More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Fire Tv Deals 2026 Sale
player ready...Nail holes and other drywall blemishes are easy to fix with spackle. Doorknob-size holes are more trouble. But even a major mishap can be repaired without pulling off the entire damaged panel and installing a new one.
The solution is a two-layer patch — one for support and another to fill the area and make the surface flush. There are two ways to do it. Both start by removing ragged edges to create a rectangle with straight, clean cuts, even though it enlarges the opening. The new cuts have to reach sound drywall and leave solid edges.
One approach is to fasten two furring strips to the back of the damaged panel — one near the top, one near the bottom — to support a patch piece that brings the repair flush with the surface. Another option, better suited to smaller repairs, is to slip a piece of drywall through the opening and attach it to the back of the damaged panel. It provides support for a second piece that fits into the squared-up repair area, flush and ready for finishing.
For furring strips
1. Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch-thick stock with at least a 2-inch overlap on each side of the opening.
2. Dab the ends with construction adhesive, slide through the opening and drive drywall screws through the surface panel into the ends to secure the supports.
For drywall patch
1. Cut an oversize patch piece that just slides through the diagonal of the opening. Drive a screw through its center so you can hold on and keep it from dropping.
2. Dab its overlapping edges with construction adhesive or drywall compound, and drive drywall screws through the surface panel into the edges of the support piece to secure it.
To finish
Cut a patch piece to match the opening, butter its edges with compound, screw it to the backer support and finish the seams to create a smooth surface.