Tools for Sheetrock Repair

Putty Knife

• The flat blade of a putty knife is ideal for sheetrock mud, which is used to patch holes in sheetrock and to fill nail holes in walls. Putty knives come in varying lengths, from approximately 2 inches to 24 inches. Smaller blades are best for small holes in sheetrock. The larger blades are able to smooth over entire sections of wall easily. Having blades of varying lengths clean and on hand can make repairs of any size problem a snap.

Sandpaper

• In order to repair holes or damage to sheetrock, you will need several sheets of sandpaper with varied surfaces. A 60-grit paper should be used for tougher jobs, like sanding away dried putty, stray bumps of plaster that have dried or knife lines. A finer, 100-grit sandpaper should be used to finish areas before painting over them. A small hand sander or a sanding block isn't essential, but it can help reduce the stress on your hands if you need to do much sanding.

Utility Knife

• A utility knife is essential for repairing sheetrock. You will need to use a knife to cut away any stray paper or shards of gypsum inside the drywall (sheetrock). Make sure the knife has a sharp blade that hasn't dulled or been knicked.

Clean Rags

• After you've finished repairing the sheetrock damage and before you paint it, you'll need to thoroughly clean the area. Use a clean rag -- something sturdy like an old sweatshirt or towel -- to wipe the affected area clean after you've repaired the damage and sanded it smooth.

Paintbrush

• Once you've made all the repairs to the damaged portion of the wall and have sanded the area and wiped it clean, you are ready to paint over the repaired area. Make sure your paint matches the existing color on the wall, then paint over the area with a paintbrush. A wider brush can be helpful in covering the affected area to eliminate uneven coverage when painting over the repaired area.