DIY Network

DIY Basic: Repairing Textured Ceiling From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-204

Repairing holes in a ceiling is a common do-it-yourself project, but it gets a bit more complicated when you're dealing with a textured ceiling. Here are the DIY basics to help repair holes in just about any textured ceiling.

Materials

Drywall for patch
Lightweight joint compound
Drywall knive
Straight-edge
Thick-nap paint roller
Brush for pattern
Interior paint to match walls

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• For a larger hole, begin by cutting a piece of drywall to fit the opening (figure A), then mud and tape it.

• Once that's dried, use a thick nap roller to cover the area with lightweight joint
  compound that's been thinned with water (figure B).

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

  Figure C

  
  
  

• Around the edges, overlap the new joint compound onto the old ceiling. This is the key to hiding the fix.
  
  
• Now it's time to apply the texture. To do this, "stomp" a textured brush into the wet compound (figure C) to get the look you want.

• Tip: You can buy textured brushes like this one at home improvement stores, but they may vary from the one we used. To get the right "pattern" you may need to flatten out the brush. A good way to do that is to soak the brush in hair conditioner for a few days. That softens the horse hair so it'll lay flat.
  

  Figure D

  
  

• For holes smaller than 12 inches wide, you can use a technique called "hot patching."
  
  
• First, square your hole, then cut a piece of drywall that's about 2-inches larger than the
  hole you're repairing.
  
  
• With your drywall knife mark the edges of the hole on the new drywall (figure D).

• Use the knife to score the back of the drywall and then snap the drywall and carefully
  pull it off. Make sure to leave the front paper attached to the patch piece of drywall.
  The paper flaps are needed to hold the patch in place.
  

  	Figure E
  	Figure F

  
  

• Make sure the patch fits the hole (figure E), then spread joint compound around the edges of the hole.

• To speed up this process, use fast setting joint compound. It should dry in about 20
  minutes.

• Put the patch into place making sure to push the paper flaps into the mud. Cover the
  entire patch with mud and smooth it out with your knife (figure F).

• Once the patch is dried, apply the texture using the same process as described above to "stomp" the pattern into the wet mud.
  
  

• Make sure your fix is even with the old ceiling.
  
• Put your new joint compound over the edges of the patch onto the old ceiling.
  
• Repaint. That's the great thing about textured ceilings -- they're the perfect cover
  for tiny mistakes.

RESOURCES :
Walls and Ceilings: Build, Remodel, Repair
ISBN: 1580110304
Author: Christopher Hoolihan
Order this title from Amazon.
Creative Homeowner Press
Website: www.creativehomeowner.com

Painting Skills
ISBN: 1842154109
Author: Mike Lawrence
Order this title from Amazon.com.