Drywall is a popular building material used for walls and ceilings. It is thin, lightweight, and easy to install. However, there are some downsides to using drywall. One of them is that it can be challenging to fix a screw hole that is too big in drywall. It is possible, however.
You should use a piece of drywall to plug the hole in the wall if you have any leftovers from your project. You can cut a square or rectangle shape from your spare piece and cover up the oversized hole with it. If parts of the broken drywall are still attached inside, remove them, so the wall’s surface is flat and even.
Then, determine where you want to place your drywall patch. Next, cut the piece you selected to the right size, then attach it over the hole. You can do this with drywall screws or nails. In this blog post, we will go over how to fix a screw hole that is too big in drywall.
6 Steps to Follow on How to Fix a Screw Hole That Is Too Big in Drywall
Step One : Mark the Hole
Put a mark around the perimeter of the hole you intend to fix with your pencil. The goal is to make sure that when you patch up the drywall, you’ll be able to cover it back over after. Also, putting tape around the margin can help give you a more accessible guideline if one doesn’t show up well enough on its own.
If you don’t think that you’ll be able to fit the new drywall patch into the hole, put a mark at least one away from it on all sides. This will give you an allowance for getting your patch in and out of the hole without tearing or creasing it while you work.
It is also important to note that the younger the child, the larger allowance you should give. If you’re dealing with an infant or toddler who will be crawling around on it in only a few years, measure the distance carefully before marking; otherwise, if they see bright colors, they may grab onto them and pull at them.
Step Two : Using Matches or Toothpicks
The best way to mark your screw hole, though, is with toothpicks. First, break several of them off and put the sharp end into the hole. Afterward, you can use it like a pencil to make marks for where you’re going to be cutting. Toothpicks are good because they tend to break easily before creating significant damage to the drywall, and they’re cheaper than matches.
If you can’t find any matches, some people prefer to use the eraser of a pencil instead. However, be sure not to write on or mark your wall with any pencil unless you intend to. Pencil marks and indentations tend to stick around much longer than ones made by toothpicks, and they can be harder to match over later on.
Using a popsicle stick as an alternative is also possible, but this method can be messier and require more cleanup. Make sure that you cover the area with a towel or some newspapers before beginning, and wear gloves to avoid getting any splinters in your fingers. This will help in how to fix a screw hole that is too big in drywall.
Step Three : Using Wooden Dowels
After you’ve got the sharp edge sticking out of your drywall, cut it down with a hobby or utility knife. Be sure that you’re only cutting the surface of the drywall paper, not into anything inside it like insulation or lathe. When cutting, make sure to hold onto the piece you’re missing and not your finger on the other end.
Afterward, insert a drywall screw into the hole and twist it until you’ve created a mark around where you need to cut. You must make sure there is at least 1/8 of an inch between the dowel and the edge of the supplied template and on all sides.
If you don’t have a dowel, you can use an aluminum drywall screen instead. This is about the same size as your hole and should be much easier to cut around than a wooden dowel or pencil mark would be. Just push the screen into the hole and twist it around until it has ripped open a piece of paper.
Step Four : Using Larger Anchors and Oversize Screws
If you can’t find a matching screw that will fit into your home, it’s important to get one at least 1/2 inch longer than the depth of the hole. Next, drill a new pilot hole through the patch and giant anchor using a power drill or hand brace.
This should be able to counter any excess force from the screw and anchor so that it can hold onto the new drywall patch. If you’re worried about whether or not this will still be enough, try to add an extra screw about one apart around the perimeter of your hole on all sides.
It is also possible to use toggle bolts instead of oversized screws if you want to. These will perform in much the same way as extra-long drywall screws, but they have wings that stick out on either side once they’ve been inserted into your wall. These steps should help you learn how to fix a screw hole that is too big in drywall.
Step Five : Using a Rawl Plug
Although they don’t work so well with metal or brick walls, Rawl plugs are another excellent option. The idea here is that once you’ve drilled a hole through the drywall and installed the plug, you screw your screw into place through them instead of directly to the wall.
This can help counter any splitting that you might otherwise experience from the drywall or screw, and it’s less likely that your screw will break through the plug as well. If you don’t have a power drill, a hand brace can help install this type of anchor just as easily as an electric one.
Just be sure to use a little bit then you would otherwise need for more prominent anchors since you want to ensure that the brace can get a solid hold on your drywall and plug. First, make the hole smaller with a utility knife to fix a hole in the drywall.
Step Six : Use Nylon Cable Ties as a Drywall Repair Clamp
Many different materials can be used as clamps to hold your drywall patch in place. The most common one is your average metal clamp, and there are even special drywall clamps made for this specific purpose. However, if you don’t have these supplies or need to repair them quickly, you can also use nylon cable ties.
Just cut off the head of the tie and hold it in place with a screw or nail until it is tight enough to keep your drywall from shifting or falling out of place. Be sure to keep tight pressure on the hold until the glue has dried completely. After the glue has dried, remove the clamp and nails or screws slowly to ensure that none of your patches comes loose or break away from the rest of the wall.
Afterward, you should be able to sand down any bumps on top of your new drywall patch and apply a new layer of paint over it if need be. A drywall repair clamp is a great alternative to using nails or screws. All of this information will help you learn how to fix a screw hole that is too big in drywall.
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Which Type of Glue Works Best for Fixing Holes in Drywall?
If a dowel pinhole in drywall needs to be repaired, all that is required is the appropriate type of glue. An example would be epoxy. On the other hand, if it’s just a regular-sized screw hole that needs repair, then applying some wood filler and sanding down the edges will do fine.
The best way to fix a hole in drywall is to use a dowel pin. This involves cutting away the damaged wallboard until it is level with the rest of the surrounding wall. Then, the plaster will be mixed and spread over the exposed section of the wallboard. Once dried, applying a coat of primer and two coats of paint will make it almost impossible to tell where the repair was made.
Fixing a hole in a wall is easier when there isn’t any damage around the drill site. However, filling in that damaged area will be necessary before fixing the hole itself, if there is. That means cutting out a section of the drywall, filing down all the edges and screw holes, and then re-installing the new piece of drywall.
Conclusion
If you find too much space in your drywall but not enough to require a new piece of drywall, then this article has the solution for you. You can use spackle or wood putty to fill up the hole and make it level again. This will give the appearance of a seamless wall when finished.
But suppose extra support is needed after trying these methods. In that case, we recommend using two screws on opposite sides of where the hole was initially drilled to provide better structural integrity for your installation. The conclusion paragraph is informative and provides information on how to fix a screw hole that is too big in drywall.
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