Here’s a tip for patching a moderate-sized hole in your drywall. I used this technique to patch a hole left behind by a toilet paper dispenser in our powder room.
- Cut a piece of wood large enough to span the hole, but narrow enough that you can still hold on to it. I used some oriented strand board I had kicking around, but plywood or 1x strapping would probably work just as well.
- Before placing the wood inside the wall, hold the wood over the hole where you’d like it to be positioned. Mark the wall at the where the board ends so you know where to start the screws. Mark the board where it overlaps the hole so you know where to hold the board so it lines up with the marks on the wall.
- Place the board in the wall, holding it so the marks on the board line up with the edge of the hole. Screw through the drywall into the backer board.
- Cut out a piece of drywall that fits in the hole.
- Screw it to the backer board.
- Apply a deep-crack filler around the edge of the patch with a putty knife. This may take several coats to get it smooth.
- Sand the wall smooth.
Ken Dyck 