How to Patch a Hole in Drywall: Small, Medium and Large

Doorknobs, furniture, wall anchors and moving day all leave holes in drywall. The good news is that drywall is designed to be repaired: gypsum and joint compound bond well, and a careful patch disappears completely under paint. The method depends almost entirely on the size of the hole.

Choose the method by size

Hole size	Best method
Nail, screw or anchor holes	Spackle with a putty knife
Up to about the size of a doorknob	Self-adhesive mesh patch plus joint compound
Larger than a fist, or with crumbled edges	Cut out and replace with a new piece of drywall on backing
Hole with a wire, pipe or stud behind it	Check what is behind before cutting; adapt the patch

Before you start

Check what is inside the wall before cutting a large opening, since wiring and plumbing often run in wall cavities. If the house was built before 1978, the EPA notes it is more likely to have lead-based paint, and sanding painted surfaces can create lead dust; consider testing first and use lead-safe practices. Older textured surfaces and patching compounds can also contain asbestos according to the EPA, so have suspect material tested before sanding.

Small holes: spackle

1. Push in any paper fibers sticking out and lightly scrape the surface flat.
2. Press lightweight spackle into the hole with a putty knife, then scrape across to leave it slightly overfilled.
3. Let it dry, sand lightly with a fine sanding sponge, and wipe off the dust.
4. Prime the spot before painting; unprimed patches often show as a dull “flash” through new paint.

Medium holes: mesh patch

1. Trim loose paper and crumbled gypsum from the edges.
2. Center a self-adhesive mesh patch over the hole and press it flat.
3. Spread a thin coat of joint compound over the patch with a 6-inch knife, feathering the edges a few inches beyond the mesh.
4. Let it dry completely, then apply a second, wider coat. A third thin coat may be needed.
5. Sand lightly between coats only where needed, then prime and paint.

Thin coats dry faster and crack less than one thick coat.

Large holes: replace the section

1. Draw a square or rectangle around the damage and cut it out with a drywall saw, keeping cuts straight.
2. Screw wood furring strips inside the opening, behind the edges, so the new piece has something to attach to.
3. Cut a piece of drywall of the same thickness to fit the opening, and screw it to the strips with screw heads just below the surface.
4. Cover the seams with paper or mesh tape embedded in joint compound.
5. Apply two or three thin finishing coats, each wider than the last, feathering several inches beyond the seams.
6. Sand smooth, prime and paint.

If the opening reaches a stud, screw the new piece to the stud on that side.

Holes around outlets and anchors

Holes next to an electrical box need extra care. Turn off the breaker, remove the cover plate, and patch up to the box edge without pushing compound into it. For holes left by plastic wall anchors, pull or push the anchor flush first: tap it in slightly below the surface with a nail set, then fill. A protruding anchor rim shows through even several coats of compound.

Match the texture

Many walls are not perfectly smooth. Orange peel and knockdown textures can be matched with aerosol texture sprays sold for patching; practice on cardboard first. Match the sheen of the existing paint as well, or the patch will be visible at an angle.

Common mistakes

• One thick coat of compound. It shrinks, cracks and takes days to dry.
• Over-sanding through the paper face, which leaves a fuzzy surface.
• Skipping primer, so the patch shows through paint.
• Patching over a wet wall. Find and fix the water source first.
• Cutting blindly into a wall with wires or pipes.

When to call a pro

Call a drywall contractor for large areas of damage, ceilings where a patch must support its own weight overhead, plaster walls, or walls where water damage has softened the gypsum. Bring in a licensed professional before disturbing walls in a pre-1978 home where lead paint has not been ruled out, or textured surfaces that may contain asbestos. A wet or stained patch area means there is a leak to fix first.