By Chris Hrizai, RONA Home & Garden

Repairing drywall is something that every property manager does at one point or another. Luckily repairing drywall is easier than you may think. 

For 40 years we have seen drywall cover homes and business being built, replacing the tedious lathe and plaster walls. Drywall is a flat panel manufactured from gypsum plaster encased in heavy paper. Drywall is also known as gypsum wallboard, plasterboard or sheetrock. Panels typically range in size from 4x8 to 4x12 sheets and 1/4" to 5/8" thick. These panels are nailed or most commonly screwed onto framing and the seams/joints are covered with drywall tape and compound. Walls and ceilings are then primed and painted, occasionally some texturing may be used to add a decorated touch. 

Drywall damage is pretty easy to spot, and borders on obvious. Outside corners in heavy traffic areas show wear and bumps or scrapes. Dents, gouges, holes and sometimes tape can split. These are fairly easy to repair and anyone can learn to repair drywall. 

How to repair a small hole in drywall:
1) Remove the loose drywall and cut away torn paper with a utility knife. 
2) Roughen the edges of the hole with coarse sandpaper, and then wipe away the dust from the hole. 
3) Cut a piece(s) fiberglass mesh tape sufficient enough to cover the hole. Cover the mesh with a fresh coat of drywall compound and let dry. 
4) Apply a second coat of drywall compound, and let dry. 
5) Once this is dry, sand the area, prime it and paint. 

How to repair a large hole in drywall: 
1) mark out a rectangle around the hole with a straightedge. 
2) Cut through the paper surface on the marked lines using a sharp utility knife. 
3) Cut a drywall patch approximately 2 inches in each direction larger than the hole. Remove a 2 inch perimeter but leave the facing paper. This is done by cutting the back side of the sheet and peeling the gypsum from the paper face. 
4) Spread the drywall compound around the outer edges of the hole and along the inner edges. 
5) Place the patch in position and hold it in place for several minutes for it to adhere. Spread more join compound as needed with a drywall compound spreader. 
6) Once dry, sand, prime and paint. 

How to hide a popped nail/ screw: 
1) Use a screwdriver to fasten a drywall screw. approximately 2" above and below the popped screw or nail. Make sure the heads are below the surface of the drywall without breaking the paper face. This is called dimpling. 
2) Carefully dimple the popped nail or screw using a hammer to indent the surface of the drywall, again taking care not to break the surface of the drywall. 
3) Cover the dimples with drywall compound and allow them to dry as recommended by the compound manufacturer. Apply a second coat, if needed, and allow it to dry. 
4) Sand the area with a fine grit sandpaper or sanding sponge, then wipe the surface clean. 
5) Prime and paint the area, blending in with paint on the rest of the wall. 

As an alternative (and less time consuming) solution Rona Home & Garden carries a line of self adhesive mesh/metal drywall patches in various sizes. This product eliminates the need for drywall patches and reduces installation time. The most common use for this product would be to repair drywall damaged by doorknobs. Naturally, Rona carries a full line of drywall accessories to meet your needs.
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If you have a question you would like to have answered by the experts at RONA Home & Garden in “Helping You Manage”, give Chris a call at 654-5751 or e-mail him at commercialsales488@rona.ca or drop by either the 775 Panet Road store or 1333 Sargent Avenue store.

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