How to Repair Drywall

How do you DIY repair drywall in your house? We will show you how. Check out our video tutorials with step-by-step instructions, our slideshows, and our discussion boards. And don't miss our best, top, and new drywall repair projects. Join the Hometalk DIY repair community and let us help you succeed in your home repair job.

How To Fix Torn Drywall Paper

Advice for Repairing Drywall

Repair dents in the drywall: Use a taping knife to apply spackle to the dent, then leave to dry for a day. Use sandpaper for smoothing, then repeat until the dent is gone.
Spray over cracks in the walls: Look for cracks, often found around doors and windows. Fill with a patching compound, then use crack-repair spray to cover the imperfections.
Patch up small holes: Use a hammer to carefully depress nail holes further. Fill with a thin layer of spackling paste – apply carefully and add more coats if needed.
Patch up medium holes: Acquire self-adhesive patches to help the spackle dry. As with smaller holes, apply paste in thin layers and add more coats if required.
Patch up large holes: Use a powder-based joint compound. These are better suited for wider and deeper holes, and you need to be careful when smoothing the compound.

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Top Projects for Repairing Drywall

Check out our top DIY drywall repair projects here. We hope you like it!

How To Fix Torn Drywall Paper

We've all been there. You want to repaint a room in your house. You remove the trim, but maybe you (or your demo hubby) don't score the trim and sure enough... the paint pulls the paper on your drywall right off.

Karrah @ Mrs Do It Herself

$30 DIY Board and Batten

Our front entryway needed a big time refreshing. It faces the north, so it doesn't ever get a lot of natural light and it was just too plain and boring. We knew that board and batten would be a great way to improve it, but we wanted it to look professional and be inexpensive. Read on below and at our site to see how we did it!

Two Make a Home

DIY Whitewash Plank Wall

What I loved about doing this wall feature, was there was no wrong way (amen!). We were going for a rustic, natural, and imperfect feel so I really had fun with this one. When it was time to paint, I played around with color combinations then chose the look I preferred!DIY Whitewash WallMaterials for Wall:- Nail gun and nails - we used 2 inch nails- Stud finder- Tongue and Groove Pine Boards - you can choose to have these cut to the exact length of your walls like we did, or if you want more lines you can cut each board to different lengths.- Jigsaw- TrimMaterials for Whitewashing:- White Paint - we used SW Super Paint velvet in Alabaster- Paint Brush- Container to mix in - We did 5 cups Alabaster: 1 cup water- Spray bottle with water- Dry Cloth- Drop ClothInstalling your boards:Nail your boards to the wall - Using our stud finder we found the studs in the wall, and drew a line down each stud to show us where to nail. We chose not to use liquid nails for this project, so this was an important step. Starting at the very top of your wall use your level to make sure the very first board is perfectly straight. This board is the most important of them all, as it will set your line for your wall! Once your board is level using your nail gun, nail your boards into the studs. Because all of our boards were cut to the length of the wall we simply followed this method for the entire wall until we reached the outlets. We then measured out our outlets, and used the jigsaw to cut around these. And that was it! Our nails were so small that we didn't even need to patch and caulk, especially because we were going for a rustic, natural feel. This was a HUGE time saver!Add trim - We chose to trim out the wall feature, but it definitely isn't a must. We simply measured the height of our wall, cut the trim down, and nailed it right in. Easy, easy! And done, we had our wall feature. Now it was time to whitewash!DIY Whitewash:A few notes before we get started. Installing the tongue and groove boards to the wall was definitely the easier half of this project. The whitewashing is not difficult, but it is time-consuming and takes a bit of playing around with to get it exactly how you want. Don't be discouraged, but I don't want to pretend that it was the fastest moving, mindless thing either! And remember, like I said before there is no perfect way to do this. Play around with it, and get it exactly how YOU love it!Choose your paint - I love SW Alabaster so it was a no brainer that I would go with this color for the walls. I chose their Super Paint because it is not as thick (or expensive) as their top of the line paints, and I was going to be watering it down anyways.Mix up your paint - This is the most important part! I started with 2 cups Alabaster to 1 cup water, and mixed it really well. Wow that makes a lot of paint! I would recommend using smaller amounts while you are coming up with your mixture...lesson learned! The second I applied it to the pine boards, we knew it was way way lighter than we were after. I simply added another 1 cup of paint to my mixture, so now I was at 3 cups Alabaster to 1 cup water. I applied it to another spot on my pine boards, and knew I was getting closer but still not as dark as we wanted. Finally, I ended up with 5 cups Alabaster to 1 cup water. And we LOVED it. It was exactly as we envisioned. It dries quite a bit differently than it goes on, so I would recommend testing out different mixtures, letting them dry and then picking your favorite. Again go with what you love! Every type of wood will take the paint differently, so play around with it and choose what most fits your taste. Apply your mixture - Before applying your paint, lay down a drop cloth. Because your paint is watered down, I highly recommend this step! Next, using your paint brush, apply the paint with the grain. This will allow the texture of the boards to really show through. I had planned on rubbing off the paint with a dry cloth in sections, but as I went along brushing with the grain I loved the look of it! So I ended up only rubbing off when I felt the paint was going on too thick. I also had a small spray bottle of water that I would squirt onto the wall when I needed the paint to thin out a bit. This really helped me achieve an even coat across all the boards.Stand back and admire - Let your first coat dry, and see if it is the look you want. I had planned on putting on a second coat, but after letting it dry it was exactly the look we were going for (woo, because mama was tired!). You also could go back and use a dry brush technique (dip your paint brush in paint then wipe most of it off) to add more texture to your wall. We love that the knots and natural veins of the pine boards show through and didn't want to take away from that! So we stopped at one coat!This whitewash wall is everything I hoped it would be and more! Now this room is such a soothing, relaxing sanctuary. I love the rustic tone it sets for the rest of the room. For all the sources and more details visit:http://www.farmhouseblooms.com/weekly-blooms-whitewashed-wall-nursery/

Farmhouseblooms.com

Create a Waterproof Bathtub Wall for Less than $50

Every time I walk into the new bathroom we installed I know there is no way water will get behind the new subway tiles. It's reassuring to know that the bathtub remodeling project we performed was done correctly and will last the test of time. The super important step we took to prevent water damage was to apply RedGard. It costs less than $50 for 1 gallon and is totally worth every penny. To see how we applied it to our cement board visit my blog post http://www.homerepairtutor.com/waterproof-and-crack-resistant-bathtub-walls/

Jeff P

How to Repair a Large Crack in Plaster

In preparation for redoing out upstairs playroom, I repaired a large crack in our plaster (we’re in an old home). When Repairing a Crack in Plaster you can essentially thinkof this task as being broken down into two parts. 1. Securing Loose Plaster 2. Finishing the Repair. For this project, I used a product called *Big Wally’sPlaster Magic* and I finished almost as if I would if I were repairing drywall. (maybe some helpful info for that too.) I made a video and had great fun working with my 8year old daughter Eva (again). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaEqGJHUyr0) You can find out more about the back story by viewing our site. One Additional Note: when working with older plaster walls lead & even asbestos is of course a possibility. be safe and work cautiously. Thanks and hope it helps. ~jb

Building Moxie

Install Baseboards Over Your Existing Baseboards

Baseboards over baseboards... over baseboards. I've always had a hate/hate relationship with the baseboards in our house. I wanted white and beautiful and this house has ugly brown.

Karrah @ Mrs Do It Herself

Common Molding Mistakes and How to Fix Them

As much as I love the look of molding, I literally start to sweat when I know I’m about to take on a project that requires angled cuts. Precise measurements make me nervous. (That’s why I rarely bake.) Fortunately, my dad and I created a video that shows how to cut molding the right way. Plus I share some recent mistakes I've made.

Living Rich on Less - Susan

Should You Replace or Paint Paneling?

So, you want to update a room with paneling but you just don't know... should you replace or paint paneling? Many older homes in this our have at least one room that has paneled walls. Knotty Pine was quite the rage back in the 50's and 60's. Paneling presents quite a few issues when the time comes to make a change. Certainly changing from paneling's dark appearance can make a family room seem much larger and definitely much brighter. But what do you do?

Great Home Painting

Plain Walls Are Transformed in to Stone Walls With Joint Compound

Creating the appearance of real stone walls is easy with a plaster stone stencil and common, pre-mixed joint compound. Sue Thompson (one of our favorite customers) shows us.

Victoria Larsen Stencils

How to repair settling cracks in the drywall.

This is only a patch, so if significant settling is still occurring at a fast rate, take care of that first. Otherwise, it works well. Best, Charles

Peace Painting Co., Inc.

Create a Waterproof Bathtub Wall for Less than $50

Jeff P

How to Repair a Large Crack in Plaster

Building Moxie

Install Baseboards Over Your Existing Baseboards

Baseboards over baseboards... over baseboards. I've always had a hate/hate relationship with the baseboards in our house. I wanted white and beautiful and this house has ugly brown.

Karrah @ Mrs Do It Herself

Common Molding Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Living Rich on Less - Susan

Should You Replace or Paint Paneling?

Great Home Painting

Plain Walls Are Transformed in to Stone Walls With Joint Compound

Creating the appearance of real stone walls is easy with a plaster stone stencil and common, pre-mixed joint compound. Sue Thompson (one of our favorite customers) shows us.

Victoria Larsen Stencils

How to repair settling cracks in the drywall.

This is only a patch, so if significant settling is still occurring at a fast rate, take care of that first. Otherwise, it works well. Best, Charles

Peace Painting Co., Inc.

Drywall Repair Videos

Watch our step-by-step instructional videos on how to repair broken drywall.

The Easiest Drywall Patch

I learned this patch method from a handyman friend of mine and I’ve used it more times than I can count. It saves time and money because you don’t need to buy a patch kit, nor install wood brackets or braces inside your wall to secure the patch.

Mimzy lombardo

How to Repair Damaged Drywall AfterYour Baseboards Were Removed...

I was called to a home where these folks were getting new tile flooring and they did the do it yourself (diy) baseboard removal themselves before the flooring was going to be put in. Unfortunately they forgot to or didn't know to take a razor knife and score the top of the baseboard caulk where the baseboard meets the wall. If you don't do that you're going to tear the paper on the drywall.

PeckDrywallPainting

Make Your Own Shiplap

The most popular accent wall right now is shiplap. Made famous mostly by Joanna Gaines, star of HGTV's Fixer Upper. Learn how to make your own shiplap

Dfw crown

How to Patch Large Drywall Holes

Big holes in drywall (6”+ across) are a little tricky to tackle. They’re too big for a patch, so you’ll actually need to buy a panel of drywall and patch it with that. We’ll show you how!

Evan and Katelyn

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Drywall Repair Projects

Check out the best DIY drywall repair projects right here and touch up that wall!

DIY fix to hide damaged walls or paneling

If you don't want to invest in new drywall/sheetrock and having paneling, here is a straight forward DIY option if you dont mind a textured wall. Also a good option if you have a heavily damaged wall. These photos are from our cottage on the lake .... I removed all of the molding that covered the seams of the wall board. Then with a bucket of ready made drywall mud and a 6" knife I applied it all over the walls. No need to be perfect and you can apply it as heavy as you want. I did fill the seams of the wall board first, then just started applying throughout the whole room - getting as close to the trim as possible to give a natural look. Give 24 hours to dry completely before painting! Then paint (see staged photos). Then I applied a translucent glaze that I purchased at Lowe's. Finished product is kind of tuscan looking stucco! Affordable and easy .. and its a pretty good workout for your upper body! :)

Designs by BSB

Repairing a Mobile Home Ceiling After Having It Moved

Les and I recently bought and moved a 1999 Clayton home and some inside damage that accourred during transport. No problem Les says and when Les says no problem I know it's not a problem.

Les and Gina

Chipped and Peeling Cabinets: How to Treat Paint Damage

Paint that’s begun to peel is a sour surprise for anyone to come across, especially when it’s found on commonly used cabinets which you just can’t ignore.Maybe it’s due to natural moisture in a humid home, or grime that was left under the current coat, or maybe it’s because the paint covering your cabinets was never applied properly in the first place. Well, regardless of what the reasons might be, the important thing now is fixing the problem so your cabinets can look as clean and crisp as they did when you first got them new.

Kasey

How 2 Make a Cornice Mould (Crown Moulding in Plaster of Paris)

This technique and more are available to buy in paperback or eBook, why not visit the Books shop http://www.naplwebsite.com/the-book-shop.html

Plastering Books

How to Finish Drywall - For Beginners!

A few weeks ago we shared how to install drywall. I told you then that we would be back for the second portion of that post on How to Mud Drywall and today is the day. Installing and Finishing drywall doesn't have to be hard. Hopefully, this step-by-step tutorial will push you to try it.

Ashley@Biggerthanthethreeofus

Plain ugly foundation retaining wall

I hated this ugly wall that I have, but like the privacy. So decided to paint the lines of the brick.

Pam

DIY fix to hide damaged walls or paneling

Designs by BSB

Repairing a Mobile Home Ceiling After Having It Moved

Les and I recently bought and moved a 1999 Clayton home and some inside damage that accourred during transport. No problem Les says and when Les says no problem I know it's not a problem.

Les and Gina

Chipped and Peeling Cabinets: How to Treat Paint Damage

Kasey

How 2 Make a Cornice Mould (Crown Moulding in Plaster of Paris)

This technique and more are available to buy in paperback or eBook, why not visit the Books shop http://www.naplwebsite.com/the-book-shop.html

Plastering Books

How to Finish Drywall - For Beginners!

Ashley@Biggerthanthethreeofus

Plain ugly foundation retaining wall

I hated this ugly wall that I have, but like the privacy. So decided to paint the lines of the brick.

Pam

Popular Repairing Drywall Discussions

Join the discussion on the drywall repair board and let us know what you think.

Drill only went in wall half-way

/> Debra Lynn Kime Venezia

I installed a curtain rod tonight. The end brackets went up just fine. I went to put up the middle support bracket, and the drill hit something very hard and would only go into the wall so far--about half what it should have. The wall anchors wouldn't go in, because they were too long for the short holes, and even the shortest wall anchors I had were too long. I tried shorter screws without wall anchors, and no matter what width screw I used, the holes were just too big, and the screws wouldn't stay in the wall. Without the middle support bracket, the curtain is going to sag really bad. Advice?Best drill bit setHandle any project you have with this drill bit set that Amazon reviewers swear by!

View discussion

Bathroom walls "sweating" sticky stuff? What is it?

/> Cariana Cloe Szatkowski

We bought a home last year and the master bath has been beautifully remodeled, however, when you take a shower the walls are sweating. The fan is rated for the sq footage of the bathroom and it is properly working. We think that when they did a faux plastering on the walls they did not take down the old wallpaper and the sticky residue is wallpaper glue. Could that be what it is? If so, do I need to pull the wallpaper under the paint and the plaster completely off or can I just seal it when it is all dry with a good sealer/primer? HE#LP!

View discussion

How to fix a bad taping/mud job without totally re-doing it??

/> Terry McMullen

My husband used old tape and mud to fix a sheetrock replacement. It looks really bad! Is there a way to fix this without having to start completely over?

How to fix a bad taping/mud job without totally re-doing it??

View discussion

Anyone use barn tin for a shower?

/> Lynn Montgomery Paul

I am wanting to redo our shower. Has anyone made a shower out of tin? Was wanting to make shower base, frame up and use tin as the walls? Anyone have any experience with this?? Saw this idea on Pinterest, but wanting to get some hands on suggestions!! Thanks!

View discussion

New Drywall Repair Projects

Here are the new DIY drywall repair projects at Hometalk. Check them out!

How to Find a Stud in the Wall With and Without a Stud Finder

By Alexa EricksonHanging something up on the wall isn’t always as easy as hammering in a small nail and resting a frame on it. For heavy items, more attention to detail is required. Finding a wall stud is important for stability and safety, which we will explain why below.Keep reading for everything you need to know about how to find a stud in the wall—with and without a stud finder—to anchor the object you want to hang.

Alexa

How to Fix a Hole in the Wall Quickly and Easily

By Marilyn SyartoWhether they are made by accident or not, or they’re small or large, holes in a wall can be unsightly. Learning how to fix a hole in the wall is an easy enough skill even for a novice to tackle. It doesn’t require many tools until you get to the super big holes, and for small- to medium-sized holes, you don’t need to know much about drywall.Our guide gives you steps on how to fill holes in your wall from tiny nail holes to much larger patches. So don’t worry if a doorknob or a toy slams too hard into your wall; it’s all fixable.

Marilyn Syarto

How to Fix Those Ugly Gaps in Your Crown Molding and Kitchen Cabinets

As the seasons change our homes shrink and expand, It’s a generally harmless process but it’s most visible in areas like doorways, around trim work, and seams where we need to fix gaps in molding.

August December Home

Chimney Breast Extension

Anyone who has a chimney breast in their house is likely to know how much of a pain they are and just generally get in the way. But the cost of removing them to gain only a small amount of floor space often isn’t worth it!So when we decorated the main bedroom and got a larger size bed, the chimney breast was actually to narrow to look good with a bed against it. So I set about making it wider and we are so pleased how it turned out.

Simon Catchpole

How to Repair Ceiling Drywall Cracks and Holes

By Brooke RessellYou found the perfect house, put a fresh coat of paint on all the walls, and furnished every last room just the way you like it. You may have even completed a few DIY projects to increase the value of your home and give it that extra wow factor you’ve been dreaming of. But just when you’re finally starting to feel like you’re settled in and like your house is now your home, the unexpected happens—you look up and notice that the ceiling has been damaged and is in desperate need of repair.When you’re a homeowner, it’s always something. Regular maintenance and repairs are just a part of the normal home-owning experience, and there’s certainly no way to avoid them. Fortunately, a drywall ceiling repair isn’t the end of the world. And it doesn’t have to be a big hit to your budget either. Believe it or not, you can complete many drywall ceiling repairs on your own with a few basic tools and materials.With this guide, we’ll show you how to repair ceiling drywall issues that you may be facing so that your house truly feels like a home once again.