Drywall dust can cause respiratory problems if inhaled, so always wear a dust mask when cutting and repairing drywall. Make sure you have a sturdy step ladder to work with as well so you can reach the ceiling.
This method will work for holes in drywall ceilings that are up to 6 in (15 cm) in diameter.
Drywall repair patches are made of a type of closely-woven mesh. They come in squares in different sizes up to about 8 in (20 cm) in diameter. You can buy a drywall repair patch at a home improvement center, hardware store, or online.
The adhesive will cure right away, so you can go ahead and start covering the patch with spackle. You now need to spackle and sand the patch to finish fixing the hole.
Safety goggles that fully wrap around your eyes are preferable to safety glasses that have open sides. You will be working right under a hole and debris and dust will be falling straight down, so more protection is better. You’ll need a sturdy step ladder as well so you can stand on it to reach the ceiling.
You can get small pieces of drywall for making patches that are about 2 ft (0. 61 m) by 2 ft (0. 61 m). Purchase a piece at a home improvement center to cut the patch from if you don’t have any spare drywall lying around. This method works for holes that are bigger than 6 in (15 cm) in diameter.
Get someone to help you hold the patch against the ceiling while you trace it if it is too big and awkward to do yourself.
You can test-fit the patch at this point to make sure it fits in the hole easily. If you need to make any adjustments, you can cut along the edges of the hole using a utility knife to remove small amounts of material.
You can buy furring strip board at a home improvement center or lumber supply shop. They usually come in 8 ft (2. 4 m) sections, but you might be able to find smaller scrap pieces. You can use a hand saw or any kind of power saw you have available to cut the strips. Don’t worry too much about making the cuts perfectly straight as they will be hidden inside the ceiling.
Make sure to hold the furring board strips firmly in place while you drive the screws through the ceiling into them to avoid leaving any gaps between the ceiling and the wood. If the furring board strips aren’t flush against the inside of the ceiling, the patch won’t sit flush with the ceiling.
Get someone to hold the patch firmly in place while you put the screws in if it’s too hard to do yourself. Note that you need to spackle and sand the patch to finish the job.
Make sure you use goggles rather than regular safety glasses. Since you’ll be looking straight up at the ceiling while you sand, it’s better to have protection that wraps completely around your eyes. Use a sturdy step ladder to reach the ceiling while you are sanding and spackling.
Make sure you press spackle down into all the holes in a mesh drywall patch or into the seams between a drywall patch and the ceiling around it.
If you don’t let the spackle dry completely before proceeding with the process, moisture can get trapped inside and cause the patch to fall apart over time.
Run your hand over the patch as you go to feel for any rough spots and then sand those areas further until the whole patch is smooth. Don’t sand too aggressively or you might end up removing the first layer of spackle, just try to make it uniformly smooth and blend it in with the texture of the ceiling.
This will help the second coat of spackle adhere better. You could also use a tack cloth or microfiber cloth if you have one handy.
If your ceiling is textured and you want to make the spackle match, you can dab it with a sponge while it is still wet and skip the sanding. You could also roll on a final coat of watered-down spackle with a textured paint roller.
Most water-based primers will actually dry in 30 minutes to 1 hour, but let it dry for at least 3 just to make sure it is 100% dry before you paint over it.
For example, if the ceiling is white, it would be fairly easy to just apply a white coat of paint to the patch and not repaint the whole ceiling. However, if the ceiling is a different color and you don’t have any leftover paint that matches it lying around, you’re probably better off repainting the whole thing.
