There have been many times when we have accidentally damaged our walls by innocently pulling out a hook or a poster. Then, there’s that dreadful and sad spot left on the wall waiting to be covered; more like a naked spot and hole. There are times as well when we move to a new house, we found ourselves facing walls that are full of ugly naked holes. There has to be a way to repair this; to make it look as new again. Or at least, cover the damage that has been done by someone else.
You can use an anchor such as molly screws to the drywall as an alternative for studs if you want to hang an item on the wall. So anchors such as molly screws will spread out to hook onto the back of the drywall, adding strength to the drywall’s holding ability. However, if a molly screw is pulled out in an improper manner, it can take off a chunk of fragile drywall with it hence leaving an unsightly hole. It is not that hard to fix damages that are caused by molly screws, here are the steps on how to do it.
You will need:
- Screws
- Drywall saw
- Scrap wood
- Drill
- Rotary tool
- Fast-setting joint compound
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Primer, rag
- Scrap drywall
- Self-adhering fiberglass mesh tape
- Trowel
- Brush
- Paint
Molly Screws
Steps:
- First, use a drywall saw to cut the damaged area and to form a square around the hole. Brush off any drywall dust with a clean rag.
- Slip two pieces of scrap wood behind the hole horizontally at the top and the bottom of the hole. Use screws and a drill to screw the wood to the drywall.
- Then, cut a patch from the scrap drywall with the size that is a bit smaller than the hole using a rotary tool or a drywall saw.
- Place the drywall patch into the hole and screw the patch to the wood with four screws and a drill. Tape the edges with a self-adhering fiberglass mesh tape.
- Next, apply three layers of fast-setting joint compound on top of the fiberglass mesh tape.
- Patch them with a trowel. Leave the compound to dry completely.
- To make sure that the patched area is flushed with the existing drywall, use fine grit sandpaper to sand those surfaces. If necessary, you could also apply on primer and paint to the surface.
- By now, you must have successfully repaired your drywall damage; damage that has been done by molly screws.
Image Credit:
Additional Reading:
Remodeling a Basement: Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Taunton’s Build Like a Pro)
