How To Repair A Hole In A Wall - Beginners Guide

Door handles are the main culprits when it comes to holes in plaster walls. While a doorstop works well as a preventive measure, there are ways to fix a hole if the damage is already done. 

When it comes to repairing a damaged wall, the traditional fix for a hole is to glue and screw in a backing piece, glue in a patch of plasterboard, and then plaster over. However, this can be time-consuming.

The alternative is to apply a self-adhesive aluminum patch, which is much quicker and easier. While it finishes slightly above the surface, it’s easily disguised, is quite strong, and won’t rust.

Gather your supplies

• Self-adhesive mesh patch

• Utility knife

• Sandpaper

• Methylated spirits

• Wide trowel or broad knife

• Multi-purpose joint compound

• Touch-up paint

Here’s how

Step 1.  

Trim hole with utility knife. Remove anything that sticks out of hole and is loose. In fibrous plaster walls (as seen here), it’s especially important to remove any fibres that are poking out, as they don’t sand back well.

Step 2 

Sand lightly around patch, then wipe over with a rag dampened with methylated spirits. Pull backing paper off patch and adhere to wall to cover hole

Step 3 

Fill over patch with a thin coat of multi-purpose joint compound about the size of the trowel. Make this as smooth as possible, feathering out to edges, in order to keep sanding down to a minimum. Don’t worry too much about minor imperfections and holes at this stage.

Step 4 

Once dry, use sandpaper to lightly run over filled area to remove any bumps and ridges. Wipe clean, then apply second coat of joint compound, but this time about 100 to 150mm beyond compound already there. Make third coat a further 200mm out. This process will disguise slight bump you get from patch.

Step 5 

Give area a light sand. Dust off and apply coat ofsealer undercoat. When dry, paint finish coat with a roller to give same texture as existing wall. Remember, flat and low gloss paint hide defects more than glossy finishes. Apply 2 coats to achieve same depth of colour as wall.

Step 6 

To stop any future holes in wall, install a door stop or hold- open device to limit how close door gets to wall. A magnetic holder will also keep door open when you want to catch a breeze.

Link: Beginners Guide To Plaster Repairs