When you “live” in a house, everyday wear and tear tends to scuff, scar, scratch and slash the walls. In order to hang speakers, framed art and flat screens, you need to pound nails or screws into the surface making holes. What happens when you want to reconfigure the room, paint or you’re getting ready to move? Those dings and holes need to disappear.

 

Hole in Drywall

 

With the right tools, the correct supplies and a little DIY knowledge, you can tackle this job yourself. Here’s how:

Drywall

 

Repair Drywall

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1. Cover tiny nail holes with a small amount of touch-up paint applied with a soft cloth.

2. For small dings, smear the indentation with fast-drying spackle until it’s level with the rest of the wall.

3. Let the spackle dry for 24 hours and sand it smooth.

4. If the hole is the size of a door knob or smaller, purchase a patch kit.

5. Apply the self-sticking patch over the hole, then cover the patch with a thin coat of lightweight joint compound. You’ll need a drywall knife to apply the compound in a crisscross pattern.

6. Let it dry and if needed, apply a second coat of compound.

7. Sand until even with the rest of the wall.

Plaster

 

Plastering Wall

 

1. Using a club hammer and cold chisel, remove the old and loose plaster.

2. At the gap between the joint and where you’ll place the new patch, apply self-adhesive fiberglass mesh tape. This will bond the old and the new together.

3. Commercial patching plasters or two-stage plasters may or may not require you to thoroughly wet the surrounding plaster. Read the directions to find out which type you have.

4. Apply the plaster to the edges of the hole, covering the tape.

5. With a small filler knife, spread the new plaster just shy of the old plaster.

6. Let the patch dry overnight. Expect some shrinking and cracking.

7. The next day, apply a second coat using a trowel, sweeping over the width of the patch.

8. Feather the edges flush with its surroundings. You’ll need to work fast or if using two-stage plaster, you can sponge on a little water to give you a little more working time.

Wall Paneling

 

Repair Wall Paneling

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1. First determine if the wall is actual wood or photo-laminated sheets designed to look like wood.

2. To repair a gouge in solid-wood paneling, first lightly sand with the grain to remove the finish from around the hole.

3. After heating a damp cloth with a hot iron, place the cloth over the distressed area so the wood fibers rise up.

4. With a putty knife, fill the gouge with putty that’s the same color as the paneling.

5. Let dry and then sand, once again with the wood grain.

6. Now you can restain the area.

Wallpaper

 

Repair Wallpaper

 

1. Hold a piece of leftover wallpaper against the hole, match the pattern and then secure it with painter’s tape.

2. Cut the patch to fit using a triangle and a utility knife.

3. Secure the seams with painter’s tape.

4. With a damp sponge, clean up the wall, then fill any holes with spackle.

5. Spread a thin layer of wallpaper paste on the back of your patch, letting the paste absorb for five minutes.

6. Place the paper on the wall and smooth with a smoothing brush.

7. For a tight seam, roll with a seam roller.

 

Do you need help with repairing a damaged wall? Use our instant estimate tool to get a price in seconds and find certified professionals in your area. Get a price. Get a pro. Get it done.

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