Help! Need to patch 90 holes in drywall.

Problem: I am going to have my garage/workshop walls insulated (blown). Insulation company sez I need to have a 3" hole at top of wall, with a small air escape hole at the bottom, for each 16" section of wall space. That means a total of 90 holes.:eek:

Questions: What is the best method for creating the 45 3" holes; and, perhaps more importantly, what is the best, easiest, and fastest method for repairing those holes (in preparation for painting) when the job is done?

[I am assuming the 45 air escape holes will be small enough that I will be able to use joint compound to simply "patch" the holes fairly easily. Should my assumption be in error, please feel free to advise.]

Thanks, in advance for your assistance.

John

I would use a 3" hole saw to do the holes at the top of the wall.

To repair them.....trim the garage with 1x6 pine, prime and paint to match. Make sure you layout the holes evenly and far enough up so that the trim board will catch them.
Theres no easy way to fix a 3" hole in the center of a stud cavity.

Ed

Ed,

I hope any suggestions that follow are as simple and ingenious as is yours. I have spent a great deal of time thinking about and dreading the laborious task of repairing all those holes. In one fell swoop, you have given me a suggestion that makes perfect sense and cuts anticipated work time by an incredible amount hours.

Your response is yet another example of why I enjoy SMC so much.

Thank you so much for your help.

John

Interesting idea. If you really secure the 1x6 well, you might even be able to hang stuff from it.

If adding some trim isn't going to work, you could always just snap a line along the top, maybe 6" from the top, then cut the drywall (with all the holes) out, and then replace it with new pieces. you'd have to tape/mud some seams, and add screws to secure the top of the drywall, but you wouldn't have to repair all those holes.

I like the trim piece better though.

I like Ed's idea if you can get the holes up high enough to make it work. If not, stay with the hole saw idea, save all the cut-outs, Use a 2 1/2" wide piece of wood that you can slip into the wall cavity through the hole. Screw through the drywall into the wood to hold it in place where it is across the hole. Screw the disc back in the hole. Tape, mud, texture and paint. Like I said, I like Ed's idea better.:rolleyes:
Something someone did in our previous house, garage and outside the house, was to cut some squares of thin wood, turn them at an angle so it was a diamond shape, and nail them over the holes. A little crude, but it worked. Jim.

Or, a combination - if the 3" holes don't have to be at the VERY TOP, put 'em down a bit and use your "cover strip" as half of a french cleat system for hanging cabinets, etc... Steve

John, does your walls have fire blocks. If so, you will need the 3" hole at the top of the wall and one below the fire block. The walls in my house as well as my shop have fire blocks in every stud bay.

Sam

I'll have to agree with the trim/hanging cleat idea as the best. But if you want to repair them, it's more time than work, and here's how.

1. Keep the 'holes' that were cut with the hole saw
2. Cut a series of 5" long, 1-2" wide, 1/2" thick pieces of wood.
3. Slip the piece of wood inside each hole and fasten it with a drywall screw on either side of the hole so it bridges the opening.
4. Take one of the 'holes' you kept from step 1 and fasten it to the piece of wood with a drywall screw or two
5. Spackle, sand, and paint.

Anthony's got some good advice there.
Works for patching a 6" hole for a can light that was in wrong place.... twice. DAMKHIT.:rolleyes: I will say I did just install can lights in my kitcken though.
Going to have the same scenario this fall too as my garage has no insulation between the 'rock in the shop and the subfloor overhead. They just don't build in the midwest like I'm used to in New England.

Cheers.
Greg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jim O'Dell

I like Ed's idea if you can get the holes up high enough to make it work. If not, stay with the hole saw idea, save all the cut-outs, Use a 2 1/2" wide piece of wood that you can slip into the wall cavity through the hole. Screw through the drywall into the wood to hold it in place where it is across the hole. Screw the disc back in the hole. Tape, mud, texture and paint. Like I said, I like Ed's idea better.:rolleyes:
Something someone did in our previous house, garage and outside the house, was to cut some squares of thin wood, turn them at an angle so it was a diamond shape, and nail them over the holes. A little crude, but it worked. Jim.

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Beat me to it, Jim. That was going to be my suggestion. But the 1X6 would no doubt be easier- just less cost effective.

Just like Anthony said is how I have done it.

I do like the 1X6 idea, especially to use for hanging, etc. If you have to hold it down from the cieling a bit, use a chalk line to keep them at the same istance down.

My first thought regarding this tread was "mom always said don't play with guns in the house"


Anthony's idea seems like the way to go for me. I'm having a similar insulation put into the walls of my home (it's a brick house) and I wasn't sure about the best way to repair the walls.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ed Labadie

I would use a 3" hole saw to do the holes at the top of the wall.

To repair them.....trim the garage with 1x6 pine, prime and paint to match. Make sure you layout the holes evenly and far enough up so that the trim board will catch them.
Theres no easy way to fix a 3" hole in the center of a stud cavity.

Ed

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This is similar to a job I did but in a house and we covered the holes with crown molding takes no time at all!!!

I didn't have so many holes to fill when I poked some holes in my den's ceiling to fish wire but what I did was to experiment a bit with hole saw such that the plug to fill the hole was snug. I used mud like glue to patch it in.

If you have a drill press, you can omit the drill bit in the middle of the hole saw and punch out "clean" circles....

Fire blocks are usually for balloon framed buildings but sometimes are in other styles as well.

The easiest way to patch a hole that big is to secure a wood strip behind it with screws on each side then secure a patch on the wood. It is still a real pain and going with the trim is a very very good idea.

Make sure there aren't any other holes (other side) as I know someone who once pumped a lot of insulation into a bathroom where he removed a fan and had an opening into a bay he was pumping cellulose into.

I though it was funny, he didn't.

Joe

Maybe it's me, but I haven't had very good luck with hole saws that large and drywall -- getting bad break-out on the back side, sometimes all the way to the front paper. I would use a RotoZip (or equiv.) with a circle template or jig.

Garage drywall takes a beating over the years...from dampness, tools ,etc. If I were insulating my garage walls ,which are only 16 years old....I would just slap another layer of 3/8 drywall ontop of the first layer. Added fire resistance and noise barrier....of course when I did my garage drywall was only 4.00 per sheet!
Just a thought for you.

Here in the hills, all that fancy screwin' and such is a little too complicated for a country boy. What we do is wad up a bunch of newspaper ad shove it in the hole, making sure it is bigger than the hole itself. Cut a patch piece to fit, butter the edges good with spackle or better yet fixall with a little elmers white glue added, and stick it in place. Spackle and sanding do the rest. worked fine when I got a little peeved with my no. 1 son and put my fist through the wall.:D

2FO2BB

Maybe you could just cut out a 6" wide strip the entire length of the wall. After insulation is done, replace drywall, screw to studs, tape and float.

The only problem I see with this is that it might be difficult to keep the insulation in the wall at and above the 6" opening.

John,

I've got to admit that when I read the subject, my first thought was, "man, that was one seriously ticked off guy to punch 90 holes in his walls." I've had some projects that had me cussing like a Sailor (oops, I am a Sailor!), but nothing to that extent. :D

Sorry, I'll go back into my hole....

Keith

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Originally Posted by Keith Beck

John,

Sorry, I'll go back into my hole....

Keith

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Into your hole? I get it. Funny. Now we're up to 91. :D

I'm with Ryan and JohnT--cut the drywall so you have one joint to tape, mud and sand, not 45. Fill the small air holes with lightweight spackle. If you try to patch a 3" hole without any sort of tape, it will crack. You could also cut the drywall first (then they wouldn't need air holes), have them only fill it to the top edge of the drywall, then tuck in some fiberglass insulation (the cellulose will settle anyway) and repair the drywall strip.

California drywall patch.

Works well. I've done this several times.



http://www.jasongraphix.com/archive/...rywall_patches

That is pretty cool, Steve, I may have to give that a try. I'd add the wood back no matter what, though. Also, I'd make the patch piece first, then trace it onto the wall to cut out with the drywall saw.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve Clardy

California drywall patch.

Works well. I've done this several times.



http://www.jasongraphix.com/archive/...rywall_patches

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Yep and agreed but doing this "California Patch" for 90 holes sounds a bit extreme! :eek:

I'll drink to that, Chris! But I do have one question for you: since YOU are in CULLIFORNIA, how come you didn't let us in on this "California Patch"?

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Originally Posted by Jason Roehl

I'll drink to that, Chris! But I do have one question for you: since YOU are in CULLIFORNIA, how come you didn't let us in on this "California Patch"?

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Apparently Mom didn't tell him too :rolleyes::D:D

John
I see ther are a lot of good sujestion for repairing your dry wall. I would first ask the insulation installer what size holes you need at the bottom and the exact location of the holes on the wall in relationship to the floor and ceilling. I would also ask who is responsible to install the holes.
next as for repairing the dry wall the california patch would be the best ( I have never heard it called that befor). The only problem with putting a board in the back to support the dry wall is that now you have filled th cavity with insulation. When you do start your patching I would get all the holes filled first then use a easey sand 45 for your first coat then follow up with what ever kind of compound you like

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jason Roehl

I'll drink to that, Chris! But I do have one question for you: since YOU are in CULLIFORNIA, how come you didn't let us in on this "California Patch"?

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I got stuck on "stupid" and couldn't break free.... :D

I had this very same problem in my 50 year old rent house that had no insulation at all. The guys doing the insulation cut the holes. I don't know how many holes I had, but it was more than 90! However these holes were 2" holes, so what I did might not work as well. I found some mesh tape that was sticky on one side designed for drywall repair. This stuff is 2" wide and comes in a big roll and costs about 5-6 dollars. One roll was all I needed. I tore off about a 6 - 10 inch piece and stuck the cutout to that. Then I added some mud to the edge of the plug and inserted the plug in the hole and pressed the tape to the wall. I then applied more mud over the tape and hole. I let that dry over night and then gave it a second coat of mud. After that dried I sanded it smooth. It took me a couple of evenings work, but after painting I am really hard pressed to find where the holes were. This is simple and CHEAP! Since the holes are up close to the ceiling strength is not much of an issue. This has lasted 2 years and there are no cracks around the holes.

I used a hole saw when I had mine done. The contractor put a wooden plug in the hole when he was done. The plug was set just below the surface so I could mud over it and get a finished surface. I talked to him first to be sure the hole sizes were correct. Dick B.

Ding, ding...I think we have a winner with Dick's contractor! That, I have to say, is mighty fine of him to do for you! Was it part of his general cost to include such a time-saver for you, Dick?

Chris, It was included in the bid but not as a separate item so I don't kno the specific cost. The "bungs" were tapered so they went in easy yet made a firm plug. Idid the wall finishing. Had no problems. Dick B.