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Wall
repair
Repairing Larger Holes
This method uses wallboard which is the same thickness as
the wall. Cut out a rectangular section including the
hole. Use a drywall or key hole saw. Cut a scrap piece of
plaster-board to fill the hole of the wall, making it
about a quarter of an inch shorter and narrower. This will
allow a 1/8" fill border on all sides. Using either scraps
of 1" by 3" lumber or firing strips cut a few inches
longer than the hole, insert them in the wall so they can
be screwed in from the front and edges with drywall
screws, and act as a backstop for the new section. Insert
the patch, screw it up with drywall screws, and finish
with tape and a few coats of compound as above. Sand
lightly and paint.
Repairing Open Joints:
When the original tape comes loose, don't try to salvage
it. Remove it, sand away loose sections and rough edges
apply a new coat of joint compound and embed new tape into
it. Finish with 2 or more coats of compound, feathering
the edges and sanding smooth.
Reasons for Small Holes:
Common fasteners do not perform too well on plaster board
and the results are often holes which are unattractive.
It's always best to remove anchors properly. Standard
plastic anchors for the most part, do not expand much.
Insert a tight fitting screw about one quarter of an inch
in and pull back to remove. If you reach resistance you
may have a toggler type plastic anchor. It must be drilled
out like a molly type below. Toggle bolts have a butterfly
back that falls off when unscrewed. Molly type fasteners
are metal, have a shoulder against the wall with 2 small
indentations, and expand behind the wall. use a drill bit
just larger than the screw to cut through the molly, so
the back comes loose, and by reversing the drill can fall
into the wall cavity.
Depending on the size of the hole, most can be filled with
patching plaster or a better grade of lightweight non
shrinking ready mixed spackling compound. If necessary you
may apply self adhesive fiberglass mesh wallboard tape,
and finish with coats of compound. |
