.
- When it looks and feels
smooth, dust it off and paint to match surrounding area.
For
small repairs, you can open the joint between the old wall and the new patch
slightly (say, 1/8” all the way around) and apply the spackle smoothly into the
joint and press it until the crack is filled. Leave it a little high so when it
dries, you will be able to use a sanding block and fine sand paper to sand it
down smooth, flush with the surrounding wall.
