At Done Right Works, our experienced handymen are here to help with your drywall needs. Whether your walls are damaged, or you just want to finish a room with beautiful new drywall, we are your go-to drywall experts in the Tacoma, University Place, Lakewood, Federal Way, Puyallup, and surrounding areas.
Patching a hole in your drywall or plaster doesn’t have to be a major project. First determine how bad and big the hole is. For instance, a doorknob that accidentally got slammed into the wall and made a 4”x4” hole is fixed pretty much the same as a 24”x24” hole.
The first thing you need to do is put down a tarp or blanket to catch the drywall dust and scrap you’re going to make. Next if you have a straight edge or a carpenters square, make a square or rectangle with a pencil to the outer most damaged drywall. Then use a razor knife to score and cut the line you just made, and carefully remove the drywall.
The next thing you need to do is cut a piece of 1×2 or 1×4 the length of the inside of the hole you just made and screw the pieces on the inside of the wall to the drywall for reinforcement. Be sure to countersink your screws and do at least 2 sides. Then carefully cut a piece of drywall to fit into the opening and rest on your reinforced wood. Be sure to use ½” drywall even if the wall is thicker. Next you will need a small bag of 5 or 20-minute drywall mud. Mix up enough to cover your seams and screw holes and spread with a 3” or 6” putty knife. Let dry then carefully sand. Then use 90-minute mudd, and repeat the process, sanding in between.
Once everything is smooth and looking the way you want it, paint with a primer, with sand in it, and paint the patch to match the rest of the wall. The process is the same for plaster except if you have the lathes still there; you will only need to mudd the lathes, and no need for a drywall patch.