How to repair a hole in a drywall wall?

When you are a bad handyman, many questions remain unanswered. Why does a roller shutter no longer go up? How to repair a resin sink? Otherwise, how to fill a hole in drywall?

To give you a helping hand, let’s try to address the last problem. This article provides you with practical tips and advice to fill a drywall wall. But before giving you more details, it is appropriate to discuss the advantages of plasterboard sheets.

The advantages of a drywall wall

In recent years, this material has been increasingly successful in the construction of interior walls. Despite its fragility, it offers quite a few notable advantages.

Its major advantage lies in its lightness. Because of this characteristic, it is easy to work with. Unlike concrete or wood, the plasterboard sheet, commonly called drywall or placo, is practical to use when assembling partitions upstairs.

Thanks to it, running pipes or cables inside walls becomes child’s play. It is easier to make a groove in the panels.

That’s not all, this material benefits from good thermal and sound insulation. It has the ability to reduce noise from the adjacent room.

It is still preferable to accompany it with an additional insulating element. This allows you to enjoy high acoustic and thermal insulation.

When you plan to install partitions, you do not have to use glue, but only joints. The drywall requires no drying time. Finishing can be done without delay.

Besides that, the plasterboard sheet offers an affordable price per m2. If you consider using it, the partition project requires little expense. One can say that the work costs are not much.

Filling methods on BA13

Despite its many advantages, it must be admitted that drywall has its limits. Even though it is both lightweight and easy to install, its fragility seems obvious.

Walls made of drywall panels cannot support heavy loads. They can be damaged by even a slight impact. A wrong move during a move can quickly make a hole in the partition.

Fortunately, the latter is easy to repair. Many filling methods accessible to everyone can be found. You just have to choose according to the size of the cavity to be filled.

No one is obliged to call a professional. You can very well take care of it by yourself without any problem.

Indeed, you need to have some DIY knowledge. Also, you must have all the necessary accessories and equipment. Moreover, they are almost available in any tool store.

Among the most used equipment, you need a cutter or a putty knife, a keyhole saw, a spatula, sandpaper, a measuring tape, a square, a sponge, and a roller.

For materials, get some plaster and papier-mâché. A tarpaulin is also useful to protect the floor. As for the finish, equip yourself with a high-quality paint that offers a perfect result.

For small repairs, a pasty filler may be necessary. It is generally used to fill small holes.

Type of hole	Necessary materials	Estimated time	Complexity
Small hole (<5cm)	Filler, spatula, sandpaper	30 min	Very easy
Medium hole (5-20cm)	Self-adhesive patch, filler, sander	1h – 2h	Easy
Large hole (>20cm)	Drywall panel, shimming, screws, filler	Half-day	Medium
Fragile perimeter	Joint tape, fresh filler, spatula	1h	Easy

Filling a small hole in BA13 drywall

Sometimes, when hanging a piece of furniture, a frame, or a decorative object on the wall, we unintentionally make small unpleasant holes. The same goes for when we remove them.

To repair the walls, the process may seem quite simple. To do so, it is advisable to acquire a small container or smoothing filler tube.

There are many models dedicated to small repair jobs on BA13. The material is used to easily but effectively fix the flaw. Generally, it does not require any plaster smoothing after application.

Before starting, first sand the area to flatten the edges of the hollow. This step also helps to improve the adhesion of the filler and to remove any remaining paint on the surface.

To remove all dust and dirt that have settled, brush the area with a small broom. Also, it is useful to moisten it to facilitate adhesion.

Now fill the small hole using a putty knife. You can also smooth the surface at the same time. If the result does not satisfy you, avoid adding another layer on a dry hole. This may alter the final appearance. It is better to make adjustments during drying.

Now that the hole is not only filled but also dry, think about refining it using abrasive paper.

Repairing a pierced plasterboard wall (medium hole)

When your walls have a cavity large enough for your fist to pass through, smoothing filler kits no longer work. You need another solution that is both strong and durable for filling.

According to specialists, powdered filler can provide good results. Easy to use, it allows you to repair your wall in a permanent and effective way.

Moreover, it gives you the opportunity to prepare the mixture yourself. We will detail in the following section how to use it:

Before the repair, you must first prepare the edges of the hollow part. To do this, remove all fragile elements nearby, as only solid bases should remain. If pieces of cardboard bother you, do not hesitate to cut them off.

To enhance the adhesion of the filler, sand the area using a medium-grit abrasive. This also facilitates the smoothing phase. Dust off the wall and moisten moderately.

Once the area is ready, you can now prepare the filler. To do this, mix the powder with water. You can also use liquid white glue. Keep stirring the mixture until you obtain a homogeneous and thick paste.

To apply the filler, use a putty knife and make sure the hole is perfectly filled. The material must have a good consistency and integrate completely, otherwise it will drip down the walls.

When drying, it forms a solid monoblock and you will notice no hole, as it is effectively filled. Wait two hours to let it dry. Then use 240-grit sandpaper for sanding.

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Large hole in plasterboard: what to do?

During a move, your bulky furniture hits the partition wall, leaving a gaping hole. In this situation, it is impossible to patch it up with the previously mentioned methods. You need to rebuild a sturdy wall and act according to the proximity of the hole to the room’s framework.

If the hollow is close to the plasterboard slab, do not hesitate to remove the part of the wall to facilitate the repair. But before this step, first measure the size of the opening.  

Use a saw blade to cut the damaged area, then sand the edges. Then fix battens that can serve as support for the repair piece.

To obtain this piece, take a plasterboard panel and cut a piece according to the size of the hole previously measured. Screw it onto the stud to ensure its fixation on the damaged part.

Your wall is now ready to receive the filler. Once this step is done, let the product dry for 24 hours. With a 120-grit abrasive paper, sand the entire surface. When the result suits you, you can apply a thin layer of filler.

After drying, sand with a very fine abrasive paper, even 240 grit. Now that the repair surface leaves no trace, all that remains is to paint.