Drywall

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ThisDinosaur
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Drywall

Post by ThisDinosaur »

1.5-2 in holes in drywall. DIY website says to use a self adhesive patch, then apply Spackle. Hardware store guy says to cut a larger square hole and secure a small block of wood before applying DryDex spackling.

I already have the DryDex, and was thinking of gluing a square of white copy paper in place of the patch. Will this work? Other suggestions?

jacob
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Re: Drywall

Post by jacob »

I think a 2" hole is just on the large side of what a patch would cover. I have covered a junction box like this, so it should work. Instead of a patch, you can also use drywall tape (mesh)... that's what I prefer. I also prefer to mix up some mud instead of using spackle. Mud is cheaper and easier to deal with in my opinion. Only thing that pink stuff has going for it is convenience. I reserve it to cover nail and screw holes. Small stuff.

BTW if you have some dried out spackle, you can revitalize it somewhat with water and a microwave. Google for details. It sort of works.

I'm not sure about spackling directly onto the wood? There might be humidity issues. However, if you can, you could cut out a square hole and tape in a smaller piece of drywall and just hold it to the wall with tape. The hole is just about small enough to avoid that hassle. Insofar you can secure a piece of wood and then attach a piece of drywall to that and then cover it with mud that would be the perfect solution.

I'd be surprised if using copy paper as a backing actually worked. Patches are meshed so the mud/spackle has something to hold on to.

Riggerjack
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Re: Drywall

Post by Riggerjack »

First, remove loose drywall, now what size is it? Feel around, what's back there? The best patch would extend from stud to stud, but that shouldn't be necessary.

What type of texture is on the wall?

What I do, if it really is just a 1-2" hole, is to chip off the texture, about an inch around the hole. This gives me a smooth surface to match for my patch. I have never used scrap paper over mesh or joint tape, but if I did, I would use a rough paper, like a paper sack. The point is to have the joint compound penetrate the paper fibers to use the fiber for reinforcement.

Starting with a clean hole, smear some joint compound with your finger, getting a good wet bond with all the drywall. Then use a putty knife to fill the hole, then spread the paper patch, then putty over it, try to get it close to level with your surface now.

Let dry.

Water will evaporate, compound will shrink, maybe you have a crack. Using your putty knife, scrape off any high points. Fill in the low spots.

Let dry.

Sand the patch level. If it's not smooth yet, sand fill and let dry again.

If it's pretty good now, texture and paint.

None of these steps is very effort or time consuming. But it's not a single step job. It's 3-4 separate light tasks, that can't be rushed. But totally DIY friendly. YouTube videos may be a better teacher, though.

ThisDinosaur
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Re: Drywall

Post by ThisDinosaur »

jacob wrote:
Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:13 am
Instead of a patch, you can also use drywall tape (mesh)... that's what I prefer.
...
I'd be surprised if using copy paper as a backing actually worked. Patches are meshed so the mud/spackle has something to hold on to.
How about gauze and medical tape from the first aid kit? Too meshy? Too flexible?
Riggerjack wrote:
Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:33 am
First, remove loose drywall, now what size is it? Feel around, what's back there?
Just big enough to stick one finger in to the first knuckle. At least a good 4-5 in from the wood. Maybe more. Wall texture is pretty smooth.

What do you mean by by paper stack? Like, art paper or something? Sounds like it needs to be something perforated, yes?

jacob
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Re: Drywall

Post by jacob »

If improvising, I'd something that's perforated, reasonably stiff/non-stretchy, and resistant to water/moisture.

I'd bite the bullet and pay for a commercial solution:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Marshalltown-2 ... 1000202537

Remember the thing about the layers and building it up. This is important. E.g. you can start at the edges and slowly make the hole smaller for each iteration. Step 1) Cover the hole with crisscrossing tape. 2) Spackle the perimeter to make the hole smaller. 3) Wait to dry and then repeat 2 until the hole is gone. 3) Sand flat and do a final cover (or 2) so it's smooth with the wall.

Riggerjack
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Re: Drywall

Post by Riggerjack »

A few points of clarification.

Joint compound is water based, gypsum slurry with adhesive added. When it dries, it shrinks. And it dries, so it takes time.

Spackle is a plaster of Paris concoction. It is also water based., But you get it as a powder, and mix it yourself. You will get a short working time before it starts to harden, meaning mixing separate batches for each step. Spackle cures rather than dries. It cures faster if you mix it with less water. It shrinks less than joint compound, but it can also be harder to work with. The pink stuff Jacob speaks of is niether of these. It should only be used for shallow scrapes and scratches, rather than patches. It just doesn't have the bonding strength to fill a hole, and not crack or break.

The mesh Jacob speaks of is under $10 at HD. Joint tape is even less. Joint tape is a paper tape for reinforcement of joint compound. It may cost $5 at HD. If you substitute, use a bulky, pulpy paper, like a paper grocery sack.

A professional would do this work with plaster, to cut the repeat trips. (Curing is faster than drying) and he would probably use a variant of the technique ffj recommended. (I didn't recommend it because it requires a piece of sheetrock, and you didn't even feel good about buying joint tape.)

I prefer the convenience of a premixed joint compound. You can also use joint compound to match texture. But YouTube will have the best lessons for that.

And if anyone has the urge to make an electrical box disappear, they make blank faceplates for that. Remember that at some point, access to electrical boxes is how sparkies add more devices, and troubleshoot. Splices in boxes buried in walls make for great stories after all the damage is done, though.

jacob
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Re: Drywall

Post by jacob »

Riggerjack wrote:
Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:42 am
And if anyone has the urge to make an electrical box disappear, they make blank faceplates for that. Remember that at some point, access to electrical boxes is how sparkies add more devices, and troubleshoot. Splices in boxes buried in walls make for great stories after all the damage is done, though.
This was actually a special kind of box (I forget its name) sitting up the wall at eye level. Historically, it was used for electric clocks where you would put the clock directly on the outlet. I had the electrician cancel it out. I would certainly not suggested mudding over a "live" box after using it to draw power elsewhere.

Riggerjack
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Re: Drywall

Post by Riggerjack »

I've been here for years, I expected you to know what you are about.

But this is also a how to thread, so I wanted to make sure other readers knew there was an issue to be resolved, if they want to bury a box. Speaking of which, when I remodeled my bathroom, a decade plus ago, I moved the location of the ceiling light. There were other wires going elsewhere, and I didn't have enough length to route them to the new box. Rather than pull new wires, I just blanked it off (today, I would just pull new wires). Then I painted a wooden rosette and hot glued it to the blank faceplate.

There is still room for creative solutions.

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