Nail and screw holes
A nail leaves a crater with a raised rim, and filler spread over that rim dries as a bump. Press the rim inward with the rounded handle of a putty knife so that the hole is slightly dished. Push lightweight spackle into the hole with the knife, then scrape across it once at a low angle, leaving the filler a hair proud because it shrinks. It dries in thirty minutes to a few hours. Sand it with 220-grit paper until your fingertips cannot find it.
Holes up to six inches
A doorknob through the drywall is the classic case, and a self-adhesive mesh patch handles it.
- Cut away the loose paper and crumbled gypsum so that nothing stands above the wall.
- Center a patch that overlaps the hole by at least an inch on every side, and press it down.
- Spread all-purpose joint compound over it with a six-inch knife, forcing it through the mesh and feathering the edges two or three inches past the patch.
- Let it dry completely, which usually means overnight, then knock down any ridges with the knife.
- Apply a second and a third coat, each thinner and wider than the one before.
- Sand lightly with a fine sanding sponge, and hold a flashlight flat against the wall to show up the edges.
A larger hole needs a new piece of drywall cut in over wood backing, which is a different job.
Prime, then paint
Bare filler soaks up paint differently from the wall around it, and the patch shows through as a dull spot that painters call flashing. Brush primer over the repair first. Touch-up paint rarely matches an aged wall, so if the spot shows, repaint that wall from corner to corner. The sheen matters as much as the color, and flat paint hides a patch better than satin or gloss.
Mistakes to avoid
One thick coat cracks as it dries and takes days to cure, while three thin ones are done sooner. Heavy sanding scuffs the paper face of the surrounding drywall and leaves a fuzzy halo. Toothpaste, the traditional move-out trick, shrinks, yellows and fools no one. Paint in homes built before 1978 may contain lead, so do not dry-sand old layers, and read the lead guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency first.
Tip Renters should read the lease before patching anything. In many states a reasonable number of small nail holes counts as normal wear, and a bad patch can cost more of the deposit than the hole.
