Drywall ....Sheetrock Repair

[pioneergal]

Finally, we are near completion on hanging the drywall. The ceiling and all of the walls are complete except for the living room wall (16 x 24) and about an hours work in the master bath. To whoever said "If you have the money sub it out " you were right!
We had more time than money so time won out. To sub out the tapeing and bedding is still a decision we have to make in the very near future.

All went well except for some "overcuts " around a couple of the wall recepticals and that  is where I need some help. They are not too bad but I don't think a standard plate will cover the mistake.
What is the best way to fix this mistake so that I don't have to use oversized plate covers?

Just in case I haven't said it lately ....I appreciate all of you and your patience to help this flunky build a dream!

Jackie

[glenn kangiser]

Get some of the fiberglass mesh joint tape.  Put strips of it onto the wall overlapping the mis-cut area.  With a wide knife smear a nice smooth glob of joint compound over and through the tape - swipe it once sideways if necessary then leave it to dry.  In a day or two after dry take a wider smooth knife and smear a nice smooth gob over it again.  You should be nearly finished if done well -- if not work it again after dry.  Keep the compound narrow enough to not come to the outer edges of the knife to minimize lines.

[pioneergal]

Thanks Glenn!

I have some of the mesh tape on hand and had thought about doing that but wasn't sure about it.

I will try your suggestion and let you know how it turns out.

The temp has been a sweltering 102-106 this week and even hotter inside the house so we have been getting up at 3 A.M. to hang "rock" and work till about 2-3 P.M.
We have several obligations to attend to for the next few days so we won't get to work on the house again until Tuesday when the weather man is predicting a mild 110 degrees in parts of our area.

[glenn kangiser]

Hope it goes well for you - it works great.

[FrankInWI]

HOT TIP!

Invented a new trick.  Put dedicated 20 A outlet in garage and put the box in a wrong spot at first.  I moved it to a new spot, and then had the original hole and a 4' chanel in the drywall open running to it.   In back of the open channel and the hole there was insulation...so there was some backing. 
I took a can of the foam insulation.....and put a layer deep in the hole against the fiberglass, and in the channel against the fiberglass. 
An hour later I came back...it filled and overflowed from both the channel and the box hole.  I used flexible knife blade to cut off excess, and then put strip of fiberglass tape over the channel and applied drywall plaster to it all. 

[PEG688]

HOT TIP!

Invented a new trick.  Put dedicated 20 A outlet in garage and put the box in a wrong spot at first.  I moved it to a new spot, and then had the original hole and a 4' chanel in the drywall open running to it.   In back of the open channel and the hole there was insulation...so there was some backing. 
I took a can of the foam insulation.....and put a layer deep in the hole against the fiberglass, and in the channel against the fiberglass. 
An hour later I came back...it filled and overflowed from both the channel and the box hole.  I used flexible knife blade to cut off excess, and then put strip of fiberglass tape over the channel and applied drywall plaster to it all. 

For boxes like this total miss cuts or other small patches, I cut a 3/4" thick plywood gusset thats a few inches longer than the hole and just big enought to slip into the hole, start a screw in it about in the middle , slip it into the hole using the screw as sort of a handle , once in the wall grab the screw with pliers pull it firmly to the back of the Sheetrock , then drive a couple of screws thru the S/R into the gusset. Once attached remove the handle screw then cut a "plug" of S/R for the in-fill , screw it to the gusset. Once in place take a S/R knife and bevel the edges of the original hole, or do that beveling before you install the gusset , then tape as per normal. Apply mud, in-bed tape, more mud etc,etc.


For the original poster Glenn's advice will work. BUT when your finishing the S/R the first time don't be afraid to get mud in the box, it breaks out easy enought, now don't "fill" the box , as in packed in , BUT apply enough mud around the box to insure no cracks or holes are going to happen /  show when your done.         

[mechengineer13]

My patching technique is almost exactly the same as PEG's, but depending on the size of the patch, such as in a miscut spot for an outlet, I usually don't bother with tape and just pack the joint compound tight into the joints around the sheetrock "plug" then sand.  For me, tape in that small of an area made a somewhat raised area I wasn't happy with.  My taping I'm sure isn't as good as PEG's though.  For what you're dealing with in trying to fill in around an oversized open around the outlet, just go easy on the mud so the cover still sits flush on the wall.

[FrankInWI]

you guys's talent level is WAY higher than mine.  But to stick the nozel in there and spray a little foam took me all of 15 seconds, cutting it off took another 15 seconds.   worked for me!  ...but I was lucky, there was some backing already there...the insulation.  I have done it your way with the patch in the back, and thats normally what one would do.

[glenn kangiser]

In reality, sheetrock is simply a commercialized version of a mud wall with paper on it.  Gypsum is a type of mineral made into mud covered with paper so you will think you have evolved higher than the cave man and pay a corporation money for it.

Any way you can plug the hole and make it look good will work but some methods are more structurally sound than others.  Simply the fiberglass tape will prevent cracking.  It will work on any shape if done right -- even if you covered the little wife with it and mudded her up - the mesh tape would prevent cracking.  

(Don't worry- I was just kidding -- Sassy is still OK-- she's sleeping right now and will post again soon.  Believe me.)