How to Patch a Drywall Hole | Ask This Old House

In this video, Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor how to patch holes in drywall, covering holes of all shapes and sizes.

Tom Silva and Kevin O’Connor meet at the shop to discuss patching holes in drywall, noting that almost every homeowner will deal with this issue at some point. Tom shows Kevin some of the most common ways he likes to patch these holes, including using tape, metal-reinforced patches, and a few types of custom-cut patches.

Estimated time: 1 hour plus drying time
Cost: Under $20
Skill Level: Easy to moderate

Shopping list:

Tools:

Where to find it?
Tommy explains how to patch different size holes in drywall.

All materials can be sourced at a home center.

About Ask This Old House TV:
From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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How to Patch a Drywall Hole | Ask This Old House

[mae]

For someone that had to patch a lot of holes as a new homeowner, here's what has worked for me:
First, buy a 10 inch metal drywall knife and a pan. You'll get better results. Cheap drywall jab saw helps speed things up too vs having to use a box cutter to cut your holes.
I did one patch with that metal patch they showed, spackle, and plastic knife and it looks terrible. Very noticeable.
I now use Plus 3 joint compound in the bucket. I water it down slightly in my pan so it will slightly run off my knife if I pick it up and hold it vertical.
Like they said, cut your patch bigger than the hole and trace the patch onto the existing wall and cut that out.
For your backer board, use plywood and not lumber strips. Lumber will split.
I used mesh tape and did not overlap any of the tape onto each other.
Feather it out further than you think you need to. I did at least the width of the knife on all sides. Check VancouverCarpenter's channel on how to feather your edge.
2 coats typically did the trick for me with light sanding with a sanding sponge.

[mjs]

That last patch is what I was taught to be called a California Patch. Awesome way to patch holes.

[Mr.Pop]

you dont hammer those tabs on the clips, you can just break them off by hand after you put the drywall in.

[lettiegrant]

Whatever the guy with the white hair says you do it. He's the best. I've watched him for many years. He's never wrong.👍

[HotelEarth]

The secret is to use P90 or plaster-based mud for the initial coat. Then use regular drywall mud or spackling after it dries. The P90 is hard as rock.

[inspectorsteve]

Those clips he used on the bigger hole instead of pounding those down I'm pretty sure those 4 tabs are made to just bend back and snap off. No pounding them down with a hammer.

[SalvadorSTMZ]

For the final method it's best to put some joint compound around the edges of the drywall patch so that it doesn't wiggle around in the hole.

[multidinero]

I was just waiting for the last one. My father taught it to me when we were doing brownstone rehabs in The Bronx. The rest is normal stuff. Also, spackling compound has a plaster like chemical to let it dry faster. Also, with that last patching method, fill the interior of the patch to keep it from moving.

[Grant_S_M]

Piece of drywall as backing works well for the old fashioned method 👍

[wmeemw]

Light glare shows on recessed or ‘proud’ surface patches. I prefer to create a ‘lath’ of plywood or pain stirrers, screw behind hole, use a sheetrock patch stripped of its backside kraft paper, then set into opening and build up patch surface until flush to wall surface.

[chrisnash]

I was hoping the video would continue showing how to texturize the surface after patching.

[brentb]

I like the men and women of this show....very very skilled ...knowledgeable and

[brianmcguire]

A correction should be issued by the producer of this video on the Insta -Back drywall backing. Clips are not hammered back in to the gypsum board, thus causing additional damage, they are removed after fasteners have been attached. Followed by taping of the joints.

[michaele]

When patching walls, I forgo the spackling compound and use some 20 minute fast set joint compound. Other than that, TOH did a pretty good job providing basic options. Everyone does it a little differently and the purpose of these videos is just to point people in the right direction.

[kalijasin]

@2:57 the piece of wood in the hole is best of all these. It’s the strongest and the drywall is flush.

[michaelpinto]

Thanks for putting this video together on the different size holes to repair drywall holes. Super helpful with ahouse full of boys.

[FKS]

california patch is the most time consuming but definitely the smoothest fit!

[waundellsaavedra]

Botched many drywall holes so thanks for the tips.

[BennoHaas]

You can do a large number of medium and large holes comparatively quickly this way ... though there is "drying time" involved.

For the backing, cut a piece of stiff cardboard an inch or so larger than the hole. Put two small holes in the center of the cardboard for the "securing string loop" and then put a small, LOOSE loop of string, threaded thru the two holes and tied with a knot ... the loop should be loose enough to still put your finger into the loop.

To use the patch ...
... butter the inch or so of the outside edges of the patch with wood glue - the glue side should be facing you (so facing outward) ... then, holding the string loop place the patch into the wall cavity THROUGH the wall hole (holding the string to pull it into place). Then place a pencil or other small stick into the string loop and gently twist the pencil ... this will tighten the loop and pull the patch toward you and bring the glue into contact with the inside of the wall. Twist until the pencil is snug against the wall.

Leave the pencil and patch in place overnight or until the glue is dry.

When dry, pull out the pencil and cut out the string loop; you now have a taut, stiff, cardboard patch covering the hole from the inside and glued to the inside of the wall.

You can then use wallboard compound, Plaster of Paris etc to fill the hole ... or, because the cardboard patch is flush with the surface of the inside of the wall, you can also insert a dutchman cut from a piece of wallboard.

Another benefit to this method is that there is no mesh, tape or paper added to the outside surface of the wall and so there is less chance to see irregularity in the finished wall surface.

[waynesligar]

That's how I've done so many patches but i worked with dry wall for over 18 years and worked in construction for 34 years before my lower back got so bad that i had to be put on disability a year ago