Standard wall studs are 16 inches apart. Find the studs near your damaged drywall to repair it.
Drywall provides a smooth, fire-resistant wall surface. However, drywall panels, composed of pressed gypsum particles, are prone to breaking upon impact. Even something as slight as a door bumping a wall can cause a doorknob to go through a drywall panel. Fortunately, patching large holes in drywall isn't difficult, but you'll have to repaint or re-wallpaper when the patching is complete.
Instructions
Remove the Damaged Section
1. Locate the studs beneath the drywall with a stud finder or rap on the wall with your knuckles, listening for a solid sound. When you locate one stud, measure 16 inches on either side to locate additional studs.
2. Measure a section of new drywall to replace the section that has the hole, measuring to the nearest stud on each side of the hole. For example, if you have an 8-inch hole between studs, you would cut a section from new drywall that is 16 inches wide and tall enough to cover the hole.
3. Measure over the span of multiple studs if the damage covers more than one stud. If you have an area of drywall damage that is 3 feet wide, you would measure the width of the replacement panel at 48 inches, since studs are located on 16-inch centers and you need 48 inches of new panel to reach across three studs. Note that, depending on the location of the hole in relation to the nearest studs, you might actually have to span 4 studs, cutting a panel 66 inches.
4. Cut the new drywall using a straightedge and a utility knife. Hold the straightedge on the face of the drywall paneling and score the panel about ¼ inch deep along the straightedge.
5. Snap the drywall panel backward to break it along the scored lines, and use the utility knife to cut the paper backing.
6. Ask an assistant to hold the new cut panel in place in the wall, covering the old damage and centered between the studs. Draw a line around the panel onto the wall.
7. Cut the wall line with the straightedge and the utility knife, then remove the damaged section.
Install the New Panel
8. Position the new section of drywall in the hole -- it should fit, since you used it as a template to cut out the old section. Insert drywall screws through the paneling into the studs beneath at the rate of one screw every 8 inches. Insert screws into every stud that runs beneath the new section.
9. Cut four pieces of drywall mesh tape to fit over the new seams without overlapping, and stick them in place.
10. Smooth joint compound over the seams with a 6-inch drywall taping knife, pressing the compound through the mesh and into the seams beneath.
11. Switch to a 10-inch taping knife and pull the wider blade evenly over the seams to further smooth out the wet compound, then let the seams dry completely.
12. Sand off rough areas along the dried seam with a drywall sander and repeat the application of joint compound, using only the 10-inch knife this time. Again, let it dry completely before sanding again.
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