Holes and gouges in the walls of your home can be simply repaired by filling them with the appropriate product. Larger holes can be patched and painted so that you would never know there used to be a hole.
Small holes and gouges, left from nails or furniture moving, can be filled with spackling compound. If the wall is painted, you will need a spackling compound that can be painted. If you are filling a hole in a stained wooden surface, use wood filler or a spackling compound that is stainable. Use a putty knife to apply spackling to the hole and the surrounding area. Work the spackling into the hole and smooth it out so that it is level on the wall surface. Some holes may require a light sanding to make the spackled area perfectly smooth to the wall. Allow the spackling to dry according to the directions on the package, and then paint the area to match the wall. Wood filler can be applied the same way, but usually needs to be sanded because of is gritty nature. Once it has dried according to the package directions, stain it to match the wood surface. Wood filler is also good if you are building something new and want to cover and disguise the screws or nails; when stained it looks like part of the wood.
For larger holes up to three inches in diameter, you will need extra support for the spackling compound. Extra support can be provided with a mesh repair patch, which can be bought alone or in a repair kit. These are usually made of fiberglass (like fiberglass tape) and will adhere to the wall. Simply place the patch over the hole, then begin filling covering it with spackling compound. It is best to do this in layers to build up the spackling so that you can sand it to be smooth and level with the wall. Allow the spackling to dry for 24 hours, then sand and paint the patch.
For holes larger than three inches in diameter, your best bet is to patch the area with new wall material. Begin by drawing a square or rectangle around the hole and cut it out using a drywall saw or a jigsaw. A drywall patching kit will make this project very simple because it comes with everything you will need to patch a hole. Attach the metal clips (from the kit) to the edges of the cutout drywall close to each corner. Next you will need to cut a new piece of drywall to fit the area you cut out. Place the new drywall into the hole and attach it with two ¼ inch drywall screws in each clip—one screw in the patch and one in the existing wall. Next, use needle-nose pliers to remove the metal pieces of the clips that remain on the outside of the wall. Cover the seams around the patch with fiberglass mesh tape, which should be self-adhesive. Use a putty knife to spread spackling compound over the entire patch including the taped seams. Allow the compound to dry, then sand and paint it to match the walls. It may be necessary in some cases to repeat the spackling and sanding process before painting. Use your discretion in deciding if the patch blends well with the rest of the wall.
