How to Repair Drywall

Knowing how to repair drywall in any of it's various stages of damage can save you lot's of money when doing some minor repair, or even major remodeling. Everything from patching drywall holes large and small, to using drywall as a means to repair failing plaster walls, is covered on this page.

Please click the link to take you to the desired repair page.

Repairing Plaster Wall Damage w/Drywall

Sometimes, you may find yourself having to repair severely cracked and crumbling plaster that is common in very old homes and buildings.

In the old days of home construction, long, slender wooden strips (usually oak or poplar) called lathe (see picture) were used to support the heavy plaster. After the finish coating of plaster was applied, the resulting thickness was usually anywhere from 1/4 inch to 1 1/4 inch of plaster on the wall.

Over the years, the age and general condition of the building, along with moisture and extreme temperature differences, would eventually lead to fatigue and stress of the plaster wall to the point of separation from the support structure (lathe). The end result is a surface with various cracks and crumbling plaster.

To view a good example of how to repair a small section of wall with damaged plaster using ordinary drywall materials and repair techniques, please see repairing plaster walls for more detailed information.

How To Repair Drywall (Old School)

Of course in more modern housing (1950's to the present), plaster-type wallboard was used (in advent of present-day drywall) which, from a construction and repair point of view, afforded quick and easy repair. Easier, than say, having to do a plaster patch. If you find holes in any wallboard/drywall mode of construction, you'll be able to repair said holes easily and efficiently.

Remember though, that unlike having lathe to use for support when repairing cracked plaster, you will have to provide your own support for repair piece. To see how a small hole might be repaired providing that support the old school way, click on small drywall repair for excellent "how-to" information.

How To Repair Drywall (New School)

The new school way of patching plaster utilizes the mesh patching system, or mesh drywall repair kit. These are certainly fine repair kits to be sure.

I, however, prefer to improvise using what I have on hand in the way of materials, without spending the extra cash when I don't need to.

And that is:

• Fiberglass mesh drywall tape (The self-adhesive kind)
• Multi-purpose lightweight drywall mud

For details on how to repair drywall using this method, please see my drywall DIY patch repair using this 'new school' method. It's easy to do, and it works great.

How To Repair Drywall With Larger Hole Damage

Drywall repair for larger openings is a little more complicated, but still doable. You simply will have to make your opening slightly larger so that the drywall patch can neatly lay into the opening while resting some support such as a two by four. In other words, if a hole requires that you have to use studs for support, by all means, trim back the hole to reveal the studs. From there, you cut the repair patch to fit so that you can put screws into the edges to secure your patch to the stud.

Also ... see related information

Check out our skim coat drywall page for tips on repairing wall surfaces that are lightly scratched due to such things as wallpaper removal, or just everyday wear and tear.

The different types of drywall compound, or "mud", and their particular applications.

For minor drywall patches where dust-free sanding might be more appropriate than standard dry-block sanding, learn to wet sanding drywall for a safe, effective drywall finishing method.