Learn to patch drywall

Watch a tutorial and learn to fill holes and patch drywall like a pro.

Time:: 60 min
Cost:: low
Difficulty:: moderate
Where:: Indoors
Best:: Solo

Learning to patch drywall is genuinely easy, and the reason amateur repairs stay visible is almost always the same: too much filler applied too thickly in one go. The technique is thin coats, each spread wider than the last, with patience between them. The skill is in the feathering, not the filling.

Why learn to patch drywall is worth an hour

A patch is invisible when there is no edge for light to catch. Thick single applications leave a raised island that shows under any side lighting, however well you sand it. Successively wider thin coats spread the transition over enough distance that the eye cannot detect it, which is exactly what professionals are doing when they appear to work slowly.

How to learn to patch drywall step by step

1
Check what is behind the wall first
Cables and pipes run through stud walls. Use a detector before cutting anything larger than a nail hole.
2
Match the method to the hole
Filler for small holes, self-adhesive mesh for medium ones, a cut patch with backing for anything larger than a fist.
3
Apply thin coats, widening each time
Three thin coats beat one thick one every time. Each coat should extend further than the one before.
4
Let each coat dry fully
Sanding damp compound tears it and forces you to start again. Drying time is not the step to rush.
5
Prime before painting
Bare filler absorbs paint differently from the surrounding wall, so an unprimed patch shows through as a dull shape.

Tips to get more out of it

Sand with a light held at a shallow angle to the wall. Raised edges are invisible under direct light and obvious under raking light.
Wear a dust mask when sanding. Joint compound dust is extremely fine and gets everywhere.
Keep a small amount of your wall paint labelled by room. Touch-ups years later are far easier with an exact match.

Ways to mix it up

If the damage is a crack rather than a hole, investigate the cause first, since recurring cracks along the same line may indicate movement rather than a surface problem. If the wall is plaster rather than plasterboard, the technique differs and a plaster-specific filler is required.