What's The Fastest Way To Make A Sheet Rock Repair

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Hi Tom And Jesse

I watched with great interest recently as my room was being built but paid close attention to the work done by the dry wallers and plasterers. I was amazed as to how quickly they got things done. What really interested me was how quickly and perfectly they repaired large holes in underlying drywall where insulation was added. The quickness with which they did this made me wonder what advice you would give as to the fastest way to make a sheet rock repair
 

treitz3

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Hello, Steve and good afternoon to you. There are different ways of repairing sheet rock and many of the techniques used will depend on the circumstances. Some examples would be but are not limited to; whether or not health concerns/dust are a factor, whether there is texture involved, whether it's actually sheet rock, concrete board or plaster, what type(s) of paint have been previously applied, what level of finish is required and how big said patch would be. With that said, I will be happy to answer your question in full detail but this will require some time to fully describe how to get the job done without interruptions for those who would like to know how this is done..

I will be closing this thread until all parts are completed, in which case I will reopen for any questions or inquiries anybody may have. I will add a section at a time, adding as much detail as needed to make sure that anybody wanting to learn the secrets of the trade can do so as if they were a trained professional. The first section will include the tools needed to get the job done, no matter what circumstances one may be presented with. The second section will deal with a brief presentation of the different levels of finish, followed by sections that detail what to do with each type of repair scenario. I will even get into different types of edging like I saw in your room with the rounded bullnose and where to source, install and finish along with different types of edging not found in most stores to offer a laser-straight edge that lasts as long as the house does. Even when dealing with the "not-so-standard" angles one would encounter when building an unfinished attic, for example.

When you speak of fast, the research and development we have performed has made it possible to go from a hole in the wall to a level 5 finish to painted [walk away] with the right tools and with minimum dust in a time frame of 30 minutes. Yes, this is no mis-type. From a hole in the wall to a level 5 finish to painted in 30 minutes and with a minimal amount of dust and cleanup. This is for a permanent repair that is stronger than the original sheet rock, one that you would not want to try and punch your way through [if you get my drift].

Stay tuned...

Tom
 

treitz3

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List of tools needed....

The following are the tools you will need in order to repair a small hole in the wall. Let's say this one is anywhere between 3" to 8" and is located in an area that you do not want to create a lot of dust in...

Utility knife with brand new blades - http://www.amazon.com/KOBALT-Quick-Change-Folding-Lock-Back-Knife/dp/B001G3KURI
2" sticky back mesh tape - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007IB1EB8...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B007IB1EB8
appropriate thickness sheet rock, big enough to more than cover hole - 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch x whatever size required
"Sister studs" - 1X4x8 Common Board, pine - http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-x-4-x-...keyword=1X4x8+Common+Board,+pine#.Ub3Fc5xaE18
Supply of 1-5/8-Inch 6 Coarse Thread Drywall Screw with Bugle Head, Phillips - http://www.amazon.com/Grip-Rite-158CDWS1-8-Inch-Coarse-Drywall/dp/B00004YVI5
Wet/dry vac w/hose and attachments - http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/WD1670-16G-Blower-Vac/EN/index.htm
Clean bucket of water - http://www.bing.com/shopping/5-gal-...?q=+bucket&lpf=0&lpq=bucket&FORM=EGCA&lppc=16
Terry towels - http://m.samsclub.com/ip/proforce-terry-towels-60-pack/125353
5 minute mud [may be a special order and can be found at Sherwin-Williams] - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/hom...plies/drywall-compounds-tools/joint-compound/
Sheetrock mud - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/hom...plies/drywall-compounds-tools/joint-compound/
Variable speed drill with Phillips bit - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-18-Volt-One-Ni-Cad-Drill-Kit-P852/203466928#.Ub3IYZxaE18....with bit holder/guide http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-DEWALT-...828?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c70c1ad4
Circular saw - http://compare.ebay.com/like/111068407639?_lwgsi=y&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
6 in 1 Painter's tool - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AN9G192...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B00AN9G192
3" flexible joint knife, preferably angled - http://www.amazon.com/Purdy-140900030-Premium-3-Inch-Hammerhead/dp/B003C2VFNO
8" x 3" Drywall taping knife, preferably a blue spring flexible blade with rounded edges* - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marshalltow...383?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1f934f17
10 or 12" x 3" Drywall taping knife, preferably a blue spring flexible blade with rounded edges* - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marshalltow...482?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1f934f7a
Paint sprayer, ready to go - http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Electric-Airless-Sprayer-233960/dp/B000PCDDLG
Painter's plastic - http://www.amazon.com/Berry-hd9400-...d=1371393115&sr=8-1&keywords=painters+plastic
Masking tape, if needed - http://www.dollardays.com/i946466-w...ose-masking-tape-3-core-size-2-x60-yards.html
Heat gun - http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/8980
Sanding pad - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000R8IQQU...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000R8IQQU
14in Stainless steel mud pan - http://www.shop.com/14IN_STAINLESS_STEEL_MUD_PAN-815715564-832995951-p+.xhtml?sourceid=1414
Electrical and water source
Trash can or trash bag

* You will need to grind off and file the edges yourself. I will explain this in better detail in another post.
 
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treitz3

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Brief introduction to the different levels of drywall finishes

The following link will educate you to the 5 levels of sheet rock finishes. Just click on the link and scroll down to the first picture, which shows a level zero finish. In many of my posts here in this forum, you will see me refer to a "level of finish". This link will provide you with the knowledge of what I am talking about.

http://nationalgypsum.com/resources/tech-talk-revisiting.htm

For quick reference, I have provided a quick reference guide below that reflects the different levels of finish.



Level zero -



Level one -



Level two -



Level three -



Level four -



Level five -

 

treitz3

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Judging the size of the hole / preparing for tape and mud / mudding

Judging the size of the hole / preparing for tape and mud

Let's say that your hole size is the perfect diameter of a door knob that has gone through the wall. The hole should be around 2" or so. What you would want to do is cut, with your utility knife, an approximate 6" by 6" square out of your sheet rock board. This does not need to be squared off, nor does it have to be perfectly measured. It just needs to be a solid piece that has neither the paper layers or the gypsum layer broken, cracked, wet or otherwise deemed not solid or damaged. In fact, you do not even have to measure it. Just cut what you think would fit over the hole, giving you some breathing room for unseen damaged paper/gypsum behind the actual hole in the wall.

Take the pre-cut 6x6" piece and place over the center of the hole. Just make sure that when you cut this that the cut is straight up and down through the thickness of the sheet rock itself and not cut at an angle. Take the utility knife and with this piece placed up against the wall, use the razor to trace out the exact dimensions of the pre-cut piece. Be very careful not to let the piece move, otherwise, it will not fit perfectly [you can use a pencil if this is easier for you]. When this is done, lightly mark the upper right hand side of the pre-cut piece and the upper right hand side of the wall. This will allow you to know exactly how the piece slides into the wall later.

Now that you have the traced outline of the pre-cut piece marked on the wall, remove it and proceed to cut out the trace you just made, once again, making sure that the cut is straight up and down through the thickness of the sheet rock itself and not cut at an angle. When this is completed, remove the damaged sheet rock. At this point, you want to feel back behind all areas of the existing sheet rock. If any major portions are missing or "crumbled", estimate how big of a piece you will need and repeat the steps you have already taken to insure that their is no compromise of the existing sheet rock. Usually 2" extra on each side will do the trick but sometimes and for reasons I will not take the time to explain right now, the gypsum layer will crack diagonally across the thickness forcing you to increase the size of the repair.

When this has been completed, test to insure that the original pre-cut piece will slide most of the way in and out with no binding. Be very careful not to let it go through the hole and adjust either the pre-cut piece or original sheet rock as necassary. This is just a basic test to see if it will fit into the hole. If it is slightly loose, do not worry. You do not want to force this piece in. You must be able to slide it in and out with no issues. Be sure to use the mark on the upper right hand corner as a guide as to which way the pre-cut piece goes in.

Now we come to the stage of "re-framing". You can use an existing stud for bracing only if it is flush with the sheet rock. Otherwise, sister stud the hole. What I mean by sister studding is taking the 1X4x8 Common Pine Board and cutting it to where it provides a flat surface area for the existing and pre-cut piece of sheet rock to screw into. Since each board is 4" wide, you want 2" to be exposed on the left and right side of the opening to screw your pre-cut piece into and 2" to be behind the existing sheet rock. As seen in the diagram below, you will see what I am talking about.

[diagram will be added soon]

The sister studs do not to be precisely measured. The only things you need to insure are that; 1) you can fit it into and behind the hole. 2) it overlaps the top and bottom of the hole by a minimum of two inches. 3) there are no obstructions behind the sheet rock that would prevent the first two from happening.

Generally, I sister stud on both the left and the right of the hole. Sometimes there are things behind the sheet rock that prevent this from happening. In cases such as this, simply sister stud on the top and bottom. Either way is just as strong as the other, I just find it easier to do the left and right for sister studding. Before sister studding, make sure that all debris is cleared away from the back of the sheet rock where the sister studs will go. You want to insure that the sister studs will stay flush at all points to the existing sheet rock. When this is done, go ahead and screw in the sister studs as seen in the diagram above. This provides the framework to place the pre-cut piece into the hole [remember the mark at the upper right hand corner].

At this point, you want to insure that both the opening edges as well as the pre-cut piece edges are clean of any debris or paper that sticks out beyond the substrate. You can simply take your utility knife and shave off [at an angle] a 1mm to 2mm section, providing an edge that sheers off cleanly on all sides. When this is done, place the pre-cut piece into the opening and screw in place. Please note - when inserting the screws, make sure that the screws do not punch through the top paper layer of the sheet rock for both the sister studs and the pre-cut piece. You want it to slightly dent the sheet rock paper layer but not punch through or stick out from. The end result if everything has been done properly up to this point will yield a flat surface that is uninterrupted in any height variances with the sole exception of the sheered off edges of the original sheet rock and the pre-cut piece. *Please note that with textured surfaces, the area around said repair will have to be sanded with 100 grit sandpaper [less grit under certain circumstances] at least 6-8" around all sides of the repair itself.

Now you can take your mesh tape and without overlapping any tape, cover the existing break on the sheet rock surface. be sure to use a sharp razor blade and carefully pull off any loose strings. You want the surface to remain flat with no areas or strings [from the mesh tape] protruding beyond that of the the tape surface itself. Only apply one layer of mesh tape along the areas needed to be mudded.

Mudding / Spackling

At this point, the sheet rock repair is ready to be mudded. What you want to do is get your;
bag of 5 minute mud
water source [bucket of water or faucet]
3" spackling knife
8" taping knife
10" taping knife
12" taping knife
mud pan


**At this point, time is of the essence. No smoke breaks and ignore all phone calls. You literally have about 5 minutes after mixing to apply this particular type of compound, so to the rest of the world? You are unavailable for this next step [once water is added to the 5 minute compound]. Take about two scoopfuls of the compound and place it in the mud pan. Do not worry about the "proper amount", you will learn as you go but you will not need much for this size repair. Add water a little at a time and mix with the 3" knife. Too thin and it will shrink too much and not apply properly. Too thick and it cures faster than the 5 minutes allotted. The key is to make it the consistency of a cake mix.

If you add too much water, do not fret. Just dump the excess water/mixture into a garbage pail or trash bag. [Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT pour it down the sink!!!] If it turns into a paste with original 5 minute mud still in powder form, simply add a "little" bit of water. As soon as all of the powder has turned into the consistency of a cake mix, you are ready to mud. Grab the same 3" knife you used to mix the compound and proceed to "push" the compound into the cracks of the repair, being careful not to disturb any of the mesh tape. At this point, you do not need to worry about being neat or clean with regards to a flat finish. Your main goal is to push the compound into the cracks to completely fill the voided areas with the compound itself.

Once this is completed, grab your 8" drywall taping knife. Here's where the artistry comes in [in a manner of speaking]. What you want to do is completely cover the mesh tape, making sure that the [3-D] impression of the mesh tape is not visible to the naked eye. While it will still be visible, your objective during this stage is to make it to where if you were to rub your hand over it [figuratively speaking....do not actually do this], there would be no "feel" of mesh tape or cracks from the repair. At this point, do not worry about floating out the rest of the repair to make it completely smooth. Simply cover the patch and the mesh tape as close as you possibly can to the mesh tape itself, making it as smooth as you can. This can be easily achieved within a 5 minute span, even if you are a beginner. Just follow the instructions provided to a "T".

The next step is to take the mud pan and thoroughly clean it out of any and all mud/debris. Water and a Terry towel will do this but do not wait. 5 minute mus is just that. It sets within 5 minutes and after that, it becomes rather hard to remove from the pan. You basically have to chisel it out if you wait longer than that. Once more, throw all of the mixture into a trash can, NOT the sink.

Now, if you have done this correctly up to this point? All that is left is to "float" it out. If you look back up at the different levels of drywall finishes [post #4], you are basically going from a level 3 finish to a level 4 finish. This is "floating" and will make the patch no longer visible to the naked eye when floating out properly. Please note - While this is easy for myself, it has been my experience that to an untrained person, this can be the single most difficult part of the process and this is typically IME where most of the repairs fail. Please allow me to digress. I am not trying to intimidate you with this. While it may be easy for me, there is no way that you can "botch" the entire project if you do not get it right the first time. So relax. You may have to do another coat and you may have to let it dry overnight depending on how much pressure/what angle you place on the knife or how you applied your first coat but it's all good. It's an easy repair/fix, it will just take a little bit more time than anticipated and you will still be ahead of schedule from a typical professional who doesn't use this method of repair.

With that said, scroll back up to the ** and re-read the two paragraphs that explain how to mix the mud once again [if needed]. Basically, mix up a new batch of mud and this time, you will simply concentrate on filling in the area of the center of the patch to the farthest point your taping knife will take you on the existing sheet rock to smooth it out. For this, you will need the 10" taping knife. Your objective during this stage is to basically go from the mesh tape to the existing sheet rock, smoothing it out to a flat surface.

By the time you have cleaned out your mud pan and remixed the new batch of mud, the existing coat you just applied will have been set. This does not mean that you can sand, this only means that it has been "set" for the next coat to be applied. You have the ability with 5 minute mud to apply as many coats as you want without having to wait for a regular sheet rock mud application to dry. Please keep in mind that the bulk of the 5 minute mud will be "set" but the thinner the coat you have with the 5 minute mud, the quicker it actually dries. This is not good because when it is drying, it has the tendency to curl up when the taping blade is moved across it. With that said, going from start to finish with the 5 minute mud is almost essential for a quick repair with no waiting. The final coat will be applied shortly and will not have this issue and I will explain more about that shortly. For now...

Concentrate on filling in the area of the center of the patch to the farthest point your taping knife will take you on the existing sheet rock to smooth it out. If you have any "lines", these are caused by foreign objects that have infiltrated the mud or a small nick in the blade. If it is because of the blade, replace the blade or file out. If if is because of the mud, simply discard the contaminated mud to the other side of the mud pan or trash can/garbage bag and do not use again. Proceed quickly. Taper out to the best of your ability at about a 20 degree angle and without applying too much pressure all of the way around the patch. If it isn't absolutely perfect, don't worry about it. Just try to make sure during all of the processes that there are no visible and 3 dimensional air pockets, curl ups or deep gouges within the mud. Anything and everything should be as flat as possible. If you have slight [less than a mm or two] lines caused by lifting the knife up off the floated area, do not worry about that either. In about 2-3 minutes, you will be able to scrape that off easily with the taping knife when used as a "razor" [no pressure at all...think shaving razor] to remove anything that happens to be somewhat 3-D.

Go ahead and thoroughly clean out your mud pan, grab the regular mud and the 12" taping knife

By now, you are ready for the final application of mud. This is the easiest step but you have to be careful. You have the ability to digress with your project if not done with a gentle hand. You have to remember that the 5 minute mud has "set", not dried yet. With keeping that in mind, fill the mud pan with a full scoop of regular mud with the 3" knife. Spread around the regular mud on one side of the mud pan, keeping most of it concentrated in the center. Scoop up the regular mud with the taping knife and gingerly apply the slightest of coatings just to fill in the minor imperfections left behind by the 5 minute mud. Be extra careful not to apply too much pressure around the areas where the 5 minute mud was applied thin or curling might occur. Certain areas may tend to be stubborn, feel free to go ahead and use the 3" knife for those areas. Just make sure that when you break out the 3" knife that only a minimal amount of regular mud was utilized in that particular area and once again, do not use too much pressure and always stay at an angle with not much pressure used.

Almost done.

Clean out your mud pan and break out the hair dryer or heat gun. [*NOTE: Please consult your owners manual for safety instructions when using this tool, as serious consequences may result]. Take the heat gun and in a swirling pattern dry the regular sheet rock mud layer, paying attention to the color of the repair. The regular sheet rock will have a grey/white tint and the 5 minute mud will have a grey tint. The regular sheet rock mud will turn bright white when dry. The 5 minute mud will barely change color. Only worry about the color of the regular sheet rock mud. When all portions of the regular sheet rock mud are bright white, then you can *very lightly* run your hands across it to insure that there is no clearly noticeable dips or hills within your repair. If you can feel any variance, you will definitely see it. Just taper out with 5 minute mud once again [if needed] and repeat the step with the regular mud/drying, no biggie.

At this point [hopefully within an elapsed 25 minutes], you should be done with the repair. The only things left to do are to sand it down and spray the patch. To sand, take a sanding pad and ever so gingerly, sand whatever needs sanding to a fine finish with no dips, gouges, lines or humps. Be VERY careful not to disturb the layer of 5 minute mud that has not dried yet.

At this point, if you have a sprayer ready? It is ready to paint. If you do not have a sprayer? You will have to wait until the next day in order to brush or roll said patch or you will run the risk of disturbing the 5 minute mud layer by adding extra moisture to the affected area and breaking through the extremely thin regular mud layer.

Congratulations! You have just repaired your hole in the wall quickly and efficiently.

Tom
 
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treitz3

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Rounding the edges of the knife...

A tapering knife comes stock with perfectly [well, hopefully] square edges. While this may sound like this would be optimal for providing a smooth surface, in reality, this is not the case. Unfortunately, walls are filled with imperfections that rise and dip throughout a wall. This is normal with today's and yesterday's builders. If you do not believe me, take a lamp and place the bulb as close as humanly possible without touching the wall itself at the furthest lower corner and step back to the furthest part of the room. [A flashlight will work just as well] The shadows will show you just how "imperfect" your walls actually are.

Knowing that, the taping knife that was precision made for a "perfect" wall is now "imperfect". To combat lines caused by the knife itself along with the normal wall imperfections, a professional will round the edges of a taping knife. It only takes a little bit with a grinding wheel or file. No more than a 1/4 inch to a 1/2 an inch, situation dependent. This is followed by a fine sanding and buffing of the modification. At this point, the taping knife(s) can be used in the real world.

One VERY important point, the edges of the tapering knife should be cherished and treated like it was your first born. One medium nick, one bend and the knife is ruined. You must basically treat the edge of the blade as you would the razor than shaves your Adam's Apple. Never, ever just throw it into your toolbox and expect it to ever do what you want it to again. Treat this tool with the utmost of respect if you expect the job to get done and done right efficiently the first time.

One other note, when shopping for tapering knives? Always look for a rounded edge. No, I'm not talking about rounding the corners. I'm talking about a rounded flat edge. One side of the blade should always be concave. If a knife is straight all of the way across? Leave it at the store. It's useless. When you do find a knife that is concave with seeming precision, buy it. Always use the convex side for any repairs. This goes with any knife used for sheet rock repairs, tapering tool or otherwise.

Tom
 

treitz3

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Dec 25, 2011
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Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This thread is now open. While it is still not done and there are many more sections I would have hoped to have had the time to complete before now, perhaps we can discuss these things in a different post or thread. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. No question is a dumb question, especially if you have never used these products before or have never attempted to make a repair like this before with this kind of time frame in mind.

Tom
 

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