Knowing 'How To Repair Drywall' can save you time and money. The drywall you need to fix will likely fall into one of four categories, patching large and small holes in drywall,smoothing or fixing uneven drywall, repairing cracked drywall and installing new drywall in place of old damaged material. Although the materials are similar, the techniques vary a little

There are descriptions below for all of the problems you may be having with your drywall or sheetrock. There is even a section dealing with 'moldy drywall'. Also there are links to 'how to' articles that will give you tips and tricks on getting a professional finish.

Finding and Fixing Drywall Problems

Below you will find some common problems you are likely to have with your drywall. There is a brief description and a link that will lead you to additional drywall information.

You have dents, dings and small holes in your drywall, that you want to fix before you paint.

This is a common problem. Hanging pictures, bumping into the walls with furniture, children playing, can leave you with a lot of imperfactions in an otherwise good wall.

To solve this problem you need to do a small amount of preparation and then apply spackling. Keeping the surface smooth for painting it the key. See the article 'How To Spackle a Wall' for complete instructions and information on the best material to use.

There is a  hole in your wall the size of a fifty cent piece.

A hole that is larger than diameter of a pencil is probably too big to fix with just spackling. The spackling may fill the hole, but when it dries it will crack and pull away from the edges, leaving a blemish on your wall.

Most of the time fixing smaller holes (1 1/2" in diameter or less) in drywall or sheetrock can be accomplished with just some drywall tape and compound. Its a bit more work than spackling, but not that hard. See the article 'How To Patch Small Holes in Drywall' for more information and instructions on fixing the hole.

A piece of furniture put a big hole in the wall when it was being moved.

You have a hole in your wall that a small animal could crawl through, this is not good. Big holes in a drywall wall or ceiling require some additional steps to fix. Tape alone will not bridge a large gap effectively.

Solving this problem will require that you cut out some of the drywall or sheetrock and install a replacement piece. This is not as hard as it sounds. The article 'How To Fix a Large Hole In Drywall' will provide you with all the steps and complete instructions.

There is a crack in the wall, possibly above a doorway or there is a crack in the ceiling.

Cracks are a common problem and they can be unsightly. They often occur at stress points in the structure, above doors, near stairways, ceilings that change direction to name a few. There are no rules when it comes to cracks, they can happen anywhere.

Just putting some spackling on the crack will not fix the problem. You need a flexible membrane to bridge the two opposing surface together. Often this can be drywall tape.

To learn the proper way to repair cracks in your drywall walls and ceilings, see the article 'How To Repair Drywall Cracks'.

I have an ugly water stain in my ceiling, what can I do?

It may have not even been a leak, maybe a bathtub or toilet overflowed and water got down and dripped onto the ceiling or wall. After it dries you are left with an ugly spot that can be problematic. Paint alone will usually not stop the problem.

If you do have a leak, you want to fix that first before you try and repair the drywall. The severity of the water damage and whether or not the drywall has gotten wet repeatedly will affect how hard it is to fix. It may be as simple as using the right sealer and repainting.

For complete instructions and the materials needed to deal with the problem, see the article 'Repairing Water Damaged Drywall'.

My wall is uneven, sometimes I see shadows when the light is right.

There can be several reasons for this problem. The contractor that did the drywall in your house may have done a poor job. More likely, the wall or ceiling was patched and they did not do a good job of blending in the patch. Whatever the reason, you can eliminate the uneven finish by skimming the wall with drywall compound.

Skimming involves a wide joint knife and a thin layer of drywall compound. The article 'Skim Coating Drywall' has instructions for accomplishing this task.

I have black mold on my drywall. Is this dangerous? What can I do?

Black mold has gotten a lot of attention in recent years and with good reason. It can be a serious health risk, especially for the young and the elderly.

Not all black mold is dangerous, but it takes testing to tell the difference. So assume the worse when dealing with mold. Mold is happens when you have two main ingredients, moisture and organic material. You will need to deal with both the mold and the source of the moisture to get rid of your problem.

The articles 'Is Black Mold Dangerous' and 'Drywall Mold Removal' will give you some guidelines and methods for eliminating the problem.

I have texture on my wall or ceiling and it needs to be patched, is this possible?

There are lots and lots of different textures that are used on drywall. Most of them fall into a handful of groups, each group having distinctive chareteristics. The materials uses and the individual installer can also affect the way a texture looks.

It is possible to patch them, but it may involve a bit of trial and error. The first thing you want to do is identify the type you have and then take steps to replicate it. See the article 'Texturing Drywall' for a complete discussion.

Drywall Repair Articles by Topic

Drywall Patching

Drywall patching involves varying levels of work. At the easy end, you have minor dents and dings that only need a little spackling. The other end of the spectrum is a large hole in your wall or ceiling that needs a new piece of drywall. Taping and finishing will be involved. This job will take a few days and involve several steps.

How To Spackle a Wall

Spackling can take care of most small imperctions in your walls and ceilings. There is some minor preparation required to get a good job. Also, more than one application may be required.

Drywall Crack Repair

Of course cracks are unsightly and undesirable. Fixing them involves some drywall tape and compound. There is some preparation that is also required.

How To Patch Small Holes in Drywall

To patch small holes in drywall or sheetrock, you need some tape and compound. It will involve a few steps and some sanding. Done correctly, you will never know that the hole was there.

How To Fix a Large Hole In Drywall

Got a hole in your wall that the cat can crawl through? You are going to need more than tape and drywall mud to fix it. Installing a drywall patch is not that hard, but needed for larger holes in drywall.

Drywall Ceiling Repair

Drywall ceilings have some of their own issues. The size of the drywall may be different. You could have insulation above the drywall. Not to mention the fact that you have to get up on a ladder to get to it. Follow the link above for some tips on how to repair drywall when ceilings are involved.

Repairing Water Damaged Drywall

How do you repair water damaged drywall? Of course the first thing you need to do is correct the leak that caused the water damage. After that you need to determine what level of water damaged drywall you have. It may be as simple as using the right kind of paint or it may involve some drywall replacement. The article , gives you guidelines on how to repair drywall when something has leaked.

Drywall Mold Removal

Oh no! You see some mold. What do you do? Mold as a rule is a sign of a more serious problem. Why do you have mold? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to get rid of the mold, but at the same time you need to address the moisture problems that allowed it to grow. Take some time and review the article on, for information on how to repair drywall when mold is involved.

Is Black Mold Dangerous?

You should know the facts, this can be a serious condition. It is not an insumountable problem, just one that deserves a 'healthy respect'.

Plaster Wall Repairs

Plaster is similar to drywall, yet different. Plaster is made from gypsum, the same as drywall or sheetrock. The big difference is that drywall has a paper facing and plaster does not. The good news is that plaster can be repaired with the same products and tools that you use for drywall. Once the repair is painted, you will never know the difference. This article will provide the needed skills.