Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva teaches a homeowner to patch small holes in her wall.
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Tools:
Putty knife
Drill/driver
Jab saw

Shopping List:
Spackle putty kit
Joint Compound
Small piece of drywall
Piece of scrap wood
Drywall tape

Steps:
1. For small cracks and holes, Tom recommends a patching spackle that can be applied easily using a small putty knife. Spackles are generally applied in one coat and then lightly sanded before repainting.
2. For a larger hole, Tom uses an adhesive metal patch that can be cut to size for reinforcement.
3. He uses a putty knife to spread a thin layer of joint compound over the metal patch. Tom suggests building up many thin layers of joint compound with adequate dry time in between, rather than building up the joint compound too heavy and risk cracks.
4. Later in the workshop, Tom shows another technique for patching a larger hole using a spare piece of drywall. Using a utility knife, Tom cuts a square piece of drywall larger than the hole he needs to patch.
5. He then traces that piece over the hole and cuts the outline on the wall using a jab saw.
6. Tom inserts a piece of scrap wood in the hole to act as reinforcement and screws it down using a drill/driver. He then screws the drywall patch to the wood using a drill/driver.
7. Tom tapes around the perimeter of the drywall patch using drywall tape.
8. Finally, he covers the entire patch with a thin layer of joint compound. Just like on the other patch, he recommends many thin layers of joint compound versus one heavy one.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Patch Small Holes in Walls | Ask This Old House
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