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Sheetrock Repairs

Question
How to repair sheetrock walls who's house is settling?

Answer
Repairing a hole in sheetrock can be easily accomplished without hiring a contractor. You can repair a small hole or large hole with relative ease and a few simple instructions.

Large Holes

Tools and supplies:

A length of sheetrock a bit larger than the hole you are repairing
Small handsaw or jigsaw
Finishing hammer and finishing nails
One foot piece of fine wire
Wirecutters
Tape measure
Putty Knife
Sharp Utility Knife
Construction adhesive or epoxy
Joint Compound
Fine Sandpaper
Pencil

Begin by using the jigsaw and cut the hole you are repairing in the wall into a square shape. Remove all cut drywall pieces and clean out the reshaped hole. You might need to use the sharp utility knife to square off the hole. Measure the square cut and mark off the measurements on the new piece of sheetrock. Cut the new sheetrock squared patch with the jigsaw. Fit the square patch into the hole making sure you get a snug fit. Punch a hole into the center of the sheetrock patch with a nail. Fit the fine wire into the hole and tie a large knot on the inside of the patch big enough so the wire will not come back through. If there is a stud in the space you are patching, simply nail the patch to the stud with the finish nails. If there is no stud, you will need to create some backing inside the hole with a bit of wadded up pieces of newspaper stuffed into the hole. Coat the newspaper and the edges of the hole with the construction adhesive. While holding the wire on the sheetrock patch, carefully slide it into the hole, manipulating the wire to insure the patch is flush with the edge of the wall. Wipe away the excess glue and let it dry for several hours.

Snip off the attached wire as close to the wall as you can. Use a pencil or nail to push the end of the wire back into the wall. Cover the entire sheetrock patch and seams with the joint compound. Smooth it down and let it dry for several hours. Sand the patched area smooth to blend it into the wall. Prime the patched area and allow it to dry thoroughly. The wall is now ready to paint or wallpaper.

Very large holes

To patch a very large hole in sheetrock you will need to find the stud that is closest to the hole. Cut out a rectangle in the sheetrock around the hole all the way to the middle of the stud. Measure and cut a sheetrock patch to match the size of the new hole. Secure the patch with drywall screws or drywall nails to the stud. Tighten the screws down snug but be careful so you don*t break the paper. Apply a thin coating of joint compound along the seams with a wide putty knife. Press paper joint tape into the joint compound. Using the putty knife, gently embed the tape into the compound and scrape off any excess compound. Allow the joint compound to dry thoroughly and then spread two more coats of compound over the tape, sanding lightly between the coats. Prime and paint.

Small holes

A very small hole or dent in the wall can be repaired in similar fashion to a large hole, but you won't need a piece of sheetrock to repair it. Simply stuff the hole with wadded newspaper, fill the hole with joint compound, smooth it down and let it dry. Follow by sanding, priming and painting.

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