Repairing Drywall

[JamieK]

Over the weekend, I blew insulation into the wall cavites of my attached garage. Now I have 38 4" holes to repair. My plan is to place a piece of wood a few inches longer than the hole behind the hole, and screw into place. Then place the drywall patch into the hole and screw it to the wood. Like this...

My question is do I really need to tape the joints before applying the drywall compound? Not having to tape would save some time, and would be easier to get a flush finish. But would it lead to cracks later?

 

[slickgt1]

damn. You could get away with it without taping. Will take forever though.

 

[Colonial Cobra]

You'll be filling cracks forever if you don't tape the joints. Get a long straight edge to feather the mudd joint out 16" or so and you wqon't notice the hump.

 

[neverenoughtools]

Taping is a must......I always use self adhering fiberglass mesh tape....tuff stuff !

 

[peter_x]

The spackle shrinks as it dries. You will have to do more layers if you don't use tape.

 

[BLUBAYOU]

Can't the holes be much smaller than 4" when using blown insulation? Too late now, I know, but curious why they had to be 4".

I would probably tape if it were me.

 

[pcmeiners]

Why take the chance, takes a few added seconds per hole to add tape. After you get the patch screwed in, take a utility knife with a new blade and place a slight bevel on all edges of the hole and on the patch, this makes the surface flush as can be when finished with tape. After the tape has dried for a few days, quick sand to knock off edges, apply compound with a 6" blade, let dry, quick sand, then I would use a 12-16" straight trowel to make the patch disappear. 38 holes not bad, did my parent's home, 2 3" holes per 16" stud, I had hundreds.

 

[e-tek]

TAPE IT! Then use a 2 foot trowel to smooth it WAY out - no sanding!

 

[z28snksknr]

+1 to tape and +1 to the fiberglass mesh stuff - much easier for a DIYer to use than the paper stuff.

 

[pcmeiners]

"no sanding!"
For those with experience, not amateurs. Yet to see a newbie's work not needing a quick sand.

 

[sammm]

How about making a 'border' using a 1x6 and cover all the holes that way? (I'm assuming the holes are all at the same height and up high on the wall)

 

[gabedad]

Tape it. Either mesh or paper. I like to add a VERY SMALL bit of water to the joint compound (premix stuff) and mix it in well and it will make it easier to smooth it out

 

[JamieK]

Can't the holes be much smaller than 4" when using blown insulation? Too late now, I know, but curious why they had to be 4".

I would probably tape if it were me.

You can get by with a 2" hole, but it requires a high pressure blower from a rental place, which meant more $$. At Home Depot, if you bought 10 bags, you got free use of their machine, but it was a low pressure machine for attics. So I had to make bigger holes, and actually put the hose down into the wall to fill. Since I was going have to patch holes up anyway, I just went with the free machine.

 

[JamieK]

How about making a 'border' using a 1x6 and cover all the holes that way? (I'm assuming the holes are all at the same height and up high on the wall)

Good idea, but the holes are down about 6" from the ceiling because of the top plate.

 

[Addrock]

When I have such repairs, I cut the hole square, cut a piece 2" bigger in both directions, score the BACK side 1" (all sides), remove 4 1" edges, now existing 1" perimiter becomes the "tape", butter the area around the hole on the wall, seat the "patch" into the mud. Two advantages, no wood block in the wall, and with small holes you don't have to mess around with 4 pieces of tape per hole. Since you have 38 to fill you could easily make up a jig.

 

[JamieK]

After I get the patch screwed into place, could I cut the paper surface of the sheetrock a couple of inches from either side of the seam and pull it away. Then when I tape it, the tape would be slightly below the surface. Then I wouldn't have such a large repair area. Just an idea I had.

 

[BLUBAYOU]

You can get by with a 2" hole, but it requires a high pressure blower from a rental place, which meant more $$. At Home Depot, if you bought 10 bags, you got free use of their machine, but it was a low pressure machine for attics. So I had to make bigger holes, and actually put the hose down into the wall to fill. Since I was going have to patch holes up anyway, I just went with the free machine.

Low pressure machine makes sense.

I like addrock's idea

 

[Falcon67]

Addrock has a great idea - will work as long as nobody ever puts pressure in that area. I just repaired about 1/3 of a bedroom, several large 8' tall repairs - tape, bed, try to match texture. Ugh.

 

[GarageEnvy]

I've used Addrock's idea on drywall patches and it works fine. The downside is that it uses a lot of extra drywall that gets cut off and thrown away and it takes a little extra time to score the backside and peel off the drywall. With 38 I'd probably just use traditional tape.

 

[Zeke]

Addrock is referring to the "flap" method and that's one of the best for a small patch. And, it really won't fall through with pressure. It becomes solid with the wall if you back butter the flaps generously, then smooth out the area as the excess squeezes out.

Usually, it takes a 2nd pass with topping mud and a wide knife to blend it all perfectly.

You want to make some bitchin' mud that fills like crazy? Take some 20 min fast set and mix sorta thin, but not drippy. Add some conventional premix topping at about 4 to 1 and the stuff becomes creamy and aireated like. Makes a so-so taper look like a journeyman.

Hardens in 20 minutes and can be recoated. Not ready to sand until completely dry, of course.

http://drywall101.com/articles/taping/californiapatch.php

BTW, I have never heard of this being called a California patch before I Googled flap patch.

 

[ratdoggy]

I think the mesh stuff you have to use a different type of compound. I always had problems with the stuff when it came time to sand.

 

[Zeke]

I think the mesh stuff you have to use a different type of compound. I always had problems with the stuff when it came time to sand.

There are 3 types, taping (or embedding), topping (for easy sanding) and all-purpose (which is the worst, but that's what the Home Dump sells to homeowners and amateurs). Oh, and then there's the powdered stuff I mentioned for repairs.

Use topping in a bathroom sometime if you want to see total and complete failure of the seams. I have seen it where some bozo didn't know the difference even though it was written on the container in more than one language.

 

[diggerrick]

I nearly always do it like the OP suggests - except (unless the holes are nearly perfect) I make the patch piece a little bigger than the hole, mark around it, and open the hole to match the patch. I think mesh tape is easier to work with, too.

 

[tcianci]

I have heard of the flap patch referred to as a "Hollywood" patch. I have yet another twist on patching that works quite well... cut a bevel on the patch material and a corresponding bevel on the hole so that the patch sits flush with the wall or just slightly in. The bevels nesting into each other add strength to the patch and eliminate the need for wood inserts or screws. Apply yellow carpenters glue to the bevels and glue the patch in place. Then tape with mesh tape, compound with a hard drag, you want to be able to see the tape through the mud. Once that sets, compound again feathering the mud out past the patch.

 

[wssix99]

It sounds like you are after what we used to call a hobo patch.

Cut the new piece of drywall to be an inch or so larger than the hole. Then scribe the BACK of the over size patch so you make a tic-tac-toe board with the center square the exact size of your hole. Now peel off the other squares of the board, leaving the front paper in place. Voila! You have a patch with extended paper - essentially giving you a patch with tape already applied.

Once you have this patch, pull the paper back so you can fill the gap between the wall and the patch with compound and then mud the paper down flush.

 

[6768rogues]

I would put a slight bevel on the edge of the hole and on the patch. A tiny piece of paper sticking up from the edge will create a bump. Assuming that you don't have a banjo (tape and mud machine), put a little compound over the seam, saturate the tape with water, and smooth it on with a taping knife. Otherwise the tape will **** the moisture out of the compound beneath and it will bubble up or not stick well. When it is dry, give it another coat or two and if you trowel it out well, little or no sanding is necessary.
If you skip the tape, it will crack.

 

[Herb]

Good idea, but the holes are down about 6" from the ceiling because of the top plate.

Since this is in your garage and is only 6" or so from the ceiling, find some kind of wood that you like and make a fake beam around the perimeter of your garage. It could be as simple as a rough cut 2" x10" fastened to the framing.