There are a variety of spackling pastes for sale. It’s usually a good idea to get a lightweight spackling paste that uses the new primer technology, so that a crack does not develop at the seam between the wall and the patch. Small cracks between molding and trim can be filled with spackling paste but it is probably easier to use paintable caulk, which is available at any home improvement store. Simply run a bead of caulk along for crack and smooth with a wet finger.
If you mess up the smoothness of the patch, feel free to start over with a bit more spackling paste on your putty knife.
Fiberglass mesh tape or sheetrock tape A small amount of joint compound A 4” drywall knife 220 grit sandpaper
Holes the size of a golf ball and smaller can also be backed with some tight fitting plug or lid or can simply be taped over. Any rise caused by the patch can be feathered out with joint compound.
Mud is usually held in a ‘California Cake Pan’ or small rectangular box about 4 x 12". If you are planning on doing a lot of sheet rock work in the future, it might be a good idea to purchase one. If you only plan on doing this one repair, don’t waste the money. Some people also prefer using something called a “hawk. ” This works well for stucco.
Make sure to prime the area first.
A piece of sheetrock. Since you may only need a piece of sheetrock that is a few feet square, see if you or a friend has a piece of it lying around, instead of buying a whole sheet. However, most home improvement stores also sell smaller pieces of sheetrock. Make sure that the sheetrock is the same thickness as the sheetrock on the wall you are repairing. Residential walls are typically 1/2" and ceilings are 5/8". Commercial walls and ceilings are always 5/8". Joint tape Joint compound A set of drywall knives in sizes 6", 8" and 12" Sandpaper A sheetrock saw A razor-knife
Use a razor-knife to cut down the center of the stud. Then, make horizontal cuts with a drywall saw. This will allow you to attach your new piece of sheetrock to the stud.
Use your razor knife to make small adjustments to the size of your patch. The sheetrock saw is better for rough in cuts.
Sheetrock tape comes dry but needed to be dunked in water before it is stuck to the wall. Tape can be of any length and should be overlapped about an inch when put together.
Keep in mind that home improvement stores usually carry three different types of aerosol texture: knockdown, orange peel, and popcorn
A plaster patching compound A large joint or finishing trowel Sandpaper Coarse grade screws for wood and fine grade screws for metal. Choose screws that are 1-1/4" to 1-5/8".
If some of your lath is damaged so much that it will not hold up plaster, you will need to replace it.
The consistency of this layer of plater patch should be like peanut butter. [6] X Research source
This layer of patching compound should be just slightly thinner than the one underneath. This will allow you to more easily smooth out the surface with you trowel.
