How to Make an Invisible Drywall Patch

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Question: Is this patch of ceiling before or after the bee hive was removed? Can't tell? Good!

Question: Is this patch of ceiling before or after the bee hive was removed? Can’t tell? Good!

We’ve had our share of drywall patches through our home ownership journey. We just went over bee removal services, rerouting plumbing to bypass under slab supply plumbing leaks, leaky roofs, a kitchen remodel–all of which involved patching holes in drywall. The real test of a flawless putback is the next person walking in, never suspecting a drywall patch because it is invisible!

There are two methods when it comes to a drywall patch.

Method #1. The quick drywall patch.

You have a hole in the drywall. Cut a drywall patch the size of the hole. Use some sort of blocking to attach it in place. Tape over all the outside edges with paper tape. Next, float out the joint compound in an attempt to hide the paper tape bumps.

The problem with this method is you can’t fight the laws of physics. Mass is there and stays unless some act of God or human changes it. There is a bump and unless you float out the entire wall…there is a bump!

Method #2. The invisible drywall patch.

You have a hole in the drywall. In this invisible method most of the work is spent digging out the two inches of paint, texture, drywall facing and a little of the drywall itself.

This is the key to creating an invisible drywall patch: dig out the two inches of paint, texture, drywall facing and a little of the drywall itself around the entire gaping hole. In this photo notice the old paper tape along the ceiling going down the wall was removed too.

Excavate the paper facing around the entire gaping hole. In this photo notice the old paper tape along the ceiling going down the wall was removed too.

Cut a drywall patch two inches longer on every side of the hole. Next, take off the extra two inches on each side, leaving the paper facing.

This is the key to creating an invisible drywall patch: cut a drywall patch two inches longer on every side of the hole. Next, take off the extra two inches on each side, leaving the paper facing.

This extra paper facing is your new paper tape–already embedded and perfectly matched to the hole!

This extra paper facing is your new paper tape--already embedded and perfectly matched to the drywall patch!

Once you have completed your excavation, set up some sort of blocking to attach the patch to the wall (if you were not able to hit ceiling joists or wall studs as we were above).

Apply joint compound over all the areas you just dug out.

Invisible drywall patches: Apply joint compound over all the areas you just dug out.

The inside pieces of drywall facing should also get dampened with water so both sides attach 100%, eliminating any bubbles.

Invisible drywall patches: attach the drywall patch and embed the paper facing in the mud.

Don’t forget new paper tape along corner edges.

When installing a new drywall patch along a ceiling edge don't forget new paper tape along corner edges. A work in progress shot of the corner paper tape during level 1.

A work in progress shot of the corner paper tape during level 1.

You’ll still have a couple layers of mud left to fully float the patch where it is smooth and inconspicuous:

Create invisible drywall patches: Level 1 - Wet

Level 1 – Wet

Create invisible drywall patches: Level 1 - Dry

Level 1 – Dry

Create invisible drywall patches: Level 1 - Sanded After Dry

Level 1 – Sanded After Dry

Seamless Drywall Patching: What this method looks like when the level 2 mud is wet.

Level 2 – Wet

Seamless Drywall Patching: What this method looks like when the level 2 mud is sanded after drying.

Level 2 – Sanded After Dry

As you can see, you still float out the patch further each time just as you would with new drywall.

Seamless Drywall Patching: What this method looks like when the level 3 mud is wet.

Level 3 – Wet

How to Drywall Patch: What this method looks like when the level 3 mud with USG First Coat primer.

Level 3 – Primed After Sanding

There will still be some irregularity–a level 5 finish might not be the way to go. However, you aren’t fighting an entire layer of paper tape on top of the already existing drywall.

Some of your success also depends on the texture of the existing drywall surface. For instance, it is much easier to blend orange peel than crows foot.

Drywall patching done right: sanding old texture to make the new texture look identical.

Prepping for Texture

After the new texture is applied.

After the texture is applied.

We use USG’s First Coat Primer before and after the texture is applied. Regular primer gets absorbed into the raw joint compound. With First Coat the primer and following color coats stay on the outside. If you do not use First Coat you run the risk of the patch and new texture looking different because it looks dull–not as shiny as the rest of the surrounding area.

New drywall primer on the new texture, matching the texture to the old texture. In this case you don't want the new texture to be obvious because it absorbs the paint.

USG first coat primer on the (now) textured drywall patch.

The drywall ceiling patch after an additional coat of primer and two color coats. If you guessed "after" for the first picture, you are correct!

After an additional coat of primer and two color coats. If you guessed “after” for the first picture, you are correct!

At this point the rest of the ceiling was painted with color so the patch is seamless. Since the rest of the ceiling paint is older it is difficult to match perfectly. Even if you have the lid with the RGB values of the original color, the new paint may not match due to fading, cooking food in the kitchen, and other factors that change the original color.

Side note, when creating the hole you want to patch there are a couple lines of thinking:

#1. You could square it up. Squaring a patch between two studs or ceiling joists makes it easy to attach the drywall without additional blocking.

Squaring up the drywall patch.

Squaring up the drywall patch.

You can see we marked both the hole itself as well as where the paper facing should be removed.

You can see we marked both the hole itself as well as where the paper facing should be removed.

#2. Make it an odd size. Attaching an odd size patch could be a bit tricky, but it is easier to blend and hide with drywall mud. Your eye won’t catch an odd shape as easily as it can straight lines.

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