How to fix the wall?

[MOgeeks]

I just broke the wall in my apt.

It is made of paper?

How can I fix it?

Thanks.

 

[punkrawket]

have any large paintings, pictures or posters??

 

[Idiot56209]

Paper?

Lemme guess.... you live in Japan and these are those paper divider screens you're talking about, right?

 

[NetworkDad]

Stuff the whole with newspaper. Cover with putty.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

It is made of paper?

He's talking about Drywall, I'm sure. Start with a 4' x 8' sheet of drywall from Home Depot. A $250 Sawsall and a handfull of other tools. It's not real easy. The average Computer Geek I'm sure couldn't do it.

 

[morkinva]

pics?

It's probably made from gypsum wallboard, which has paper on both sides. It could be older and be made from plaster lath with that chickenwire stuff behind it.

Either way, you'll need some 'joint compound' or similar, and if its a big hole, then some wallboard or sheetrock as its called and joint compound. I'm sure there are plenty websites to show you how to fix it, like www.hometime.com or www.michaelholligan.com

 

[MOgeeks]

it should be paper quality. less than .5 inch thick.

It is not a big hole.

This is how it happen, the door was closed and the people inside attempt to hold the door close/lock with a bookshelf of solid wood.
I push too hard and the door pushed the bookshelf against the wall and leave a crack.

I am looking a way to fix it, so it look original, not just covering it.

It is a clean/clear white wall.

What is putty?

And is there any other cheaper alternative beside buying those dear equipment from homedepot?

Thanks.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

<< It's not real easy. The average Computer Geek I'm sure couldn't do it. >>

I beg your pardon? My first job for three years involved professional landscaping, construction, destruction, maintenance, etc. That kind of job is a PIECE OF CAKE compared to what I do now.

 

[Kenazo]

that's an easy fix.
you need to go to the hardware store and buy
1. putty for drywall, sorta like white playdogh (ask, they'll know what you need. and make sure you tell them what you need it for, otherwise u'll end up buying way more than you need)
2. a putty knife (sort of an 8 inch flat piece of metal to spread the putty)
3. a sanding block w/ sand paper (DON'T just use sand paper. use a block)
4. Primer for the paint (optional)
5. Paint to match the wall. (bring in a piece of the broken part to color match the paint)

ok..
1. remove the old junk from around the whole.
2. Sand about a 1 foot circle around the hole to remove old paint.
3. Use the putty knife to apply the putty over the hole. smooth over the hole, make sure to overlap over your 1 foot circle, and be sure to put on too much putty rather than too little
4. let it dry
5. take the sanding block and sand it so it's all smooth... DO NOT SAND TOO MUCH! then you will have a hole in your wall again.
6. take the primer (basically white paint that will stick to anything) and paint a coat of paint on to the hole.. overlapping onto the old paint too. Sand this down lightly to remove any bumps.
7. paint the sucker. make sure to overlap your new paint on to your old paint, and to cover all of the primer. sand it lightly again
8. do number 7 again, but don't sand this time.
9. crack open a cold one and admire your handiwork.

 

[jlee75]

what kenazo said will work for small holes and cracks. its a filler. but if you actually have a hole, then you'll need a few more things. There's this wire mesh thing that you can put over it. I think there's some sort of glue or tape that holds it one, then you fill it and smooth with the putty knife. you still need to sand it down and make it smooth, then paint..... i know this is short but Friends just came on and the GF is bugging me to watch it. i'll add more later if you need more info....

 

[dbcrossfire]

heh, buy the equipment, use it... bring it back.

 

[MOgeeks]

Thanks for all the wonderfull suggestion.

Tha wall is hollow, there is nothing between the wall inside the room and outside of it, will the method work?

Thanks again.

 

[Kenazo]

you still have never said how big the hole is... is it like 2 inches across.. or like a 1/2" hole or like a foot wide hole? the method i used will only work on smaller stuff (under an inch). Being that this is an apartment, i guess u realize it only has to look good till after u check out so it doesn't have to be a-1 super fix... but once i know how big the hole is, i can help u more

 

[AmazonRasta]

Studs (2"x4" that support the wall) are placed, I think, 12" apart from the centre of each stud. Find out where the studs in the walls are by knocking on the wall. You'll here a different sound when you knock on a stud. Take an exacto knife, and cut out the dry wall from one stud to another (make sure that after you cut the dry wall out that you can see the stud). Measure the size of the hole you just made. Cut a fresh piece of drywall that's about 1/8" longer and an 1/8" wider than the hole you just made (so that it's a snug fit). Nail the dry wall to the studs. Plaster over the new piece of dry wall you just put into the wall. When it dries, apply another coat and MAKE SURE IT IS SMOOTH; sand it if necessary. Paint over the dry wall the colour that the rest of your wall is.

Sounds complicated, but it's not that bad. I've made many o' holes in my room walls because I was pissed off and just punched through them.

 

[Kenazo]

if the hole is fist sized.. then do what amazon says otherwise, for tiny stuff, you can often do a decent crap job as per my suggestion... remember, if it's an appartment it doesn't have to be perfect.

 

[SuperCyrix]

maybe nobody will notice it

 

[MOgeeks]

the hole is about 6 inches by 6 inches...probably more like a triangle shape....the diagonal is approx. 9 inches.

big? it is not really a hole -- the paper board was forced into the hollow area by the bookshelf edges.

it is something that look like the soda can hole the board is sticking there like the tiny cover of the soda can,
so you can see the inside.

I will be staying here for at least another year, just that my roomies hava been complaining :frown:
so have to fix this quick.

I will go to homedepot over the weekend and see what I can get.
How long does the putty take to dry up? will there be any complication if too dry or too wet?
Can I use a hair dryer to speed thing up?

A million thanks!!!

 

[Kenazo]

hmm. that's a pretty big hole. it might work to just putty it over, it's definately the easiest fix. how far pushed in is the hole? i'm thinking you might have to do a little more though, as that's a lot bigger hole than i thought u were talking about. u might need to cut out the damaged piece completely and replace it. (not too big of a deal either), just follow rasta's suggestion a few posts ago. talk to your homedepot ppl. they sometimes have demonstrations of how to do this.

 

[amdskip]

Hey, I could fix this baby up in a jiffy. He's prob gonna have to very carefully totally remove the damaged area and find a piece of new drywall to cut to fit the hole. I've done plenty of construction, believe me

 

[yakko]

<roger waters voice>TEAR DOWN THE WALL!!!!</roger waters voice>

 

[MOgeeks]

I will make a trip to homedepot and find out as much as possible and let you guys know.

Thanks.

 

[Thrillhou]

And use nice long strokes all in one diretion when painting. Don't just swirl the paint brush around on the wall or else it will be noticeable.

 

[jlee75]

<< Hey, I could fix this baby up in a jiffy. He's prob gonna have to very carefully totally remove the damaged area and find a piece of new drywall to cut to fit the hole. I've done plenty of construction, believe me >>


i think with a 6" x 6" hole you could mount some wood behind the damaged area. use the wire mesh technique. and fill. wouldnt' that work? and wouldn't require a tear down. just need to buy the wood. some screws. lost of filler. putty tool. and paint. but that's a big hole.....

oh yeah and you need to remove any 'loose' areas.