# How Difficult is it to Repair Drywall/Plasterboard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269 "2001-10-03T21:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/1 "2001-10-03T21:51:22Z")
I recently purchased a house and am having some work done on it. I was recently noticed that my contractor cut a small rectangular hole (about 12" by 24") in the sheetrock wall of a room in the basement. I haven’t spoken to the guy yet, but I’m wondering – why would anyone do this; and more importantly, is it difficult to repair so that it’s as good as new? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/2 "2001-10-03T22:03:20Z")
Is there anything behind it like pipes or wiring? Or maybe it had some damage to it already, or the wall of the basement in that area? Hard to say why without asking him. And sheetrock repair is relatively easy. Anyone with half decent attention to detail can fix it and you’ll never know the hole was there. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/3 "2001-10-03T22:16:36Z")
[Here is a link](http://www.handymanwire.com/articles/drywallpatch.html) that I found after I typed what you may choose to read below. I have done a fair share of drywalling in my day and I can positively, absolutely tell you that it will take you no more than an hour(total) to fix the hole. Here’s what you do: Cut two strips(three would work better but two will suffice) of wood(a 1x2 would work best) to about six inches longer than the size of the hole. Stick the pieces of wood inside of the hole(horizontal or vertical, it doesn’t matter. Place a small amount of glue on the ends of the sticks and crew them in on both sides with a couple of drywall screws, two on each end. If there is a stud(vertical 2x4) in the way screw the sticks in vertically. Now, cut a pice of drywall to the exact size of the hole, using the strips of wood as _nailers_( something to screw the drywall to). Before you screw down the patch piece, cover the sticks with either glue or a thin layer of adhesive silicone caulk(Liquid Nails brand works great). Also, file down the edges of both the hole and the patch piece about 1/8", and make sure you cut off all of the hairy paper that might make the mudding(drywall compound) process difficult. Mudding Buy a small jar or box of drywall compound. Smooth it out over the cracks. Do not try to do too thick of a layer at once or it will take forever to dry. Pack it deep in the cracks with a putty knive or anything hard and smooth(a CD jewel casette over will work fine.) Wait until it is dry to put on the final layer. Sand it smooth with no coarser than 150 grit sandpaper. ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/4 "2001-10-03T22:27:51Z")
Thanks for the replies - they give me some comfort. On the other hand, it strikes me that the back of the wall (which is visible from another room) will be noticeably altered. Although it was never pretty, it will now look somewhat irregular. Am I right? Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/5 "2001-10-03T22:32:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lucwarm \* > \*\* > it strikes me that the back of the wall (which is visible from another room) will be noticeably altered. > \*\* Why, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/6 "2001-10-03T22:37:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sultan Kinkari \* > \*\* > Why, exactly? \*\* Well, the “strips” you described would remain attached to the back of the wall, no? Thanks, Dave ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/7 "2001-10-03T22:44:38Z")
No, you place them _inside_ the hole that has been made in the wall. The other side of the wall won’t be effected at all. Look at the link I gave you. Instead of strips of wood they suggested a single board, the strips might be easier. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/8 "2001-10-03T22:46:15Z")
Do you mean that the wall only has drywall on one side? The other side of the wall is unfinished with exposed studs? ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/9 "2001-10-03T22:51:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sultan Kinkari \* > \*\*Do you mean that the wall only has drywall on one side? The other side of the wall is unfinished with exposed studs? \*\* Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/10 "2001-10-03T22:54:51Z")
Drywall the other side and you’ll have two nice walls:) ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/11 "2001-10-03T22:56:44Z")
Looks like you have yourself a brand new doggy door! I’ll see if I can think up some creative solutions. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/12 "2001-10-03T23:09:10Z")
On the other side, between the studs, nail in some 2 x 4’s in a way that they cover the seams and you’ll have a knick-knack shelf? Don’t fix the hole. Put some moulding strips on the edges and voila… a framed 3-D picture of the other room! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/13 "2001-10-03T23:25:15Z")
Save us some time & ask the contractor what he is up to. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/14 "2001-10-04T00:37:15Z")
Maybe I’m being stupid, but should the contractor fix it? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/15 "2001-10-04T00:38:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*Maybe I’m being stupid, but _should_ the contractor fix it? \*\* make that **shouldn’t**. ---
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/16 "2001-10-04T03:35:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Sultan Kinkari wrote: > > Pack it deep in the cracks with a putty knive or anything hard and smooth(a CD jewel casette over will work fine.) Don’t you have to use tape? I thought it would crack if you didn’t? ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/17 "2001-10-04T03:49:17Z")
Honestly, the first time I saw a handyman show where they casually cut into the drywall to check something behind it, I was shocked. Shocked, I’m telling you! How could they do that, violate the pristine flat plane that is a wall of drywall! We had a roof leak a few years ago and I wondered how they were going to fix it without taking the entire ceiling down. But since then, I’ve learned that it’s no big deal. They do it all the time (cut a hole and replace the piece, or saw out the damaged part and put a new patch on), and they can fix it so no one would notice. Obviously if the other side is a bare wall with studs showing, it will show, but I’m guessing that this is not a room where aesthetics matter anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/18 "2001-10-04T03:58:54Z")
**lucwarm** , please tell us the location of the hole in relation to the wall so we can provide some more focused suggestions. Up high? Down low? Smack dab in the middle? Near the door? ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/19 "2001-10-04T13:23:12Z")
Ok, thanks for the tips guys. I just chatted with the contractor, and apparently they cut the hole so that they could fit a long piece of wood into the room to replace a rotted joist. The room where the wood is going is a narrow area that contains the boiler and hot-water heater (Why do they call it that? - just kidding). The contractor assured me that the hole would be fixed. And yes, aesthetics aren’t the biggest concern in the boiler-room - but still, I would rather not have anything terribly odd looking in there. Thanks again for the suggestions. P.S. the hole is about 5 feet above the floor, right between two studs. ---
**Author:** ![seawitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seawitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seawitch)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-difficult-is-it-to-repair-drywall-plasterboard/85269/20 "2001-10-04T13:56:44Z")
Well, if the contractor’s going to fix it, no big deal - but I do have an invisible repair method. Cut a piece of drywall to fit the hole just the way **Sultan** described. Now put a couple of big nails in the face, pounded part way in, so they can act like handles for moving the drywall around. Place the drywall in the hole. Use strips of masking tape on the upper half to hold it in place. The nail handles will let you make minor adjustments. Mud the bottom half, or anywhere the tape isn’t in the way. Again, do it just the way **Sultan** posted. After you get the front done, run around into the other room and smooth the back side of the cracks. Once the mud dries completely, remove the tape and mud those spots. You can also remove the nails and cover the holes. Sand smooth. I use a damp sponge for smoothing - it works like fine grit sandpaper, except there isn’t any dust when you’re done. This only works for small areas. The hole you describe may be too big - if the patch piece weighs too much, the mud won’t hold it in place. But for those little spots, it works like a charm.