[macksmom]

I think, while moving, someone knocked a piece of furniture into my wall while going up the stairs.
Right above one of the baseboards is a fist-sized hole. The piece of drywall is still there, just not attached. I tried to repair it with spackle, but it just pushes the piece of drywall in.

How can I fix this hole?:confused:

[KBC]

I have repaired holes like this by:

Removing the loose drywall piece(if it is just a loose piece,not crumbling)it can be used again.

Taking a piece of wood(1X) a little bit longer than the actual hole size(if the hole is 4" wide made a piece 7" long),and slid it into the opening holding it through the hole,then screwing the wood through the existing drywall/plaster etc. 1 screw on each end.

Then take the replacement piece(or the original,if it is in good enough shape) and screwing it to the wood crossing the opening.

Finishing then with spackle,or drywall compound as needed,sanding and taping,taping is a lengthy,sometimes tricky process requiring a little finesse.

Hope this is helpful,
Ken

[KISS]

You have to cut a new square/rectangular hole.

You can cut drywall with a utility knife. When cutting large pieces. Score and break.

Then you need to glue a couple of strips of wood from the inside of the wall with construction adhesive.

You'll have to devise a method of clamping. Use a strip, drill a hole(s) in and place on the outside of the hole. Use a screw to draw up the wood behind the drywall until it sets. Pre-screw in the screws and remove prior to glueing.

Then cut a piece of drywall to fit the hole and glue to the strips or you can use drywall screws.

Use seam tape on the seams and drywall compound on the seams. Let dry and sand.

Paint.

It's a multi-step process and a lot of hurry and wait for stuff to dry.

[macksmom]

Why is this so confusing to me?? Haha

So with all the screwing and stuff... won't the screws show on the outside? I guess that is what I am not understanding... how to get a the drywall to stay in place?

[Fr_Chuck]

They also make a product that is sort of like screen but sticky like tape, you place this over the hold and then do the drywall work

[KISS]

Is this better?

Patching Drywall Tutorial

[Tommyjo206]

They also make a product that is sorta like screen but sticky like tape, you place this over the hold and then do the drywall work

This is a very easy product to use. It can be found in the drywall area of Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards. It is a stiff screen that has a self adhesive back side. They come in different sizes so get one at least 1-2 inches larger than the hole. You will need a small tub of drywall compound. I like the lightweight type. It drys faster and is easier to sand. The screen should have about 1 inch of wall to stick to. More is OK. Apply the compound to the entire screen surface. Spread the compound beyond the screen at least 2-4 inches in all directions. At the edges, spread the compound thin to blend in with the wall. Wait until completely dry. You can sand (150 grit) the patch smooth but do not oversand. If the screen material shows through, clean the area and reapply compound. There will be a slight hump but this can be minimised by spreading out further from the screen edges. You can also wet sand this. Get a regular sponge and a bucket of water. Wet the sponge and wring well. The sponge should be wet but not dripping. Lightly rub the entire area in circular motions. Rinse often. This eliminates all the dust and most of the clean up. Let it dry and check your work.

[macksmom]

Thanks so much for all your answers! I had no clue how to go about fixing it, once I tried the spackle alone and it failed.

You all rock! :):)

[glavine]

The screen is the best thing to use here for this type hole.

The screen has an adhesive back to it, and will stick to the wall its about 6" x 6" square,
Apply to the wall and with a sheetrock knife (6" knife)apply a coat of sheetrock mud (you can get this in a gallon bucket)

after this drys apply another coat of mud, and try and get this one smoother than the last coat. let this dry and put a final coat of sheetrock mud on, let this dry , each coat will take just under a day to dry,

also when you apply the mudd it should be 3 to 4" bigger than the screen patch you have
So the mudd will cover the patch and lap onto the wall, and this method is done on all 4 sides

After its all dry, sand it smooth with 150 grit sand paper
Prime and then paint, if you don't prime you will see a color difference when you paint, good luck