Gyproc Plasterboard Patches various sizes 12 Pack (2 x 50mm, 5 x 100mm & 5 x 150mm))

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Now that you have squared up the hole, the next job is to make a patch. You can either use a scrap piece of plasterboard or timber. So I'm guessing it's loose, echos slightly when you tap it, with a little bit of movement. Then, when you remove the wall paper you see something like this:

For me, when I was sorting out both bedrooms, I skim the lot, over the old plaster too. This is because I wanted to make sure I had a flat surface throughout and I'd already had a bit of practice at skim coating. In both cases, you'll need to skim over the undercoat plaster or the plasterboard to achieve a smooth finish, smooth enough to paint onto. To repair a hole in a hollow door, wall, or ceiling, firstly trim the edges of the hole and make is square. Ironically, you actually have to make the hole larger before you can go about fixing it!When working with plaster, it's best to only work with small amounts on the hawk and trowel. Try to build up a rhythm so you can cover the patch repair before the plaster starts to set Cut a piece of plasterboard that is slightly narrower than the hole but an inch or so longer top and bottom. Screw in a long screw in the middle of the patch; this will be used to position the patch in place. Due to the nature of plasterboard and in a similar way hollow doors, they can become damaged quite easily. With the batten positioned screw it in place through the front of the plasterboard making sure the screw heads go below the skim of plaster on the board. Do this with both battens and then cut a square of plasterboard to fit in the hole. This can be screwed to the battens with drywall screws and the square plastered together with the 4 screw holes for the battens.

You may be doing the same, or you may just be skimming over little bits, leaving most of your existing plaster exposed. Either way, I have covered how to skim coat in another post. Here's a link to it which will open in a new tab for you.

As well as using plasterboard to fill a small hole to the corner of my window (as seen in the above picture), I also used plasterboard to one side of a window opening, like so:

Top Tip: At this point, many people will tell you to swipe over the hole with the palette knife/scraper in different directions with each layer rather than keep going over it the same way... Once dry, you can gently rub down the plaster or filler, and then paint the repaired area to match the surrounding wall. How to Fill Large Holes in Plasterboard There are many different fillers and plaster products available, so be sure to consider the range and select a product that is best suited to your job. For example, if you only need a small amount, you might find it easier to use ready mixed plaster Roller - including the handle, obviously! Like the brush, we're using it to apply a PVA/water solution, so we're going for coverage, not quality, so just get a cheap one for this. Although, a short pile would avoid a lot of mess. Plasterboard is quite soft and the slightest of impacts such as when moving furniture can mark the surface and even put a hole right through it. The same can also be said for hollow doors – Due to the void in the centre and MDF or fibreboard used as the covering, this does not provide much protection when it comes to resisting impacts.Now you will need a piece of plasterboard to fill the hole. Ideally this needs to be thinner than the current plasterboard. Measure and cut to fill the hole. Fix in place against the noggins with plasterboard screws or nails. The final stage to this repair is to fill the hole with a suitable filler such as Polyfilla or the like. Once mixed (or the tub is open if you have a pre-mixed version), scoop out a lump using a small trowel and apply it to the hole, using the trowel to completely fill the area of the hole by pushing into the corners. Both, lath-and-plaster and plasterboard ceilings are fixed to the joists that support the floor above. The depth of the joists will vary depending on the age of the building (older ones are often deeper than modern ones) and their length. Lath and plaster If there are only a few bits of detached plaster, great, this means you're in the right place, read on. If there are lots of loose bits of plaster and you're unsure whether it's worth patching it up, I would opt for removing the lot from that wall and re-plastering it all, better safe than sorry. To learn how to completely re-plaster a wall, start here. Feed a batten into the hole and twist it so it is either upright or horizontal and one third of the distance either up or down or across the hole. Make sure you have a 50mm overhang either side of the hole.

But instead, I use my trusty (super flexible) squeegee or skimming spreader and sweep it over the area in a couple of directions and this creates a beautifully smooth surface which reduces the amount of sanding you have to do (a winner in my book!) Yes you can use decorators' caulk to fill small holes such as nail and screw holes, but it's not really suitable for holes any bigger than quarter of an inch. Add a dollop of caulk and smooth out with a putty knife or a wet finger for nail and screw holes. Push the edge of the hole inwards a little, if the layers of the plasterboard surface have created a raised edge (as can happen when something is pulled out of the wall). You can see how I’ve done this with the end of a wrench handle in the picture above. Not only does this help flatten the wall surface, but it also helps to fill the hole and gives you a base to put the filler.

Do it right

Tap the plaster - To determine if the plaster has become detached from the masonry behind, give it a tap with your fists. There's a bit on my video, about 3:35 in, where I tap good and bad bits of plaster. Once completely dry, sand over the filler gently, ensuring any seams are removed and that the layer of filler is not a raised patch in relation to the wall surface. The two main repair methods can be found below: Repairing a Plasterboard Hole Using a Piece of Plasterboard or Timber Why is it that the plaster in the corners of windows always fails? Well, I'll tell you about that in a jiffy. For now, let's get it sorted.