Replacing a damaged section?
If water damage or a large hole means replacing whole sheets, estimate how many sheets you need for the wall or ceiling.
Open toolDrywall Repair: Cracks, Holes, Dents and Water Damage
Most drywall repairs come down to three questions: what kind of damage is it, how big is it, and what caused it. A crack is different from a hole. A crack at a window corner usually means the framing moved. A crack along a seam usually means the original tape job failed. Fix the symptom without the cause, and the same crack shows up again.
Use the groups below by type of damage. Cracks starts with diagnosis, then covers the repair. Holes and patches covers the patch methods. Nail holes and small dings need only mud. For small to medium holes, a California patch works, but we prefer a hammock patch: it is quicker, easier and stronger. Bigger holes can take a strip-backed patch. Dents, nicks and screw pops covers small damage that still needs the right steps, like sealing torn face paper before you put mud on it. Water damage covers what to cut out and what can be dried.
The last step is the one people skip: making the repair blend in. A flat, well-feathered patch can still show if the texture or paint doesn't match. The "Finish the repair" group covers matching texture and painting so the patch blends in.
Cracks
Find out why it cracked before you fix it, or it will come back.
Holes and patches
Pick a patch method for the hole you have.
Holes and patches
How to Repair Holes in Drywall
Which patch to use, from nail holes to fist-sized damage.
Holes and patches
California Patch
The well-known paper-faced patch for small to medium holes. No backing or screws needed.
Holes and patches
Hammock / Ohio Patch
Our pick for small to medium holes: quicker, easier and stronger than a California patch.
Holes and patches
Strip-Backed Patch
Wood or drywall backing strips behind the hole for a screwed-in patch.
Dents, nicks and screw pops
Small damage, fast fixes.
Dents, nicks and screw pops
Repairing Minor Drywall Damage
An overview of nicks, dents and scratches, and which fix each needs.
Dents, nicks and screw pops
Minor Nicks and Dents
Shallow damage where the face paper is still intact.
Dents, nicks and screw pops
Nicks That Break the Paper
How to seal torn face paper before you mud, so it doesn't bubble.
Dents, nicks and screw pops
Screw and Nail Pops
Why fasteners pop and how to reset them for good.
Water damage
Decide what can be dried and what has to come out.
Finish the repair
Make the repair disappear under texture and paint.
Finish the repair
Drywall Repair Methods
A side-by-side look at the main repair methods.
Finish the repair
Matching drywall texture
Blend new texture into the old around a patch.
Finish the repair
Matching knockdown texture
How to get close on the hardest texture to match.
Finish the repair
Painting Drywall Repairs
Why touch-up paint flashes, and how to prime and paint so it blends.
Common questions
Should I use mesh or paper tape to fix a crack?
Paper tape bedded in joint compound is the usual choice for seams and inside corners. Self-adhesive mesh is easier to apply but works best with setting-type compound (hot mud). Either way, a crack caused by movement can come back unless you deal with the cause.
What is the easiest way to patch a small or medium hole?
A hammock patch. Most people have heard of a California patch and would pick it for small to medium holes, but we have found that a hammock patch is quicker, easier, and stronger. Haven't heard of it? See how to do a hammock patch.
Why do screw pops keep coming back?
Usually the board was not pulled tight to the framing, or the framing shrank or moved. Drive a new screw next to the popped one to pull the board tight, then reset or remove the old fastener and re-coat.
Why does my patch show through the paint?
Patched areas absorb paint differently from the wall around them, and a different texture or sheen shows under raking light. Prime the patch, match the texture, and paint the whole wall section if spot touch-ups flash.