Easy repair tips for patching small holes in drywall

Last week we talked about repairing small holes in drywall such as the type caused by a doorknob hitting the wall. If the hole is bigger, it requires a little more know-how, but is still easy to repair. Here are the basic steps involved.

In order to repair drywall damage, the damaged portion of the drywall must be removed and a patch installed. The best way to cut out the damaged area is to use a keyhole saw. You want to end up with a very straight, rectangular hole, so use a tri-square and utility knife to mark the cutting hole. The knife will cut through the paper layer of the drywall and will ensure a smooth cut with the keyhole saw, with no tearing.

At this point, see if you can determine where the wall studs are located. If your patch can be placed between the studs, that would be ideal. Make sure the hole falls between the studs and that half of the stud is exposed so that the patch can be firmly attached to it.

Now cut your patch. Measure the opening very accurately, then cut the patch to match. It should be the same thickness as the original drywall. Use drywall screws to attach it to the studs.

To cover the patch, you will need self-adhesive fiberglass drywall tape and some pre-mixed drywall compound. Apply the tape to cover the seams on all sides, being careful not to overlap the tape and to keep the profile of the patch as flat as possible. Apply a thin layer of the drywall compound to cover the tape, and let it dry.

Once it has dried, you can sand it smooth and apply another layer of the drywall compound. Feather it out to the surrounding wall, keeping it as thin as possible. Sand smooth.

You can add a third coat if you feel it would look better, and add texture to the wall if needed. After this has dried, you can apply a matching paint.

There are some pretty good kits available at your hardware store or home center that contain everything you need, but you can also follow our directions and get good results.

Good luck!

Saving hardware

As kids, we used piggy banks to save our pennies and other change for a rainy day. Well, you can save your hardware the same way.

Just keep an old piggy bank or some other receptacle with a hole in the top right on your workbench. Drop those extra screws, nuts, bolts and leftover parts into it when you run across them. It only takes a second.

It's a great place to find a quick part when you need it. Of course, once in a while you can go through it to sort out and store the hardware in its proper place, but it's a great place to stash it when you don't want to take the time to find the proper bin or container to put it in.

You'll always have the part you are looking for when that rainy day comes along.

Removing nuts and bolts

When you need to remove a nut and bolt, it's always best if you can grab both the nut and the bolt head to turn it out. Sometimes the bolt head will have a slot for a screwdriver, but many do not have this.

If you have a round-headed bolt and can't turn the nut without turning the bolt too, try this: Use a metal file on each side of the head to file it flat. This flat surface on opposite sides will make it much easier to grab the head with pliers or a wrench. Now you should be able to hold the bolt head, making it much easier to turn the nut off.

Super hints

• To unclog a downspout without going up a ladder, use a plumber's snake. Start at the opening near the ground and work it up and out the top. It will dislodge most of the leaves trapped inside.

• If you have air coming in under your doors, install a door sweep. These usually cost very little, are super easy to install, will stop drafts immediately and will start saving you money on your heating costs.

• If you are a gardener, then you must have a pair of waterproof boots to work outdoors. These boots can sometimes spring a leak. Mine did. Now I just put a plastic bag over each foot before putting them into the boots. This way, my feet don't get wet even if the water does accidentally get in. It also keeps my feet warmer in really cold weather.

Q. I've noticed that the hot water in my kitchen doesn't last as long as it used to. My wife says the bathroom shower has the same problem. I have an electric water heater and the power is ON, so what else could it be?

S.F.

A. Does your water heater have two elements? Some do, and it sounds like one might be burned out.

To check it, turn the power to the water heater off and remove the cover over the element. Check for continuity from one side of the element to the other.

Most elements are easily replaced. Check your local home center or hardware store for a replacement. Also check to be sure the dip tube is still in place and hasn't deteriorated. That brings the cold water down to the bottom to get hot before it's put to use.

Q. There is a crack that runs across the middle of my patio. It's only about -inch wide, so caulk seems too thick. What can I patch it with?

N.C.

A. It is very important to patch all cracks, no matter how small they are. You can use caulk, just cut the tip smaller so it will come out in a thin ribbon. Make sure to use a caulk made for patching concrete; it will stand up to the elements and last a long time.

Q. My kids were doing a craft project and spilled white glue on my carpet. It dried, and there is a hard spot there now. How can I get it up, or is the carpet ruined?

K.F.

A. If this is regular water-soluble glue, try soaking the spot in water for several hours. See if the glue doesn't soften up. Then try to get it off with a plastic putty knife. Blot the rest off with a towel. It might take some time to get it all out, but it should come up.

Reader tips

• I have low-voltage lights in my yard. The bulbs burn out often and when it's daylight, I never can remember which ones need to be replaced. The electric eye keeps them off in the daytime, and I hate changing them at night so I cover the "eye" with a piece of electrical tape to make the system think it's dark outside.

It will cut the lights on, and that makes it easy to find the burned-out bulbs to replace them in the daytime, when I can see to do it. When I'm finished, I just peel the tape off the eye and they shut back off until the evening.

T.J.

• I heard about a neighbor who left town and a thief got into his garage with a gadget that opened the garage door while my neighbor was gone. They then got into his house and really took a lot. Before we leave town for the holidays, I plan to turn the garage-door opener off. The lock was removed when the opener was installed, so to keep the door in place, I am going to attach a C-clamp on the door track. This way, a thief couldn't lift the door to save his life. It will make it impossible to raise the door. It sounds much safer than any other way.

J.R.

• I painted my office and used dry-cleaner bags instead of dropcloths. I had a ton of them because I was going to recycle them, so I just taped them together before laying them over the floor and painting. They were especially good for covering the desk and some of the other items that I didn't have the muscle to carry out of the room. They worked great, and there were no drips on the floor or anywhere else to clean up.

W.S.

• I'm getting too old to take a heavy door down to paint it. I know it's the proper way to do it, but I just can't do it anymore. So I painted it while it was still hanging, and it turned out just fine -- no drips. I wanted to make sure the bottom of the door got painted in order to avoid moisture problems later. I got a thick kitchen sponge, filled it with paint and pushed it under the door, facing upward toward the door bottom. Then I slid it back and forth until I felt like the bottom of the door had been coated. Nobody will see it, but I know it's sealed up -- and that's all that really matters.

F.C.

• I had to regrout my bathroom tiles. It was not fun, and even though it looks good, I don't want to have to do it again. I used prepared grout to avoid having to do the mixing, and I applied it with a good float, but I couldn't get a uniform finish on the grouted lines. I tried a couple of tools but found the end of my toothbrush to be the best. It was easy to hold in my hand and easy to clean afterward. The rounded grout lines look very nice and uniform, and I'm glad it's over with.

D.C.

Shop talk

• FlipClip Instant Storage Systems are perfect for the average workshop or garage. A variety of attachments is available and will install quickly and easily to any exposed stud wall to provide shop organization and storage of all sorts of tools and other items.

The FlipClip clamps right to the stud and holds a heavy load. The assorted brackets then attach to the clip with a Secure-Lock pin, and you've got instant storage just about anywhere. It's easy to move, too. To learn more or to purchase, visit www.flipclipstorage.com.

• A good workbench doesn't have to take up your whole garage. The XBench from Skil is a super handy, portable workbench that quickly sets up and breaks back down for storage in any flat space.

The tough MDF work surface is 53-by-23 inches, and has a cut channel in the center. The steel legs are height-adjustable from 24 inches to 34 inches, and it even has a built-in, bump-off power strip. A universal insert plate system accepts many bench-top tools, and the ruler markings on the surface are an added bonus.

Check it out wherever Skil tools and accessories are sold, or online at www.skil.com.

© 2007, Cowles Syndicate Inc.