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I had a window leak and had to replace a full 8'x4' of drywall. I cut the old area out, screwed it into the studs via drywall screws. Then I used drywall grid tape on the seams and premade joint compound to seal the seams. The bottom part will be behind the baseboard. The corner piece I first filled with spray foam, cut everything that expanded outside away and sealed again with joint compound:

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Since it will be hard to match paint I am planning to redo the whole wall side but I really want to avoid repainting the entire room (since I have multiple smaller patches in other rooms as well).

One issue is that the wall had a fairly thick layer of old paints (~1mm) so it is slightly thinner. It also has a pattern:

enter image description here

What are the steps (and the right order) to arrive at a finish wall that matches the existing pattern and color as much as possible?

I am not sure if I need to do something on the drywall (add some plaster layer or so), how I can recreate the existing pattern as much as possible, whether I need primer and which, how I can find the color matching as closely as possible, whether I need to do anything behind the baseboard and in which order all of it should happen (e.g. caulking the baseboard to the drywall).

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  • Colour matching can be hard. Instead of matching paint to the other walls, make an accent wall or use wall borders in a different but comfortable colour. The finish looks like a skim mud coat over the wall(used to hide not the best mud job), and playing with the scraper.
    – crip659
    Commented Aug 3 at 19:56
  • Hmm but I really don’t like an accent color. This is a bit extreme example but I have many more smaller patches in multiple rooms. Small patches happen so often. Are you saying that every tiny patch really always requires repainting the WHOLE room? Or, is this really what’s commonly done? So hard to imagine
    – divB
    Commented Aug 3 at 20:08
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    Some computer software at paint stores can match paint chips(not pictures or the paint number/name) quite well. Even the exact same paint after a couple years will not match exactly. The wall paint will be faded from new paint. So you need new paint that is pre-faded.
    – crip659
    Commented Aug 3 at 20:16

2 Answers 2

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Step 1. You'll want to skim your joints a little wider to feather them out; otherwise, you'll have an obvious hump, even with texture. Google "skip trowel". And it looks like there's some sand in there -- not sure. Texture is hard, so just do your best. Spread out into the existing areas and use a barely damp sponge to blend the edges.

  1. Prime the raw joint compound, ideally with a PVA primer. If you can't find pva, regular primer is adequate but not the best.

  2. Finish paint (twice) using a computer matched sample of the existing. In my experience, big box stores actually do a credible job of this. Drywall imperfections are less obvious with less sheen, so you might commit to flat and actually paint corner to corner. Or just do touchups, though you'll see it when you stare. (And you probably won't see it when you glance.)

  3. Paint (twice) the baseboard and nail it on. (No need to do anything behind the base.) Fill holes with spackle, caulk the top, and do touchup paint.

Next time you use mesh tape, use 'setting compound', also known by its working time, ie 5 minute mud, 20, 45, etc. Premix isn't the right stuff for mesh. (And setting compound isn't the right kind for skimming, as sanding it is a bear.) If you want to be really fancy, premixed topping compound is ideal for skimming, as it sands very easily. Problem is, small quantities of topping compound are hard to find.

It's not clear if you taped the corner, but you should have. If you didn't, chances are high that it'll crack in the future. Most people use paper tape for corners, as the crease helps keep the corner nice. If you want to do this, sand away as much of the joint compound as you can before starting to tape. Premixed joint compound is appropriate for paper tape.

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That other wall that has the irregular/rough surface is sufficiently unattractive to likely warrant full-on re-do.

  • apply a skim-coat of drywall mud
  • seam the corners with drywall tape/beads
  • do the requisite sanding
  • repaint that wall with the same colour/paint as you are doing on your new drywall area

It's your call - but the other wall quality is low and so it seems a reasonable candidate for the additional effort and materials.

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