How to Patch Drywall Holes Like a Painting Contractor
Everyone knows that one of-if not the most-important parts of any successful paint job is the initial prep work.
Putting extra time and care into the preparation phase of the job will pay dividends and it will appear at the end as if a professional painting contractor had been hired for the project.
The first thing to determine is which patching material best suits your specific situation.
The goal of the first coat of compound is just to fill the hole or dent as much as possible, and the patching material should be applied generously.
Once your first coat is dry, a thorough sanding to make the dried compound flush with the wall should be followed by another coat of lightweight compound, applied using a 6 inch taping knife and extending significantly further out around the hole than the first coat.
For example, if your first coat of compound surrounds the hole at a radius of 1 inch, the second coat should create a radius around the hole of 6-10 inches.
When your second coat is completely dry, lightly sand it with a fine grit sanding block, feathering the edges until there is no texture at all.
The trick here is to sand neither too much nor too little.
Once you think you have the patch perfectly smooth, run your hand over the patch and look at it again from all angles to make sure it's perfect.
If it's not as smooth as it could be, apply a third coat of compound, extending even further around the hole than the second coat and repeat the sanding process.
Another often-overlooked but equally important principle to keep in mind when doing any kind of painting work is to keep your tools and materials free of dirt, debris and dried out materials.
This especially comes into play when working with joint compound or any other patching material, which can easily dry out inside of its container.
If your compound is old or has been exposed to the air for too long, you'll end up with small pebble-like chunks of compound, and the end result will not be pretty.
If you have an old container of compound or spackle that's been sitting in your basement for years, it's time to throw it into the trash barrel, open up the wallet and buy some new materials (it really isn't that expensive).
If you want your project to look like it was done by a top-of-the-line professional painting contractor, these are the details you'll need to keep a close eye on.
Putting extra time and care into the preparation phase of the job will pay dividends and it will appear at the end as if a professional painting contractor had been hired for the project.
The first thing to determine is which patching material best suits your specific situation.
- If the holes and dents in the wall are deeper than the thickness of a dime, a light-weight joint compound should be used.
- If the imperfections on your walls are merely superficial and not very deep at all, a thin coat of light-weight spackling and a light sanding with a fine grit sanding block should do the job.
The goal of the first coat of compound is just to fill the hole or dent as much as possible, and the patching material should be applied generously.
Once your first coat is dry, a thorough sanding to make the dried compound flush with the wall should be followed by another coat of lightweight compound, applied using a 6 inch taping knife and extending significantly further out around the hole than the first coat.
For example, if your first coat of compound surrounds the hole at a radius of 1 inch, the second coat should create a radius around the hole of 6-10 inches.
When your second coat is completely dry, lightly sand it with a fine grit sanding block, feathering the edges until there is no texture at all.
The trick here is to sand neither too much nor too little.
Once you think you have the patch perfectly smooth, run your hand over the patch and look at it again from all angles to make sure it's perfect.
If it's not as smooth as it could be, apply a third coat of compound, extending even further around the hole than the second coat and repeat the sanding process.
Another often-overlooked but equally important principle to keep in mind when doing any kind of painting work is to keep your tools and materials free of dirt, debris and dried out materials.
This especially comes into play when working with joint compound or any other patching material, which can easily dry out inside of its container.
If your compound is old or has been exposed to the air for too long, you'll end up with small pebble-like chunks of compound, and the end result will not be pretty.
If you have an old container of compound or spackle that's been sitting in your basement for years, it's time to throw it into the trash barrel, open up the wallet and buy some new materials (it really isn't that expensive).
If you want your project to look like it was done by a top-of-the-line professional painting contractor, these are the details you'll need to keep a close eye on.
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