This article will show you how to repair 200mm x 200mm to 700mm x 700mm sized holes in walls or ceiling in the home. Wether you have an angry teen or young children that have thrown their toys too hard or simply a DIY gone wrong, this article will help the wall look brand new. This method would be used if there are no existing studs you can already fix to.
Firstly you will need to get tools required for the job. The size of the hole will determine the size of the trowel or broad knife you need to use. The broad knife is a much easier tool to learn how to use than a trowel.
TOOLS
- Stanley Knife
- 6” Taping Knife
- 10” Broad Knife
- trim-tex sanding block
- Drop Sheet
MATERIALS
Plasterboard – you can pick up 1200mm x1200mm plasterboard off cuts from any local Bunnings.
Paper Tape – its important you use paper tape and not fibre glass tape to patch any holes over 200mm as fibre glass tape will crack much easier than paper tape.
Base coat 20 – this product will set in 20mins allowing you to finish your patch quickly
Top coat – this is the final coat that will take 12hrs to dry and leave a smooth finish
Off cut timbers – Depending on the size of the hole you need to get yourself 2 pieces of timber that will be an extra 50mm longer than the hole.
Screws – 25mm coarse thread screws.
PREPARATION
Place drop sheets down around the area so you can easily clean your mess. And remember… “A CLEAN JOB IS A GOOD JOB”
REMOVAL OF DAMAGED PLASTER
Cut the new plasterboard into a square that covers your existing hole. Pencil around the plasterboard so you create the lines you need to cut out. Use your Stanley Blade to cut along your pencil lines. You may need to cut along these lines 3 – 4 times for the blade to cut through the damaged board. Once you have cut out your new square its time to throw out and clean up the mess you have made. You don’t want to be working on top of a mess. It will only cause you problems.
CARPENTRY WORK
Place your off cut of timber which if 50mm – 100mm longer than your plaster piece behind the hole so that it is evenly spaced covering the old plaster and where the new plaster will sit. Once the timbers are in place you need to fix them off with the 25mm coarse screws.
NEW PLASTER
When both timbers are fixed you can then insert your piece of plaster which you have previously cut. The piece should fit perfectly as long as you have cut to your pencil lines correctly. Using the same 25mm coarse screws you can fix the new plasterboard to the timber. Clean up any mess that is still remaining and shake off the drop sheet outside. Once the site is clean you can place the drop sheet back down.
SETTING
Its now time to grab your paper tape and cut it to the size of the patch. Once the paper tape is ready you can mix your base20 with water. RATIO 1:2 if you need to add more compound you can whilst mixing. You are after a mix that is creamy in texture and that doesn’t run off the blade.
If it is too wet you just create a mess. Once you have the perfect mix its time to apply it to the wall. You need to apply a 2mm thick coat over the outside of the patch. Make sure you can not see any plaster or existing wall as you create bubbles behind your tape. Once you have the even coat over the patch its time to apply the paper tape.
Making sure the paper is placed evenly over the new plaster and the existing plaster. Using your finger place it over the tape and now use your 6” blade to squeeze out the mud from behind the tape starting from the centre of the paper tape so that it doesn’t move on you. Do this on all 4 sides until finished.
20mins later…
Your tape should be flat and dry. You now need to make another mix that is the same as your last. Its now time to grab the 10” blade. Using the 10” blade you now need to spread out an even layer of base across the entire patch. Using the 6” blade you need to collect the edge of the coat you have just applied. By using finger pressure on the outside of the blade this can easily be achieved. Now use the 10”blade to run over the patch until smooth.
Another 20mins Later…
Use the 6”blade and run it over the patch to remove any unwanted edges or dags. Once it feels smooth there is no bumps grab out the top coat. You shouldn’t need to mix this, you can use it straight from the bucket. Using the 10”blade you need to apply a coat that is larger then basecoat. You may need use the 10”blade twice to make the patch wider.
Use the same method as before to collect the edge and finish off with the 10”blade. This coat will take a while to dry. Best to leave it for 24hrs. Once it is dry you can grab your sanding block and work it in a circular motion until smooth and all edges are faded out. This should only take 1 – 2 minutes. Be careful not to sand too much off otherwise you will need to repeat the top coat.
The wider the patch the harder it will be to see after painted. The idea behind any patch is to blend it in so it’s as if there was no patch there to begin with.
If you’re in Geelong, and this stuff is just too hard or dirty for you to do… We’ll come and fix it for you. After all, we’re experts at this stuff – We’ve been Plastering in Geelong for years!