Patched a drywall hole 3 times and it still looks terrible

Last month I finally got around to fixing a fist-sized hole in my hallway drywall from when I moved a heavy shelf wrong. I used a patch kit from the hardware store, followed the instructions to a T, and it looked okay until the paint dried and the edges showed through. Sanded it down, tried again with mesh tape and joint compound, and let it dry for 48 hours before sanding again. Third time I thought I had it smooth, but after painting you can still see a dip right in the middle. I'm at the point where I'm thinking about just cutting out a bigger square and starting fresh with a real piece of drywall. Anyone have a go-to method for feathering compound so you don't end up with a crater?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_evan2mo agoMost Upvoted

The "48 hours before sanding" thing might be part of the problem. If you're using all-purpose joint compound, it can shrink a bit as it cures, which is why you're seeing that dip after painting. Cutting out a bigger square and putting in real drywall with tapered edges is actually the most reliable fix, it gives you something flat to feather out to.

graygonzalez2mo ago

Man, is it really that deep though? I've done plenty of patches with all-purpose compound and sanded after 24 hours and they came out fine. Sure it might shrink a tiny bit, but unless you're building a museum or something, you'd have to look real close to notice. Cutting out a whole new piece of drywall for a tiny nail hole or crack feels like overkill. Plus now you gotta mess with tape and more mud anyway, so you're not really saving time.

nora_dixon1mo agoMost Upvoted

Right but I think the real issue everyone's skipping is how the light hits the patch later on, not just the size of the hole. Even a perfect joint compound job can look off when the sun comes through a window at the wrong angle and shows that slight change in texture. @the_evan's method with real drywall gives you better consistency with the finish, which is the difference between it disappearing and it being something your eye catches every time you walk by.