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Large hole in the drywall - patch or replace the whole panel?

Large hole in the drywall - patch or replace the whole panel?


  #1  
Old 09-04-15, 10:30 AM
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Large hole in the drywall - patch or replace the whole panel?

A friend of mine has been stripping off the old wallpaper and painting in his dining room but recently removed a shelf and found a sizeable hole hidden behind it by the previous homeowner!

I've patched small (1' - 3') holes before but I've never patched up something of this size. Is it possible to even reasonably patch it in the first place? Would it be better to remove the sheet of drywall and replace the whole thing?


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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  #2  
Old 09-04-15, 11:17 AM
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Cut the hole rectangular to get clean edges. Cut a scrap piece of drywall to fit, it doesn't need to be exact.

To attach scrap piece, you can screw into the left existing wood. At the right, you can place 1x4 behind wall. Screw the 1x into the existing edge, then lay your patch over that and secure it.

As far as finishing, you have a choice. Tape seams and use regular drywall compound, or use setting type compound (hot mud). On small patches I have had good results using hot mud with no taping. The hot mud doesn't shrink like regular mud. You could do two coats in an hour versus 2 days.

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  #3  
Old 09-04-15, 12:04 PM
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I do that way also .... although I usually use whatever wood is handy [doesn't have to be a 1x4]
 
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Old 09-04-15, 12:23 PM
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Yeah, I'm more likely to grab a 1x2 than a 1x4 because it's usually easier to squeeze it through the hole.
 
  #5  
Old 09-04-15, 01:10 PM
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Another method is to square off the hole and using wood glue, attach scrap wallboard behind the hole leaving some of it exposed as a backing surface. Then cut another piece of wallboard to size and glue to scrap pieces already glued to back surface. I use this method almost exclusivly since cutting and nailing wood is just too much hassle.

 
  #6  
Old 09-11-15, 09:08 AM
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I had to move an AC vent and had a large 6x6 hole. Because this was on a wall that will be facing you as soon as you walk in the bathroom, I used another technique I found on YouTube.

You square the hole to 6x6. Then cut an piece of drywall 2" bigger (8x8 in my case). Measure 1" from the edges of the patch and cut them but only take off the drywall - not the paper.

When you put it on the wall you cut the paper on the wall to the size of the paper on the patch.

Then mud it up good and smooth it out.

I liked this method because it would require less feathering and no tape.

Here is the vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF8lr0KZNbk
 
  #7  
Old 09-11-15, 09:12 AM
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It's called a California patch and it works pretty well.
 
  #8  
Old 09-11-15, 09:44 AM
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I use that method quite often for 30+ yrs but never new it had the name 'california patch' until recently
 
 

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