Hot Patch Damaged Drywall

• 1). Use a carpenter's level to mark out a pattern around the damaged area. This will be the rough guide for your patch to fit into. If the area to be patched is larger than a dinner plate, you may need to open the hole out to the studs on each side rather than using a hot patch.
  
  
• 2). On the inner, or paper, side of the drywall patch, mark out the dimensions you made on the wall. Make another set of marks that are 2 inches wider than the first ones on all sides. For example, if the patch size is 4 inches square, you would draw that, and then draw another square that is 8 inches on a side around the first one. The smaller marks border the central piece that will not be removed, and the larger outer frame will form the "wings," which overlap the existing drywall.
  
  
• 3). Use the utility knife to cut around the smaller set of marks. Do not try to push all the way through the drywall, but make several shallow passes instead. For the outer marks, cut completely through the drywall to remove patch. Carefully remove all of the drywall from the front paper, between the outside edges and the first, inner cuts you made. Do not tear the front paper. This paper edge will be the "wings" of your patch, and will be use by the mud to seal the opening, much the same way that drywall tape is used on joints.
  
  
• 4). On the wall, use the utility knife to make a small slit at one corner of the mark. Insert the tip of the keyhole saw into that slit, and tap it through the wall with the palm of your hand. Cut along the lines you made on the wall carefully. Measure the central portion of your patch, and match the hole you are cutting to that as closely as possible. If you need to enlarge the hole a slight bit, use the the utility knife to shave the opening until it fits the plug.
  
  
• 5). Mix the drywall mud according to the directions on the bag. Use the drywall knife to apply the mud around your plug, lightly coating the "wings" of the patch. Place the patch into the hole in the wall, and smooth out the edges with your drywall knife. Apply a thin coat of mud over the joints, and feather them out to hide any bulge.
  
  
• 6). Allow the drywall compound to dry, and then sand it to smooth out large imperfections. Apply a top coat, also called the finish coat. Once this has dried, sand the patch again.