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BEFORE: This 2-inch divot from a wayward hammer stroke was in a visible location just beneath the mounting hardware of ourMoen Glenshire Pivoting Mirrorand in desperate need of being patched. Here’s how you can repair holes in your drywall, just like we did.

AFTER:You’d never know there was a hole next to the mirror’s hardware.Materials:• Self-adhesive wall patch
• Spackle or nonshrink drywall joint compound
• Wide putty knife
• Sanding block
• Metal shears

Smooth the surface, removing any chunks of drywall. Then clean and dry the area.Remove the self-adhesive wall patchfrom the package, measure the hole and cut the patch to size or to the shape of the hole. Cut the mesh and the thin galvanized steel plate separately. The steel plate should be slightly larger than the hole, and the mesh should be slightly larger than the steel plate.Place the patch over the hole and smooth the mesh onto the surface of the wall. Worried that the patch will create a bulge in the wall? The thin patch is unnoticeable after proper feathering of the spackle or joint compound. Feathering refers to the act of tapering the repair from the high center to the wall around it with a wide putty knife.Note: Larger holes often need to be patched with drywall, which may require additional support behind it, such as a 2-by-4. The drywall should be cut to fit snugly in the hole. Tape and mud the seam to finish. For smaller holes you can skip the patch and just fill the hole with spackle.

Apply a thin, even coat of joint compound or spackle to the patched hole by holding the wide putty knife at about a 30-degree angle and pulling it toward you. Feather the spackle or joint compound out from the center to the outside.Let the spackle or joint compound dry fully before proceeding.

Once the area is dry, sand it until everything is smooth and apply another coat or spackle or joint compound. Repeat until the patched area is completely covered and no longer detectable.

After the final coat of joint compound or spackle has dried, sand the surface and wipe it clean. If needed, apply texture to the wall for a seamless finish. Homax Spray Texturedries quickly and makes the process practically error proof with customizations for the size and coverage.Finally, prime and paint the surface.Note: Depending on your sheen of paint, you may need to paint the entire wall rather than just the newly patched area. Low-sheen paint typically touches up better than higher-sheen paint, whereas fresh coats of glossy paint tend to be shinier than the original, making the fix more noticeable.

by Meg Padgett