0

I cut some L-shaped notches in the corner between my walls and ceiling in order to pull some electrical wires through. Now I'm not sure how to repair the hole... should I just cake in joint compound to fill in the hole, or cut some small pieces of drywall to fill in the hole?

One method that came to mind was to cut small wood pieces an inch or two longer than the (already small) hole, put them behind, screw them to teh existing wall/ceiling, cut small drywall pieces to fill the notch, screw those into the wood, then put on joint compound + corner tape, but that seems like a lot of work for a hole so small. I'm not sure I could even fit the wood bars through a hole that size.

I found many resources online describing the process of pulling wires through corners using the notch method, but nothing describes how exactly to repair the drywall when complete.

enter image description here

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

Hopefully there was a notch drilled in the plate, so that when a wire staple is set it will pull the wire in behind the face of the drywall. It should have been cut out large enough to allow a metal plate to cover the wire to protect it, although it is unlikely there will be any nails or screws going into the corner right there, but you never know....

Anyway, after the wire is held in place with a staple, pack the slot with drywall mud if you prefer, but it will take a long time to dry, unless you use a fast setting type and scrape that flush with the wall, do not allow that to build up or sag. Add another layer of mud for a setting bed for the tape, whether it be paper or mesh. Set the tape over the whole slot, running it into the corner and out onto the wall and ceiling. It may be a little tricky, but you can do it. After that has set add you finish coats, let dry and sand smooth.

Improve this answer
2
  • I like this idea. You don't think there's a need to cut out little drywall plugs to fill the hole first? I know it'll be tough to find a way to screw/mount the plugs securely prior to mudding.
    – atanamir
    Commented Jun 9, 2015 at 8:05
  • No, that is what the packing with mud and scraping off flush does, no nails involved. Comintern's comment about packing the hole first will help reduce or eliminate the sagging of compound out of the hole.
    – Jack
    Commented Jun 9, 2015 at 16:49
1

I'd use mesh tape, overlapped if necessary. Let your first coat set for a while since it'll be thick inside the hole. If it bulges out while drying, just push it back to flat after a couple of hours.

Improve this answer
1
  • That's exactly what I usually do, although for larger holes I'll wad up fiberglass tape and pack it into the hole as backing then push mud into it. Works like a charm.
    – Comintern
    Commented Jun 7, 2015 at 0:21

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.