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How to Fix a Large Hole in the Wall

Having large holes in your wall isn’t good.

Water leaks, kids playing, clumsy husbands…

They create drywall disasters.

This past weekend I needed to install a pedestal sink.

To do that I had to add wood blocking to the stud bay in the bathroom.

My wall had a gaping hole in it when I was done.

In a few hours I got the wall looking better than new.

I’ll show you how I did it in today’s tutorial  ðŸ˜€

I’m gonna share a ton of great tips.

Any beginner can do what I did but first…

Here’s your supply list

  • Wood Blocking (typically 1 x 3 or 2 x 4 and $2)
  • Measuring Tape (FREE)
  • Decking Screws (2 or 3 inch, $5 for box)
  • Pencil (FREE)
  • Hammer (FREE)
  • Utility Knife ($5)
  • Drywall Saw ($8)
  • New Drywall ($10 max)
  • Drywall Screws (coarse threaded for wood studs, $5 for box of 1 5/8″ long screws)
  • Dimpler or Drywall Screw Setter ($5)
  • Setting Type Joint Compound ($10)
  • Putty Knife ($5)
  • 6 inch Joint Compound Knife ($9)
  • 10 inch Joint Compound Knife ($10)
  • Mud Pan ($14)
  • Drill or Impact Driver (FREE)
  • Drill Bit Set (FREE)
  • Mixing Paddle from Kitchen (FREE but ask!!!)
  • Drywall Paper Tape ($2 for 250 foot roll)
  • Dust Mask ($5)

There are a lot of supplies but you will use them again. Even if you’re fixing smalls holes.

Let’s jump into the first part, figuring out how to get a perfectly cut piece of new drywall for your hole.

How to prep your drywall hole

In this tutorial I had to add blocking for a pedestal sink.

If your hole is in the middle of the stud bay it’s a good idea to do one of two things

  • either cut back the drywall to the next stud location
  • or add wood blocking to the old drywall

Adding wood blocking allows you to secure the new drywall. Any 1 x 3 wood will work.

After you do that, measure the hole. Find the largest dimensions for the width and height.

Measure hole dimensions

Cut a new piece of drywall that covers those dimensions.

Place that piece of new drywall over the hole and trace it’s outline on the wall with a pencil

Trace new drywall piece

Cut along the outline with a drywall saw.

I personally like to cut along the outside of the pencil mark to create a slightly bigger opening for the new drywall.

Saw Traced Outline

Score the drywall with a utility knife where it butts against studs, you’ll be able to snap it off if it’s not glued to the stud!!

Thank goodness my drywall wasn’t glued, that can be pain in the @$$.

Make sure all nails and screws are removed from studs.

Mark the stud locations on the old drywall.

Mark Stud Locations

And if you have any pipes in the wall or wiring, mark a HUGE X on the wall to note their location.

You don’t want to accidentally drill a screw into a pipe or wire, that’s a bad surprise waiting to happen.

In the video I give you a good tip if you’re working in a bathroom.

Place tape over any shutoff valves if the supply lines are missing.

This prevents drywall dust from getting into the shutoffs.

Dust in shutoffs will transfer to your faucet and possibly cause it to clog, NOT GOOD!

Now it’s time to install the new piece of drywall.

And boy do I have some great tips for you.

Adding new drywall (tips out the wazoo)

Wazoo is a great word.

I looked it up on the urban dictionary. Funny stuff to say the least.

Two things I didn’t mention in the video

  • if you have wood studs use coarse threaded screws
  • if you have steel studs use fine threaded screws

Just a quick tip 😀

I like screws to be 8 inches apart.

Place the new drywall piece in the hole and secure it using a dimpler/drywall screw setter.

Dimpler

Dimplers help set drywall screw the correct depth.

And it’ll help prevent you from tearing the drywall paper, which is a no no.

Here’s the deal, you can use pre-mixed joint compound or setting-type joint compound.

The benefits of pre-mixed joint compound are it’s totally smooth (no chance for lumps) and gives you a great finish.

But it can take a long time to dry.

Setting-type joint compound has to be mixed and this creates a chance for lumpiness and a bad mud job.

That said, if you mix it correctly then you can fix a wall in one day because it will dry quickly.

I like using setting-type joint compound 20 or 45 because it dries in 20 or 45 minutes.

Setting type joint compound

Drying times depend on temperature and humidity though.

Watch my video for all the details on how to mix the joint compound and apply it.

There are way too many details for me to describe in a written post and I don’t want you to fall asleep while reading.

Videos are way better for this kind of project 😀

What’s Next

Lots of money can be saved by doing your own drywall work.

Our tutorial on how to fix a drywall ceiling saved me at least $600.

If you’re doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join one of our online courses – they’ll make your bathroom renovation much easier!

Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.

Thanks as always for reading, watching, and being part of our awesome community.

Cheers,

Jeff

Large Hole Repair