How to Patch Drywall in Your Home

Over the years, you’re bound to end up with a hole or two in your drywall. Whether it’s a quarter-sized ding from moving furniture down the hall or a gaping hole from your kids’ rambunctious play, that hole needs to be repaired before you put your home on the market or do a final walk through with your landlord.

Fortunately, patching a hole in your drywall is relatively easy, if you take the time to do the job right.

Supplies you’ll need

You’ll need slightly different supplies depending on the size of the hole you want to patch. Unlike a nail hole that only needs a little spackle or white toothpaste to conceal it, larger holes usually require a drywall patch kit or even a piece of drywall to insert into the open space. Purchase your supplies accordingly.

  • Spackle or joint compound
  • Putty knife, 6 inch is ideal size for medium and large holes
  • 200-grit sandpaper (very fine)
  • Wall repair patch, depending on repair method
  • Drywall screws
  • Drywall, depending on repair method
  • Oscillating tool with utility blade or a drywall saw
  • Utility knife
  • Wood scraps, depending on repair method
  • Self-adhesive, fiberglass drywall tape
  • Straight edge ruler and pencil
  • Textured drywall spray, if you have textured walls
  • Paint and paintbrushes

Skills you’ll need

Although repairing a hole in your home’s drywall isn’t difficult, you will need a few skills. Practice before you get started for the best results.

  • Finding studs: Accidentally cutting an electric wire while patching a hole in the drywall can result in an expensive repair, possible electrocution and even death, so you’ll want to avoid doing so at all costs. Since electrical wires are typically attached to the wall studs, you’ll want to locate these before you start cutting. The easiest way to do so is with a stud finder. Move it horizontally across the wall. It will either beep or light up when it hits the stud. Mark the beginning and endpoint of the stud.
  • Cutting drywall: To cut into the wall, mark the area you want to remove with a pencil and straight edge ruler. Use an oscillating tool with a utility blade or a drywall saw to slowly follow the lines you marked. To cut into a sheet of drywall (instead of the wall itself), mark the dimensions you want to cut using a pencil and straight edge ruler. Score along the lines and flip the drywall. The scored section will easily break. Use the utility knife to cut the paper holding the piece in place.
  • Feathering joint compound: When you work with the compound, increase pressure and angle the putty knife at the edges, thinning the amount of spackle or joint compound on the wall. This feathering technique helps hide the patch.

Repairing small holes

For a small hole, like one created by a doorknob, purchase a patch kit that extends beyond its dimensions. Place the self-adhesive mesh patch over the hole, and using a drywall knife, cover the patch with spackling or joint compound provided in the kit. Feather to blend it into the wall. Let the patch dry, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If necessary, apply a second coat. Sand smooth.

Repairing medium holes

Use a California drywall patch (or butterfly patch) to repair holes up to 6 inches. For this, you’ll need a piece of drywall 2 inches larger than the area you want to repair. Start by using a ruler to mark the drywall piece for the repair, and cut it. Next, score its back with a utility knife about an inch from each side. Snap off the gypsum, leaving the paper intact. Place the drywall patch over the hole, trace only the gypsum (not the paper border) and cut along these lines, removing the damaged area.

Slather the paper edges of the drywall patch with joint compound and fit the gypsum into the new hole. Press the paper edges against the wall and smooth. Cover the area with joint compound, feathering the edges. Let dry 24 hours. You can add a second coat, if necessary. Sand smooth.

Repairing large holes

If the hole is larger than 6 inches, begin by cutting a piece of drywall slightly larger than hole. Place this piece over the hole and trace around it, taking note of the studs since this is where you’ll most likely encounter electric wires. Carefully, cut a hole in the drywall. Find two wood strips (or purchase two furring strips) that fit behind the newly cut hole in the wall. Secure each strip with drywall screws placed at least 1 inch above and below the hole. (Sink screws slightly beneath the surface of the drywall.) These strips create a backing for the patch.

Next, insert the drywall patch into the wall and secure it to the wood strips with screws. (Again, sink the screws beneath the surface of the drywall.) Apply drywall tape to the borders of the patch and cover the entire area with joint compound, feathering at the edges. Let dry 24 hours or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add a second coat, if needed. Sand smooth.

Blending the patch into the wall

No matter how well you blend the patch into the wall, your repair will be obvious if the wall is textured and your repair isn’t. You can purchase textured drywall spray in two of the most common wall textures, knockdown and orange peel. Or, if you’re feeling up to the challenge, you can replicate the texture with a joint compound thinned to the consistency of ketchup. (Use a stiff brush to flick the compound on the wall and a putty knife to smooth it down, or use a sponge to dab it on and a putty knife to smooth it to the right texture.)

Either way, whether you choose to use texture spray or thinned joint compound, practice on an old board before you begin. As you work on the actual wall, don’t limit your texturizing to the immediate patch. The larger the area you cover, the more likely the repaired section will blend into the rest of the wall. A small area with a slightly different look to the texture will be easier to identify as having been patched.

Painting the patch

After the texture has dried according to the manufacturer’s directions, finish the repair with paint. Depending on how long it has been since the wall was originally painted, you may need to repaint the entire wall since paint color can fade over time. Also, if you have to match the paint color because you don’t have any of the original paint left, plan on painting the entire wall. It can be difficult to match the original color perfectly, and if you choose to paint only the patched area, the repair may stand out.

Hiring a handyman

Although the actual repair isn’t very difficult, it could take some time and effort to conceal the patch. Between getting the texture right and repainting the entire wall, doing the repair yourself might not be worth the effort. Instead, you might consider hiring a handyman to patch the hole for you, allowing you to get a head start on your packing.

Still overwhelmed after hiring a handyman? Take some of the pressure off by hiring a moving company. Moving companies can not only transport your belongings from your current home to your new one, but they can do the packing for you, too. Our extensive network of reputable and reliable movers makes it easy to book the best moving company for the job. Since all the relocation companies in our network are licensed and insured, you can move without worry.