Removing Small Section of Drywall

Hey guys,

I'm looking for some tips to remove a small section of dry wall that will later be re-installed. We had a bee infestation about a year ago right above a window on our second floor. Recently we started getting some small beatles coming in through the electrical outlet adjacent to the window. So I don't think the exterminator properly cleaned up in the wall when removing the bees and their honey comb. I want to remove the drywall around the window, and clean/remove insulation, and hopefully find where the bugs are coming in and seal it up. I don't want to just start blindly cutting the drywall. It is texturized, and I would like to try and preserve it if I can for re-use. Any tips are appreciated.

Thank you,

matt

 

Matt: Most framing is on 16" centers, so you will want to find the center of studs and remove at least 32" wide pieces. HOwever, against window framing it may vary a little. A simple stud finder from one of the box stores will help you find the two edges, and you will make your cut right between the lines. This will give you a place to screw or glue your removed piece back in once you have finished. You will have to deal with the cut spaces and the finish, but that can come after you finish finding the stuff you need to remove.

 

It might be easier to cut along the edge of the stud on each side, then add a 2x4 to that stud to reattach the drywall too. I doubt you can make a repair [that looks decent] that doesn't involve retexturing. What type of texture do you have?

 

As Larry mentioned, a stud finder is your friend in these cases.

I'd suggest not buying the cheapest model you can find. I have two stud finders, and my stanley is far supperior to the other cheap one (came bundled with my thermal gun).
A stud finder that offers electrical locator is a must. This will save you discovering an electrical cable by accident.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. I have a pretty descent stud finder. As far as re-texturizing, I was thinking it may need some work afterwards. The texture is large globs pressed flat against the wall. Not sure how else to describe it

Thanks for the tips guys.

matt

 

When you get a chance, post some pictures of the wall texture. Someone here might be able to identify how it was done, and how to proceed with repairs.

 

Sounds like knockdown texture to me - pictures will confirm this for us.

 

I agree, it sounds like knockdown - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html

 

I think I may be trying to tackle this one tomorrow. Wall texture photo attached.

Thanks guys,
matt

 

That's either a knockdown texture or skip trowel, how far away was the camera from the wall?

 

You're going to have to tape and float the edges of the repair anyway, and that's going to pretty much wreck 99% of the texture you are trying to save on your little patches.

Looks like skip trowel, where someone flicked thinned mud on the wall with a knife, then trowelled it. IMO, the long thin lines visible in the upper right= a bad texture job. This will be hard to match.

I'd try to carefully power sand an irregular area roughly 12" away from the edges of your repair, picking and choosing some flat areas to end the sanding at. Then I'd carefully mask off the textured areas (irregular edge) you want to leave. Then tape and float the patch out until it's perfectly smooth. (check with 12" wide knife on edge so that it doesn't rock back and forth significantly on the hump you taped.)

When you are ready to texture, try to match the pattern as best as you can. Thin the mud. Small flicks, or even dab on a few spots with a 1" paint brush. Big dabs will flatten out with the trowel and will get too big. Small, irregular shaped dabs will be best. Don't let any texture touch the masked edges... get close, but not too close, and leave some variation in the texture spacing from the masked edge. Let it set up just slightly, followed by a very light touch with the trowel. Carefully flatten the edges first and trowel toward the center, but trowel vertically if it looks like thats what the last guy did. Once it's all dry, remove the masking around the edge and lightly sand with a pole sander. Touch up the perimeter with a sponge sanding block.

 

Here is another picture. I'm debating if I want to remove essentially everything around the window and the re-sand and re-mud. Here is another picture of the window in question.

I appreciate all the tips guys. It will come very helpful when I go to tackle this next week.

 

If you do end up demolishing a larger section of the wall than you initially thought, I'd recommend that you leave at least 2" of drywall along the top edge of the wall, and at least 2" near any inside corners. (you may need to add a piece of vertical framing at the corner)

What this will allow you to do is to flat tape the new drywall to the old without having to tape and mud the inside corners, which would involve adding mud to both the ceiling and the adjacent wall.

A multi-tool with a round blade is pretty handy for cutting drywall. Scoring with a knife and straightedge, and a drywall saw is the alternative for cutting nice straight lines. Course, a reciprocating saw works too... just need to be careful not to hit any electrical lines hiding in the wall. :NO NO NO:

 

Well I have the wall torn apart, and have the interior of the wall cleaned, sealed and ready to have drywall put back on. My plan is to screw some studs to the existing studs that I can then screw the drywall too.

I have some questions about ow to finish the drywall properly. I plan to get the new drywall in place, and then sand the existing texture/paint off the adjacent drywall. After that, apply the mud and the tape to the new seams. The texturizing is what I have some questions on. I would obviously like to match it as quick best I can to what we have. I cannot tell if this is skip trowel or knock off. If anyone has an opinion, that would be great. Worst case is, I may hire someone to do the texturizing.

Here is pretty much how the wall looks, although a couple of the edges have been straightened up, I have a little more trimming to do to to get the edges square.




images of the texture, I tried to put something in the figure that would give it scale.

 

Looks like skip trowel to me.

 

I have everything up, all of the drywall that is. But the new drywall isn't quite level with the existing drywall. Would I be able to float the standard joint compound over the existing drywall to make it level, filling the joints in the process, and then tape the joints and apply a final coat before texturizing? Or should I get sometihng else to put on the wall first?

Thank you,

matt

 

how much of a difference is there?

 

Is the repair piece higher or lower [recessed] than the existing wall?

 

the new piece is recessed from the existing drywall. The difference is around .1 inch in some areas.

Thank you,

matt

 

You could build that up with joint compound.

 

I'd go ahead and tape the joint, let it dry and then start filling the recessed area.