Now that you have decided to change the color of your living room to make your home a nicer place to live, you relize there is some prep work that needs to be done.
Things like, repairing drywall of all the bumps and holes that have appeared over the years from moving furniture, to the kids playing, to parties, or what have you. However they have appeared it is time to fix them.
Here you can learn some of the best ways to repair your drywall so your paint job comes out looking awesome.
“Repairing and patching drywall is pretty easy to do. The most challenging part is getting a good finish so that you can’t see where the drywall repair was made. The procedure to patch drywall holes, cracks, gouges and other damage varies by the type of damage and the size of the affected area. Essentially there are two types of drywall repairs; repairs involving installation of a new piece of drywall to make a patch and repairs that mend the surface of existing drywall, like with cracks and gouges. For very large repairs the steps may be the same as hanging new drywall.
Dents and gouges are easily repaired using joint compound or other patching material. Small gouges can usually be repaired without the use of reinforcing mesh tape. Simply applying one or more coats of joint compound will fill and hide most damage.
For dents, simply apply patching compound with a putty knife to create a smooth, even patch. Allow the patch to dry. Because the material may shrink as it dries, additional applications may be necessary to completely hide the damage.
If you apply too much and fill in the surrounding texture, use a damp rag to wipe away the excess. You may wipe away the patch material too, but it is easy to just reapply another coat.
After the compound has dried for at least a couples hours, lightly sand it smooth. Wipe away any dust and apply another coat of joint compound if needed. After the joint compound has thoroughly dried, it can be sanded and painted.
Nail and other small nail holes are easily repaired using joint compound or other patching material. Some people even use toothpaste to fill nail holes (although we don’t recommend using the green mint gel type of toothpaste).
Small holes can usually be repaired without the use of reinforcing mesh tape. Simply applying one or more coats of joint compound will fill and hide most small holes.
For nail holes, simply get a small amount of patching compound on your fingertip and apply it to the hole. Because the material may shrink as it dries, additional applications may be necessary to completely hide the hole.
For holes half an inch or smaller, apply patching compound with a putty knife to create a smooth, even patch. Fill the hole with material and then smooth the surface with the putty knife. Allow the patch to dry.
After the compound has dried for at least a couples hours, lightly sand it smooth. Wipe away any dust and apply another coat of joint compound. Taper the compound at the edges to blend it with the surrounding surface. Allow this coat to dry and then sand.
Finally, apply a third coat of joint compound. With this coat, it will be necessary to blend it with the surrounding decorative texture. There are many different textures, so we can’t list all of them here. However, matching a texture can sometimes be done by dragging the compound around with a putty knife, dabbed with a moist sponge, or sprayed on with off the shelf products designed to retexture small patches.”
Thanks to: http://www.acmehowto.com/walls/drywall-repair.php for a great article.
Repairing Drywall before you begin to Paint is a fairly important step if you want a great looking paint job. See other articles on what other prep work needs to be before painting!
