No matter the size, holes in your wall are unsightly. The methods you use to fix them depends on the size of the hole. Follow these easy instructions in your home for a relatively painless repair.
Tips for Tiny Holes
There are lots of reasons you might have a tiny hole in your wall that needs touching up, the most common being holes from nails. Predictably, these are the easiest to patch.
You will need some of the same materials for larger jobs, though. Use either wall joint compound or spackling (both of which are available from hardware stores and Amazon). Use a putty scraper to fill the hole in.
After letting it dry completely, sand the hole and the wall around it to smooth it out. You may also need to paint it to match the wall around it.
Tips for Medium Holes
We’re calling these medium holes, but we’re really talking about any hole bigger than a nail hole. The reason that they can be grouped together is because they follow the same steps. What differs is the kind of backing you use. Anything bigger than a nail hole needs something else besides just a wall joint compound.
The smaller the hole, the smaller the patch you need. Once again, hardware stores and Amazon sell wall patches. Just make sure you measure your hole to get the right size. Once you do, it should come with instructions on how to adhere the patch to the wall.
Once the patch is in place, apply a wall joint compound. Do at least two and ideally three coats, allowing them to dry in between. Just as with small holes, sand it smooth, flush with the wall around it. Paint if needed.
Tips for Big Holes
The same basic principles for wall repair apply with large holes, but you’re not going to be able to use a patch for anything bigger than a few inches. The first thing you need to do for a large hole is cut it into a rectangle shape to make it more manageable.
You will need two 1×3’s. Screw them into either side of the hole. Next, apply some kind of adhesive to the boards and cut a piece of drywall to fit the size of the hole. Attach the drywall to the adhesive and then attach the sides of the drywall with screws.
Next, use a wall joint compound around the edges to seal. Again, you’ll want multiple coats; allow to dry and sand in between. You will almost certainly have to paint the wall to match the rest of the wall around it. Maybe a big hole is a good opportunity for a fresh coat of paint!
Hire a Professional
If you’re unsure about these methods, or if your hole is bigger than the sizes above, you might want to hire a professional. It will be much more expensive than doing it yourself, but especially for large projects, peace of mind is sometimes worth it.