For OCD-level drywall repair, what details are important?

Submitted by gluon713 t3_116tsv3 in DIY

We had overloaded closet racks that fell down, pulling the anchors out and creating holes ranging from 0.25 - 0.5 inches in diameter.

There are a lot of guides to repairing drywall online, but they seem to focus on quick fixes, which I'm not interested in since I'm OCD and I'd like to repair this as nicely as possible (level 5 finish). What's the quick summary of details that an amateur fix might miss?

My plan:

  1. Sand over ripped holes (none seem big enough to require further cutting/shaping with a drywall saw)
  2. Apply drywall joint tape over holes
  3. Apply "hot mud" (ProForm Quick Set Lite, 45 min. set time) with 10" metal drywall knife
  4. Once dry, apply thin layer of all-purpose joint compound (Plus 3)
  5. Once dry, smooth with drywall knife
  6. Apply another thin layer of all-purpose joint compound, thinned with water
  7. Once dry, sand with 120 grit then 220 grit
  8. Prime over entire wall then paint

Does this sound right? Or is joint compound and tape overkill for tiny holes? Every time I've used spackle in the past I could always tell it was there.

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Comments

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dcivili t1_j98rcyp wrote

I don't know why you are messing around with these half measures, you need to tear the whole house down and rebuild it from scratch.

Or just get some large joint filler, and fill and sand the holes. Paint when you are done.

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sric2838 t1_j98g645 wrote

Here's the proper way to do it if you don't want to see any repairs:

Hot mud hole

Paper tape

Smooth out excess under paper

Hot mud again

Sand

Mix joint compound with water to very thin consultancy and roll on entire wall with paint roller

Smooth with taping knife

Sand to finish, primer, paint

If you don't do this you will always see the repairs because the drywall has a different texture than the original wall and paint doesn't disguise it.

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HarlanCulpepper t1_j98h6od wrote

Wow, how have I never heard of mixing joint compound with water and rolling the entire wall? Sounds like a nifty technique.

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TechE2020 t1_j99vkge wrote

Skim coat. Always seemed to be mentioned as a pro step that is unobtainable for DIYers, but I tried it recently and it is actually really easy to get 99% perfect with the first coat, do a sand, and then do one last touch-up pass and a quick hand sand.

Very pleased with the finished product for a change.

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Huskies971 t1_j9b6x1u wrote

I've used the roller plus squeegee and it came out nicely for easy sanding. Getting the right consistency of water to compound is key though, it needs to be close to the consistency of yogurt. I also wet sand to eliminate dust.

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TechE2020 t1_j9cy15u wrote

Yep, I use a skimming blade instead of a squeegee and it works well (haven't tried the squeegee approach, yet). Would be interested if you have tried a skimming blade and then moved to the squeegee.

The one I use is the same as this one: https://www.amazon.com/Fafeicy-40x14-5x4-5cm-Smoothing-Stainless-Plastering/dp/B09NSBN3LS

I tend to use pancake batter consistency (probably the same as your yogurt consistency) with the goal of once the coat gets thin enough, it resists the skim blade more so it essentially auto-levels.

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Huskies971 t1_j9ddehz wrote

That was the first time I ever skim coated with a roller and the tutorial i found used a squeege so I went that route. I found it easy just have to work quick cause it drys super fast.

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caskey t1_j98qitk wrote

Kind of a modern take on lath and plaster walls.

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doggedynasty t1_j98ln8m wrote

This is how I'd do it, but I probably wouldn't even roll the texture over the whole wall just because that it's a closet...and I also have bad ocd lol. The way OP listed to do it, they should honestly try out auto body work like I used to do. It's satisfying to the ocd to have a 8 hour dent in a quarter panel come out looking like a fresh piece of stamped steel after primer and wet sand.

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KitchenNazi t1_j99f8cv wrote

I've started to use drywall sealer on the sanded mud before I hit it with primer and it seems to help.

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RicoHedonism t1_j98lojz wrote

JFC. I'd just replace the drywall before doing all of that.

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TechE2020 t1_j99vzpp wrote

Sounds like a lot, but what I actually do is:

  1. setting compound (which I assume is the hot mud) with fiber tape for joints and over screws
  2. 2nd coat of setting compound over taped joints
  3. quick sand (either hand or machine)
  4. skim coat using roller technique
  5. quick sand using machine (literally slow walking speed)
  6. touch-up any issues
  7. prime and paint

It is amazingly fast compared with trying to do 3rd and 4th feather coats and a high-build primer.

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OccasionallyImmortal t1_j9boymb wrote

> Hot mud hole

This falls into my "I don't know what this is, but there's no way I'm Googling it" catagory.

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Deskco492 t1_j98lwbk wrote

you ever drywalled before?

If not, not to judge, but theres zero chance youre gonna skim coat the entire wall and get a lvl 5 finish (thats what a lvl 5 finish is).

anything less is not level 5, because that means your just feathering out the thickness introduced by the tape, which is then by definition, not a dead flat wall

Plus, zero chance your wall was lvl 5 to begin with, so you'll need to "improve" that too.

Id grab a 4" knife and some spackle, and smear it on the hole. Id sand it smooth, and repeat that 2-3 more times. by not using tape, you wont be building any thickness on the wall that requires much feathering. A .5" hole doesnt need tape anyway.

If youre not satisfied with the result, you can still slap some tape on there and proceed to attempt a skim coat if you want.

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My_brother_in_crisis t1_j98tuss wrote

  1. Don't do it. Absolutely not necessary in an unseen area like a closet with things stored in it

  2. https://youtu.be/jaHqULjGxLE Vancouver Carpenter

  3. If you want other youtube drywall gurus, look for Home Renovision and That Kilted Guy

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Intelligent_Ebb4887 t1_j98fy7z wrote

I would use joint compound over spackle, but tape isn't necessary.

My version is usually joint compound, let dry. Sand anything protruding. Joint compound again, trowel very smooth. Use high grit sandpaper.

Then after I prime, I notice more issues, so another coat of joint compound, high grit sanding. Prime again. Ready to paint.

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ABAFBAASD t1_j990ugj wrote

Biggest issue is that the sanded compound will have a different texture than the drywall and the simplest solution is spray texture. Just make sure you practice applying the spray texture outside on a piece of cardboard to get the technique down because you can't really adjust it once it's on. And of course make sure you use the exact same paint/sheen as the original. If you are guessing on the paint you might as well paint the whole wall.

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zeyore t1_j9aj1wc wrote

drywall is surprisingly difficult to learn. it seems so simple.

so just be prepared for a lot lot lot more time than you expect.

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Jfrog1 t1_j9b9av9 wrote

hiring a professional is the only real answer.

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jack3dp t1_j9d1cgu wrote

Level 5 means the entire wall is skimmed… your post makes it seem like you only have a few holes from anchors… you can’t really level 5 that lol. Got any pics for reference?

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aivnk t1_j9f1zi2 wrote

Was your closet hanging rod/rack attaching to the wall with nothing but drywall anchors? Is there a stud you can re-hang it to? If not, it’s going to rip out again.

Since it sounds like you’re already willing to take this further than most people, you could cut out a larger horizontal rectangle in the drywall, and fit 2x4 or plywood flush between the vertical studs. This will be your new blocking to mount stuff to. Then drywall over the new, big rectangular hole (harder than patching a 1/2” hole but not as hard as it seems).

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brisemartel t1_j98m6n3 wrote

You can sand over the holes, but I would use the back of the putty knife to sink in the hole first. For the size of these holes, it will be quite often be enough.

Then, simply apply mud over the holes, they are not big enough to need tape, especially if you want to go OCD-level... using tape will result in needing to mud a large area to blend in the repair. Lots of unecessary work!

You could wet sand (with a wet sponge) instead of sanding, it will give you a smooth surface akin to drywall, meaning there won't be any texture difference (or nearly any) once paint.

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