Hole in plasterboard

[Dom Tuk]

My son leant on a towel rail and dislodged it from the plasterboard walls that modern houses have. The towel rail is off but the hole left on the plaster board is quite large and unsightly. how do i fix it

[KARL]

There are a number of ways but possibly the dinkiest is to get a small piece of plasterboard (raid a skip where someone is doing alterations) the width of the largest dimension of your hole and about 5cm longer than that same dimension. Trim the width down to just less than the largest dimension. Tie string or wool or whatever is to hand around the middle of your repair piece and hold onto the string as you slip the piece through the hole. Once through, you apply a little PVA glue to the side of the piece that is nearest to you, then pull the piece onto the back of the plasterboard wall in such a way that it covers the maximum possible part of the hole. Secure with a bit of stick or anything handy and tie/turn stick to apply enough pressure so piece doesn't slip. Leave until dry (an hour or two will suffice), release and pull out the string. Next day use filler to finish off. Sometimes/usuaslly it is worth enlarging the hole to give you the best access. Stanley knife or similar is more or less a must for timming piece and wall. Good luck.

[regulators]

i just got some quick dry filler in a tube from b&q it looks ok  now its painted

 

[Clanad]

While Karl's remedy would certainly work, may I suggest that when completed, the area patched often has a different texture than the surrounding dry wall due to the filler material and the appearance doesn't diminish when painted.  What I've done on several occasions is cut out the damaged area to a specific dimension, say 1/2 inch beyond the actual damage, in a rectangular or square pattern.  Then cut the "patch" of dry wall material (what you call plasterboard) to almost the exact same size; glue a scrap piece of wood to the back that extends at least a couple of inches beyond the edge of the patch. After this sets up, apply glue to the ends of the wood (where it will contact the back of the patched plasterboard) and hold for a few minutes until the glue sets.  You can also apply glue (sparingly) around the edges of the patch where it contacts the edges of the dry wall being patched.  Once this is accomplished, if the original wall had texture applied (we'd call it orange peel), you can reproduce the texture from a spray can of obtainable at home repair store and the painted, finished area will not be noticeable.  I hope this has given you a clear word picture of my intent.  At any rate... Good luck!

[Clanad]

In reviewing my offer, I notice I forgot to mention, that, as Karl suggests, one must tie some string around the piece of wood I described to pull the patch into place and hold it while the glue sets. I would loop the string around the edge of the wood and then pull it free once the patch is set...