Hiding Nail Holes in Drywall

Every once in a while, you may decide to redecorate your room and move a framed picture or other wall hanging from one place to another. In the process, a nail hole is left in the drywall. Instead of leaving the unsightly nail hole in plain view, you can learn to repair it yourself. Filling in a nail hole in drywall is not difficult once you understand the process. A little attention to detail leaves you with a completely concealed nail hole.

Putty knife
Joint compound
Fine-grit sanding block
Tack cloth
Primer
Small paintbrush
Paint

Instructions

- 1
  Fill the nail hole with joint compound using the blade of a putty knife. Press the compound into the hole to fill it. Drag the blade over the surface of the hole and leave a thin skim coat over the hole to allow for some shrinkage as the compound dries.
- 2
  Allow the compound to dry for 24 hours. Sand the area with a fine-grit sanding block until the repair is completely smooth. If the joint compound has shrunk below the surface of the wall, repeat Step 1 and the sanding process until the outcome is a smooth, seamless hole surface.
- 3
  Wipe off the repaired area with a tack cloth just before you are ready to touch up the finish. Dab an even coat of primer over the sanded area using a paintbrush and allow it to dry for four hours. Brush an even coat of paint over the primer using a paintbrush and allow it to dry for four hours. Apply a second coat of paint if needed.

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