How to Replace Damaged Drywall

Drywall is the thin layer of paper-covered chalk that sits on the wall studs in modern homes, forming the wall surface. It's hung in 8x4-foot sheets that are then "taped" together at the seams with plaster. A damaged area of drywall doesn't have to be patched back to the seams, but it does have to be patched back to the nearest studs so that the new piece of drywall has something to attach to. Make sure the drywall you buy for the patch is the same thickness as that of the wall (half an inch is standard, but there are thinner and thicker options).

Pencil
Level
Jigsaw
Tape measure
Circular saw
2x2 board (long enough to span the length of the damaged area twice)
Half-inch plywood
Screw gun
Drywall screws (2-3/4 inches and 1-1/2 inches)
Drywall
Utility knife
Self-stick drywall tape
Joint compound
Drywall knife
Drywall sander

Instructions

- 1
  Mark out a square around the damaged section, using your pencil and level. Make the width of the marked area go far enough out so the two vertical sides run alongside wall studs at either end. Use a jigsaw to cut out the marked area.
- 2
  Measure the vertical sides of the cutout hole, along the studs. Use your circular saw to cut two pieces of 2x2 board at that length.
- 3
  Screw the two 2x2 boards to the sides of the wall studs, using your screwgun and 2-3/4-inch drywall screws. Set the front edge of each board so it's even with the front edge of the studs and set back from the surrounding drywall.
- 4
  Measure the width of the hole. (If the damage is entirely within two studs, it will normally be 14-1/2 inches wide.) Cut two pieces of plywood at that length and 6 inches wide, using your circular saw.
- 5
  Screw the two plywood pieces behind the drywall, across the upper and lower edges of the hole, using 1-1/2-inch drywall screws. Drive the screws through the drywall surface while holding the plywood pieces behind it, letting half the widths of the plywood scraps jut out into the opening, with the other sides behind the drywall and held to it with the screws.
- 6
  Cut a piece of drywall to the size of the holes by scoring the surface with a utility knife and bending at the scored line until it snaps.
- 7
  Set the drywall patch into the hole, pressed against the 2x2s on the sides and the plywood along the top and bottom. Secure the piece to the boards with 1-1/2-inch drywall screws every 6 inches around the perimeter.
- 8
  Set drywall tape around the seams of the piece. Spread joint compound over the tape with a drywall knife, getting it flat and smooth.
- 9
  Let the joint compound dry for four hours. Spread on a second coat of compound. Let it dry and apply a third coat.
- 10
  Sand the compound with your drywall sander, getting it smooth. The wall is ready for repainting.

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