How to patch drywall around an electrical box duration. Notice that our seam is gone and our wall is going to be smooth. My advice, draw outlines around your existing holes so that they become squared off. Similarly, its important to wipe the wall clean of excess patching compound. I am a new home owner with no experience w these things. When items are removed, those holes need to be patched. How to repair the wall around an electrical switch or outlet box. Straitflex drywall patches are a quick solution to miscuts on receptacles. Pull out the cords and cover the ends with electrical tape. Oct 14, 2019 use a drywall knife to cover the patch with lightweight joint compound in a crisscross pattern, feathering the edges so it blends with the wall.
Also keep in mind that the electrical code allows only up to a 18in. If you just smush some joint compound in there, it really has no backing and usually hangs on by the edge, and breaks off very easily. Cut your drywall patch first, hold it over the existing hole, now draw the outline, then use the roto zip to cut out around the. Im going to show you how to easily fix oversized electrical box cutouts during drywall. How to repair the wall around an electrical switch or electrical outlet box. Use a razor blade to score the paint around the panel. No guess work, just locate the center of the box and then find the edges from there. The video demonstrates how to repair a gap around a socket that was created due to a miscalculation on the part of the mason. While youre stuck at home, make the most of your time by learning a new language, skill, or even train for a remotework job with our new premium online courses. How to repair outlet box holes cut in drywall that are too big for the outlet plate. But our expert finds that he damages less drywall when he makes a couple of starter holes in opposite corners with a skinny, flat head screwdriver. The first is patching compound, which sets to a rockhard consistency, but isnt very attractive. Spread the fastsetting compound into the gap and surrounding area and embed the tape right up to the edge of the electrical.
Apr 11, 2010 holes in drywall are patched with joint compound. This home and garden video tutorial is going to show you how to repair damage around wall elements such as outlets. To do this on your own, buy switch and receptacle boxes that meet local codes and are large enough for the wires they hold. You can see the shrinkage of the mud in the seam below the box, but none around the box where we prefilled our damage.
Make your drywall look new with this drywall patching guide. To feather the edge, increase pressure and angle on the drywall knife as you reach the outer edges of the patch area to minimize, or thin, the joint compound on the drywall. The key is to purchase what is termed a remodel box or an oldwork box. The problem broken or missing plaster around an electrical switch or. Replacing drywall in that case would look a lot worse than the repair or dinner plate sized covers. Product i used to repair the electrical outlet hole. Mar 18, 2017 electrical outlet drywall patch, who knew. How to cover an outlet with drywall home guides sf gate. Here is our box with the final coat of mud applied, prior to sanding and painting. How to patch drywall around an electrical box youtube. How to repair the wall around an electrical switch or. When you relocate an electrical outlet, youre usually left with an empty electrical box nailed to a wall stud. Moving an outlet over four stud bays diy or hire an electrician.
When you add a new box to an old wall, we always try to put it in right next to a stud for solid attachment. How to patch around an electrical box on drywall construction. How to fix an oversize electrical box cutout the family handyman. Adding an electrical box to your existing wall for a switch or outlet is easy when you have the right materials and know a few tricks. Be sure to use drywall that matches the original wall thickness. Electric outlet drywall repair remodeling for geeks. If youre planning on installing new drywall in your home, learning the proper techniques for cutting drywall around outlets and other objects is a must. Cutting drywall around electrical boxes fine homebuilding. The third method is a versatile technique of patching drywall that works best with small to medium size holes of up to inches in size. Like covering a hole in your jeans, patching drywall aims to cover a problem area and reinforce the original structure and appearance. How to repair damage around wall elements such as outlets. Most electrical boxes are attached to a stud before the drywall is even installed. All these items are generally referred to as rework.
How to extend an outlet to be flush with a new wall. The best way to accurately cut the hole for an electrical box is to cut it after the drywall is tacked into place. Make quick work of fixing damaged drywall around outlets, or miscut receptacle boxes. Use a drywall knife to cover the patch with lightweight joint compound in a crisscross pattern, feathering the edges so it blends with the wall. Straitflex outlet patch is a precut patch designed to fit around standard electrical receptacle boxes. I understand the ease of cutting out around an electrical box with the sheet of drywall in place. Thank you for sharing how to extend an outlet to be flushed with a new wall, the outcome looks clean its better. The third method is a versatile technique of patching drywall that works best with small to. Drywall wallboard repair around switch or outlet box youtube. How to repair holes around electrical box contractor tips. Fix drywall around outlets home improvement stack exchange.
Easy installation, precut to fit standard receptacle box repairs and reinforces miscut or. Drywall patch combo pack electrical outlet patches 20. If the opening doesnt slip past the box, use a utility knife to carve away the sides until the drywall fits photo 4. There arent any special tools needed for drywall repair. The more accurate the cuts, the less time and material youll need for taping and spackling once the drywall is installed. The hole does not need to be square to use an ohio patch.
Home interiors are typically covered with 12inchthick drywall, but certain areas, such as between a house and attached garage, require thicker, firerated drywall. Use this patch to repair and reinforce miscuts or damaged areas around receptacle boxes. Its easy to make a mistake when measuring and marking the location of electrical outlets on drywall. Installing an electrical box in framing better homes. The process seems like it would be even easier if one had a. Trowel the patching compound into the gap around the box with the knife. Learn how to repair holes around electrical box video. Cutting into drywall, patching it, and doing so efficiently is little more than collateral damage that needs to be minimized. Repairs and reinforces miscut or damaged drywall areas around receptacle box easy installation, precut to fit standard receptacle box material will not fuzz up during sanding. Then, run a strip of fiberglass tape down the side of the box flush with the plane of the wall.
Installing electrical boxes while studs and joists are exposed is. Thank you for sharing how to extend an outlet to be flushed with a new wall, the outcome looks clean. Then gently push the drywall into place around each box. Today im going to show you how to patch over old outlets and old phone jack boxes. Wiring is easier before the walls and ceilings become covered with drywall or plaster. Home repairs might seem foreign to some people, but its not as hard as dealing with contractors. How to patch drywall drywall repair patching drywall drywall finishing fixing drywall holes patching holes in walls drywall screws. Specialized hardware does exist to allow putting an electrical outlet or switch absolutely anywhere without reference to a stud. Nothing screams utility room louder than drywall gaps around switch plates, and. It isnt easy to remove the box without cutting a hole around it, but if all you. I placed the template around my outlet where i wanted it and traced around it with a pencil so i would know exactly where to put in once the compound was on. Proper way to repair oversized outlet hole in drywall.
How to fix a wall electrical box patch drywall repair part 1 of 2. Cutting drywall around outlet boxes todays homeowner. The type of box that you do not want is called a newwork or. Install an electrical outlet anywhere construction pro tips.
The switch plates and outlet covers will not cover much more than a 316 in. The best way to fix it is with drywall compound and joint tape. Drywall repair outlet patch product overview precut to fit standard receptacle boxes, outlet patch repairs and reinforces miscuts or damaged areas around receptacle boxes. See more ideas about electrical outlets, wall outlets and installing electrical outlet. How to patch around an electrical box on drywall wonderhowto. And you dont have to remove any drywall except for the boxs cutout itself. Moving an outlet over four stud bays diy or hire an. Need some tips for how to repair a wall or ceiling in your home.
Learn how to quickly and effectively fix horribly cut or damaged drywall around electrical boxes. Sometimes its because of scheduled plumbing or electrical work that left a hole in the drywall. Install an electrical box in an existing wall for an. I just used mine the other day to cut out a hole in a plaster wall for installing an old work electrical box on a recent job. Shop drywall repair and a variety of building supplies products online at lowes. Devil onetime 7 x 7 electrical outlet repair patch 2 pk.
Installing electrical boxes while studs and joists are exposed is a handy and simple solution for homeowners. Easy installation, precut to fit standard receptacle box repairs and reinforces miscut or damaged drywall areas around receptacle box material is not affected by water and damp conditions material will not fuzz up during sanding. How to fix drywall around a switch home guides sf gate. Spread the fastsetting compound into the gap and surrounding area. Install an electrical box in an existing wall for an outlet. How to install an electrical box in framing how to install an electrical box in framing.
Besides buying a larger outlet cover, what is the correct way to fix this. I agree, anything that has something to do with electricity is serious, we have to put safety first at all times. I am in my first year of home ownership and we bought a 50 year old house which had quite a bit of work to do on the drywall. Repair your drywall with drywall patch products from menards. How to use salvaged building materials in new construction. Screw drywall repair clips to the surrounding drywall and screw in the patch. You can see in my example photos that i used this method to patch badlycut drywall around an electrical outlet. Take this important electrical step before putting up your drywall. Drywall wallboard repair around switch or outlet box how to repair cracked or damaged. To prevent this from happening, coat the edge of the outlet box with brightly colored. If youre installing a drywall patch, youve got to screw the patch to something.
If the drywall that was removed is still available, it can oftentimes be reused with this method. Feb 15, 2019 like covering a hole in your jeans, patching drywall aims to cover a problem area and reinforce the original structure and appearance. We had to pass electrical before we installed the drywall, so we had to cut the drywall big to fit around the plug. Inventory is sold and received continuously throughout the day. The problem broken or missing plaster around an electrical switch or outlet is not only dangerous, its costly as well. How to repair cracks and holes in drywall howtos diy. Drywall wallboard repair around switch or outlet box how to repair cracked or damaged buy gopro here. The process seems like it would be even easier if one had a rotozip or any spiral saw for cutting drywall. How to repair overcut electrical box drywall youtube.
About 1 hour most people like to hang items on walls. An oversize drywall cutout around an electrical box can ruin the appearance of an otherwise perfect taping job. If the existing drywall is an irregular shape, you can use a keyhole saw to open it up to a square or rectangle. After all, the true focus of the task is the electrical wiring and the benefits it brings. Fiberglass tape beds shallow, and feathering around the box will make the cover plate sit flat. Repairs and reinforces miscut or damaged drywall areas around receptacle box. A scrap of drywall, a leftover piece of window screening, some joint compound, and a few common tools are all it takes, if you use the holepatching technique demonstrated on the following stepbystep by this old house general contractor tom silva. Wiring problems and mistakes are all too common around an electrical junction box, and have.
All these items are generally referred to as rework boxes boxes to be. Used spackle to fill holes around electrical outlet. Say you have an electrical outlet that was cut out too big meaning hole in drywall too big. Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store and online. I hate doing drywall, but it looks ok and it works. Both parts have their challenges, and both have tried and true techniques that make the patch strong and virtually disappear. Holes come in two basic varieties ugly and really, really ugly. Okay, beyond that they may also have support behind them such as lath or drywall or they may be a gaping hole like where you removed an electrical outlet or a switch. Measure, cut and install new drywall to fit the repair area image 2.
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