Hole patching.

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sinkerator

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Any tips on how to patch a wall? I've included a picture of what it currently looks like.

There was once a towel rack which hung there. It's what caused the hole in the first place. Anchors were not used when hanging it, leading to the rack falling off. I would like to be able to hang the rack back in the same spot if at all possible.

Thanks!
 

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Jimbo

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Use a utiliy knife or a keyhole saw to cut out a much larger sguare hole. Lay out the cut lines with a ruler and a speedsquare to get a nice hole with square corners.

There are many techiniques to attach a new piece of drywall. You can fit in cross-straps of 1X3, securing them with screws through the good drywall. At the hardware store, you can get these neat little metal brackets, which essentially do the same thing. Anyway, you fit in a new piece of drywall, then patch the seams using the paper tape, and drywall compound. You will need 3 layers, each trowled out thin. Use a 4" trowel for the first coat, then a 6, then an 8".

The hardest part is to match the texture. There are numerous products available in spray cans now, and with a little practice, you can do a pretty good job.

For the best appearance, I would plan on repainting the entire wall to get the best match. If the paint job is not too old, and is flat, rather then semi gloss, you might get by just feathering in the paint;
 

Jadnashua

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For fasteners, look at www.wingits.com. Or, if you can do it, put some blocking in there, so you can screw the rack into it. That might require cutting between the joists so you have access to the studs to attach the blocking. If you split the drywall in the middle of the stud, you can screw it to that.
 

number1hag

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tapeless patch

what i do is: cut your rough opening one size and cut your patch two inches bigger. on the back side of your patch piece lay out the rough opening size. cut the paper on the back of the patch (do not cut the front) snap the sheet rock and peel the rock off the paper and ths will leave you with a patch that you wont need tape with. put a piece of scrap wood in the hole and screw it off so uoy can attach your towel bar later. mud around the hole, slip in the patch annd mud. this has worked out for me for many years. just be careful when sanding not to sand through the paper. good luck to you.
 

Jimbo

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what i do is: cut your rough opening one size and cut your patch two inches bigger. on the back side of your patch piece lay out the rough opening size. cut the paper on the back of the patch (do not cut the front) snap the sheet rock and peel the rock off the paper and ths will leave you with a patch that you wont need tape with. put a piece of scrap wood in the hole and screw it off so uoy can attach your towel bar later. mud around the hole, slip in the patch annd mud. this has worked out for me for many years. just be careful when sanding not to sand through the paper. good luck to you.


I have seen that technique used and it seems to be effective. I have not personally used it with success. But probably because I don't have the patience for it!
 

maddfrog

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That's a good trick! I've always squared the hole, screwed a piece of wood behind with small gaps on the sides, and then filled the whole thing with mud - no tape. Some mud squeezes into the gaps to help hold it in place - sorta like the spaces between lathe strips. Takes a long time to try if you don't use a setting compound (which I never do) and requires a few coats, but it comes out nice and smooth and flush with the surrounding wall. Your trick will speed up the drying time a lot.

Do you attach the patch piece to the wood somehow? Maybe some wet mud on the back? You probably can't screw it in without paper on the front to give it some support...
 
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Frenchie

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For a smallish hole like this one...


Clean up the edges with a utility blade, get rid of loose hanging bits.


Setting mud, thick.

Piece of wood, narrow enough to fit through the hole, long enough to underlap the intact sheetrock around the hole (but no more than twice the size of the hole, or you won't be able to fit it).

3" Screw, driven into the scrap of wood, as a handle.


Slide piece of wood into the hole, one end, slide over, other end, hold centered.

Shove in as much mud as you can, trying to get it between the scrap of wood and the back of the sheetrock.

Pull on handle/screw, smooshing the scrap of wood into the mud on the back of the sheetrock.

Holding the screw handle, drive screws into sheetrock next to hole, catching the scrap of wood, this should finish pulling the scrap of wood forward.

Remove handle-screw.

Fill

Let dry

Smooth

Re-attach towel bar, with screws long enough to catch the wood scrap. The wood acts like a giant butterfly anchor.


...Tell whoever ripped it out, to stop using the towel bar for chin-ups. That hole looks like a togglebolt pulled right through the sheetrock?!?
 

little buddy

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hole patching

The way the number 1 hag said using the tapeless patch is by far the best and easiest. I am a ameture at sheetrocking, but have used this method several times and it works. I've used it in cielings where I've taken down cieling fans, I've used it on walls for numerous occations. Just don't forget to primer before you paint. Take your time, be patient and it will look nice and last a long time. (man made it man can fix it) Good luck
 

bromo999

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Someone was right in saying there are a bunch of ways to do this. I've had mixed luck trying to put screws in small chunks of wallboard, the rock crumbles and it never feels very solid, so year ago I came up with my method:

On a patch that small I will square up the hole as suggested and then I get a couple of those paint stirring sticks they give free at the hardware store, and I cut them a couple inches wider than the hole. I get out the old trusty hot glue gun with construction-grade glue, I put glue on the wooden sticks and pull them tight against the back of the existing wallboard, using as many as it takes. That hole would probably only need a couple. After 5 - 10 minutes, the glue is cooled and I have nice "lathe" to install my patch against. Then I use the glue gun again on the back of the patch to glue it to the paint-stirrer-lathe. Then I usually just use paper tape on the seams. I have used this trick for 15 or so years now and the only time it didn't work was when the back of the hole was blown out so much that the back paper was gone around the hole.

On larger holes, I will usually just cut the hole out to the studs on each side. Many times its just as easy (or easier) to replace a 12"X16" section of of drywall as it is a 4"x"4".

Bob
 
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