It’s bound to happen at some point really. Someone knocks the door just a bit too hard shoving the doorknob through the wall and suddenly—there is a very ugly hole.
Nooo!
Damaged drywall looks horrible.
What is a disheartened homeowner to do?
Well, if you want easy, you can hang a picture over it or slap on some duct tape. You could jam a little piece of drywall into the hole. Or maybe fill it with frosting or toothpaste and hope that when it hardens no one will notice.
These options would be easy, but not very professional-looking.
Do-it-Yourself Drywall Repair
If it’s a small hole you can:
- Buy a drywall patch kit, putty knife, taping knife, sandpaper of varying grains, paintbrush/roller, screwdriver, doorstop, and drop cloth.
- Apply mesh over the hole.
- Putty over the mesh with drywall putty with a putty knife or taping knife.
- Wait for the joint compound to dry.
- Sand the area.
- Apply another coat of drywall compound if you need it.
- Wait for it to dry.
- Sand the area.
- Re-sand with a much finer grain sandpaper.
- Clean up the dust all over the floor.
- Put down a drop cloth.
- Paint the smooth, dry compound with primer.
- Hope that you still have some matching paint that is in good condition to paint over the primer or go to the hardware store to get a small can of paint to match the paint on your walls.
- Paint the area.
- Wait for it to dry.
- Paint another coat.
- Wait for it to dry.
- Clean up all the paint that spilled onto the floor through the drop cloth.
- Install a doorstop so that this doesn’t happen again! (You may want one behind every door in the house.
And there you go!
Unless the corner bead of a wall is involved, and then it is going to be a lot more complicated. Or if it is a large hole, then you will need to have a special saw to cut out a new piece of drywall to fit into the hole and drywall tape to hold it in place, then you can continue steps 3-18. You may also need drywall screws to screw the larger piece of drywall to the studs in the wall. And you may want a utility knife to help you cut out any odd shapes you need. Of course, you will also need to check to be sure there is no electrical wiring behind the area you need to fix.
Not your cup of tea?
Great news! If this project sounds overwhelming or you just don’t have the time, patience, or desire to deal with this mess yourself, there is another option that is much easier to repair the hole your doorknob made in your drywall.
Just call a handyman!
You don’t need a drywall contractor or a general contractor for a small job like this, thankfully. Save yourself money by hiring a local handyman instead.
The great thing about hiring a handyman is that if you find a reputable handyman business, you can save yourself a lot of time, hassle, and aggravation. You don’t even have to deal with the mess or the cleanup. You just need a handyman to patch the drywall and then you can go back to enjoying your perfect-looking home.
When you find a handyman you can trust, you can let him (or her) tackle your list of home improvement projects around the house so that you don’t have to worry about wasting all your free time on projects.
Keep in mind that some handyman companies charge a flat fee for a specific job. Others charge by the hour. So check with your particular drywall repair handyman before you agree to have them do the job. It would be great to have your quote in writing in advance.
Then everyone who stops by, will be impressed with how well-maintained and glorious your home is. Not to mention, you will get to enjoy the benefits of living in a peaceful sanctuary of beauty yourself.
