How to Repair a Hole in Drywall
By Dunwoody Painters ·
The repair depends on the hole’s size. Fill nail and screw holes under ⅛ inch with spackling compound. Bridge a medium hole with two or three crisscrossed strips of paper joint tape set in joint compound. For a large hole, like a doorknob punch-through, cut it square and screw in a new piece of drywall. Then finish in thin coats, sanding between them, and prime before painting.
Which repair fits the size of your hole?
Sherwin-Williams sets the first break point at ⅛ inch: spackling compound below it, joint compound above it. USG’s handbook sends a break too large to repair with joint compound to a cut-out and a plug of sound board.
| Hole | How to repair it | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Nail or screw hole under ⅛ inch | Fill with a putty knife in one or two passes, feather off the excess, let dry, sand smooth. | Spackling compound, putty knife, 220-grit sandpaper |
| Larger gouge, small hole or crack | Fill with a knife, let dry, add a second coat if needed, sand. | Joint compound, putty knife, 150-grit sandpaper |
| Popped nail or screw | Drive a new fastener about 1½ inches from the popped one, reset or pull the old one, cover both. | Drywall nail or screw, hammer or drill, spackling compound |
| Medium hole | Coat the edges, crisscross two or three strips of tape over the opening, embed them, then two coats over the tape. | Joint compound, paper joint tape, finishing knife |
| Large hole, like a doorknob punch-through | Cut it square, screw backing strips behind the long edges, screw in a matching piece of drywall, tape the seams, then three thin coats. | Drywall of the same thickness, wood strips, 1 to 1½-inch drywall screws, joint tape, 6-inch knife |
Why does a drywall patch take several thin coats?
Joint compound shrinks as it dries, which is why Sherwin-Williams calls for a second or third coat to create a level surface, sanding lightly between each. USG’s handbook lists heavy fills and too little drying time between coats as causes of excessive shrinkage. A coat laid over compound that has not yet dried slows the coat underneath, and its shrinkage shows up later than usual.
Let each coat dry fully before the next; USG’s instructions for one ready-mixed patching compound allow about 24 hours between coats at 75°F and 50% relative humidity. Benjamin Moore has you run each layer past the edges of the last and feather it until it tapers to nothing. We finish our repairs the same way, taping and mudding in thin coats and sanding between each one.
How do you make the patch disappear under paint?
Prime it before the paint goes on. Joint compound soaks up paint differently than the painted wall around it, so an unprimed patch shows through fresh paint as a dull or shiny square, called flashing. Benjamin Moore says primer seals the filler and helps keep it from absorbing the new paint.
Match the sheen as closely as the color. An eggshell touch-up on a flat wall catches the light from across the room. When the existing paint has faded or the original can is long gone, repaint the whole wall from corner to corner so there is no edge to find. Fix nail pops and small cracks before any repaint; our checklist for preparing for interior painting covers the rest, and interior painting can follow the repair.
What changes the job: texture, ceilings and water damage
A patch on a textured wall has to carry the same texture to blend in. We match the common textures, from smooth to orange peel and knockdown, skimming and texturing each patch so it reads like the wall around it.
Benjamin Moore calls ceilings notorious for cracks, and its fix widens a ceiling crack into a slightly deeper, wider groove, clear of loose material, before filling it. Overhead, we patch seam cracks and old leak stains, stain-block them, and roll the ceiling out to its edges.
Water-damaged board waits for the leak. The source has to be fixed and the area dry before any repair starts, and the EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. The full order is in our water-damaged ceiling repair steps.
When should you call a painter instead?
Call when the hole is a symptom. These are the signs we look for before a repaint:
- Hairline cracks along the seams and above door and window corners, where normal settling in Georgia clay shows up first.
- Nail pops in a line, which mean fasteners have backed out. Paint only hides them for a season.
- Brown rings, bubbling, or board that gives under a thumb, which mean moisture got in.
- Old patches that stand out as raised squares because they were never sanded or primed.
- Touch-ups that dry a different sheen or shade than the wall around them.
Our drywall repair runs in four steps: we assess the damage and the texture around it; cut, patch, tape and mud; skim, sand and match the texture; then prime so the repair disappears under fresh paint. Sanding makes fine dust, so floors, furniture and doorways are sealed off before we start.
Every repair is priced after we see it. Estimates are free, with a written line-by-line quote, and painting the room can go on the same estimate. The work carries a written 2-year workmanship warranty, and you pay nothing until the job is finished. Browse more painting guides.
Sources
- Videos for Property Managers: Preparation and Wall Repair, Sherwin-Williams. https://www.sherwin-williams.com/property-facility-managers/education/videos-for-property-managers/sw-vid-multi-fam-prep-wall-rep
- How to Fix Cracks and Small Holes, Benjamin Moore. https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/painting-101/fixing-cracks-in-walls
- How to Fix a Hole in the Wall, Benjamin Moore. https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/painting-101/fixing-holes-in-walls
- Sheetrock Brand Patch and Repair Pack Plus 3: Application Tips (J1805), United States Gypsum Company. https://www.usg.com/content/dam/USG/pdpmovedocuments/sheetrock-patch-repair-pack-plus-3-application-tips-en-J1805.pdf
- The Gypsum Construction Handbook, Chapter 12: Problems, Remedies and Preventive Measures, CGC (USG). https://www.usg.com/content/dam/USG_Marketing_Communications/canada/product_promotional_materials/finished_assets/cgc-construction-handbook-ch12-problems-remedies-and-preventive-measures-can-en.pdf
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home
Fill it. Sherwin-Williams uses spackling compound for nail and screw holes under 1/8 inch and joint compound for larger gouges. Let it dry, add a second coat if it has sunk, then sand and prime.
No. Sherwin-Williams keeps spackling compound for holes under 1/8 inch. Benjamin Moore treats a doorknob hole as a large-hole repair: cut it square, add backing strips, and screw in a new piece of drywall of the same thickness before taping and finishing.
Yes. Joint compound is porous, so Sherwin-Williams says to prime the repaired area, or the touch-up paint’s sheen and shade may not match the rest of the wall. USG’s repair instructions end every method with the same step: sand and prime when dry.
Press the board firmly against the stud, drive a new nail or screw about 1½ inches from the popped one, then reset or pull the old fastener and fill both dimples. Sherwin-Williams warns against just pounding it back in. USG’s handbook traces pops to loose fastening, shrinking framing lumber, or both.
Not until the leak is fixed and the area is dry. We then cut out the water-damaged board, replace it, and seal any stain left around the patch with a shellac-based stain blocker. Our workmanship warranty does not cover moisture intrusion from roofing, gutters, or plumbing leaks.