Please give me some advice on how to fix this. This is a PAINTED wall.
-
2Cut is out and do it right. There are many answers on this site (use the search function) and tutorials on YouTube on how to properly patch drywall.– Alaska ManOct 11, 2020 at 18:40
-
3I don’t know that I would cut it out there will always be a bump but the mud was slopped on and not sanded. I would sand it down then using a wide mud knife blend the bump in over 8-12” once the bump is blended and smooth a can of orange peal texture can be used to texture starting in the center and working out when spraying like this move away as you spray the good textured area this helps fade the difference in textures. Then prime and paint.– Ed BealOct 11, 2020 at 18:48
-
@ed Beal ... 8-12” over the edges you mean?– Jeff GeorgeOct 11, 2020 at 18:54
-
1@alaska man I appreciate the thought but there are about 20 of these in my house. I’m not cutting out 20 different patches.– Jeff GeorgeOct 11, 2020 at 18:55
-
@JeffGeorge Ok, you will need to add mud and feather it way out, the farther out you go the less you will see the Bump out of the bad patch you are leaving in, from each side and then match the texture.– Alaska ManOct 11, 2020 at 19:00
|
Show 1 more comment
3 Answers
It's not as bad as you think. Someone just skipped the last step in drywall repair, and proceeded to paint. The wonderful thing about drywall is that when you screw up, you can generally fix it without starting over.
As another poster suggested, you just need to feather everything out, and sand. I'm not a pro drywaller, but I'd think you could get away with just one application of mud+sanding.
Check out this guy on youtube, who gives pretty good advice on drywalling techniques. I'd highly recommend youtube for something like this, as it's hard to describe drywall techniques in words or even pictures.
-
You're right. I floated it out, feathered the edges, and it looks great. Thank you! Oct 22, 2020 at 19:02
We cannot see the size or how bad it really is. With your comment that are many of these I would suggest 2 things a 12” or longer square knife and a 6 stainless. The narrow knife is helpful to get the mud on the wall and the wider knife is better for the taper. I have dozens of mud knives but I really only use a few, a narrow knife to fill screw and nail divot. I usually use a 6” stainless because stainless is better for pushing out air bubbles and the same knife works for screws and tape first coat. After a quick sand the 6” is fine for putting mud on and tapering any inside or outside corners the longer 12” square knife is more flexible and will make the taper possible with large patches you taper to the inside and outside of the taped crack.
Why tape the crack if it creates a bump. We tape the seams and patches because if we don’t the first change from heating to cooling or a vibration the mud will crack. The wider the taper the less noticeable it is.
Last the toughest job of all matching the texture! I have found if I can get the bump size close I go a tiny bit smaller, start in the center and work out pulling away or sweeping out so the texture gets lighter where it blends with the original texture.
After the texture is dry prime and paint making sure to go beyond the new texture. I have made hundreds of patches like this in the middle of walls when rewiring and although I can see the patch many home owners were surprised that they could not see it.
-
Thanks for this. I’m going to study up on “feathering”. I’ve never done it before, so I’m sure I’ll be pretty bad at it. Since it’s a square, do you feather all 4 sides? Does the “bump” (protrudes from the rest of the wall a bit) matter at all? Oct 11, 2020 at 20:19
-
3@JeffGeorge Yes all 4 sides. The degree to which the bump protrudes out from the wall will dictate how far out you have to feather in order to get the bump to (disappear) not be noticeable. It will take a few applications of mud and sanding between coats to get it right. By the time you get to patch #10 you should be real good at it. Research "feathering drywall butt joints" for info. On a butt joint you only have two sides to do, a patch has the added degree of difficulty of corners to feather around. youtube.com/results?search_query=feathering+drywall+but+joints Oct 11, 2020 at 20:52
-
The orange peel texture on the wall will also add a degree of difficulty in smoothing out your mud with the drywall knife. Sanding will take care of most of it. It does not need to be perfect as you will be applying new orange peel texture over it which will hide the sins to a degree. Oct 11, 2020 at 20:56
-
I fully agree most new to mudding try to put it on two thick. Sand it down and reapply. Use regular mud never hot mud or a quick set compound until you start getting good. Hot mud has its uses but for newbies I see huge messes when hot mud or quick setting compound is used, on top of that hot mud is harder to sand. Multiple thin coats end up with a better finish and less sanding once you shine a light on the patch from an angle and you think it looks good ,,, then it is time to texture. I suggest a test spray on a surface to adjust the spray pattern a cardboard box is a good surface Then do it– Ed BealOct 12, 2020 at 4:08
You could try dampening the wall -- just a light misting from a spray bottle will do. With some luck enough water will penetrate through the paint and soften the joint compound behind. You could then scrape away the paint and some of the compound using a putty knife. If successful, this would allow you to shave the area down to a lower profile without the mess and effort of sanding. You'd then have the "opportunity" to try the repair again.
The only brief tips I could offer for doing the repair are don't try to do too much at once. Apply thin coats. When feathering/smoothing away from a high area like a taped joint, work just one side of it at a time. After that has tried then work on the other side.
