How to Fix Common Drywall Damage Before Moving Out 
09/03/22

​It’s the little things that count. The little things you fail to do when moving out of your apartment are often the things that cost you your security deposit. If you had taken care of those small things before moving out, you would have spent a few dollars and some hours of work. But when you neglect them, you can never tell how much you will eventually pay for the damage.
 
That is what can happen when you fail to fix drywall damage in your apartment before moving out. Most people do not know that it is easy to repair drywall. That’s why they think the best option is to let the landlord deal with the problem. In most cases, when you do that, you pay a lot more money to fix the damage. What does it take to repair damaged drywall?
 
It depends on the kind of damage. Below are the different ways to fix drywall damage before moving out of an apartment.
 
How to fix small holes in drywall 
The most common drywall damage in apartments is holes left by nails, tacks, or screws. Even if the landlord does not have a policy that forbids you from putting nails in the wall, he/she will still want you to fix any damage you caused. This method works for small holes as well as surface scratches. Here are the steps for doing it.
 
Required tools and materials: 

• Dust mask (face mask).
• Thick work gloves.
• Primer and paint.
• Lightweight joint compound or spackling paste.
• Sandpaper.
• Paper tape.
• Drywall knife (or putty knife).

 
The steps
 

1. Squeeze some joint compound or spackle into the hole or on the scratched surface and spread it into a thin layer with the putty knife. Do this until it spreads evenly over the hole and wall.
2. Let the spackle dry completely and then sand it lightly with sandpaper until it is smooth to touch and flat. Pay attention to the areas around the edges.
3. If the patch is still visible, apply touch-up paint to fix that.
4. Vacuum the entire area to clean up any dust or joint compound that’s on the floor.

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Jacob Martin
Guest Contributor
Pillar Property Management

How to fix large holes 
Large holes in the drywall are less common, but they do happen. A few things that can leave gashes in the drywall include; door handles constantly bumping into the wall, throwing a heavy or pointed object at the wall, or someone falling against the wall. Fixing these kinds of damage takes more work, but you don’t have to repair the entire wall. Here is how to fix large holes in drywall:
 
Tools and supplies required: 

• Drywall saw or drywall knife.
• Putty knife (or taping knife).
• A wood saw.
• Drill with screwdriver attachment.
• A framing square.
• One pencil.
• Measuring tape.
• Sanding screen (or sandpaper).
• A piece of drywall (or drywall compound).
• Strips of plywood.

• 1 ¼-inch coarse-thread drywall screws.

• Fiberglass mess (or drywall joint tape).

• Primer and paint.
• Paintbrush.
• A damp cloth.
• Thick rubber work gloves.

 
The steps
 

1. Use a framing square and pencil to outline a square around the hole. Make sure one of the vertical lines is centered on the vertical line of a wall stud.
2. Using the drywall saw, cut three sides off the square outline you just created and cut away the remaining side of the shape with your utility knife.
3. Cut a portion of plywood with the drywall knife. Makes sure it is six to eight inches longer than square.
4. Slip this piece of plywood into the hole. Hide the extra length behind the gap.
5. With the drywall screws, screw the piece of plywood in place.
6. Next, cut a piece from the drywall patch; make sure it matches the size of the hole. Position the patch inside the hole, over the wood. Drill it into the wood with a drywall screw to cover the gap.
7. Now cover the entire edges of the square with drywall joint tape.
8. Apply a thin coat of joint compound over the drywall joint tape and let it dry. Scrape off any bumps on the joint compound with a knife when completely dry.
9. Apply a second coating of joint compound to the drywall surface, smooth it out and let it dry.
10. Sand lightly with your sandpaper. After that, you may prime and paint. Do not forget to clean up when you finish.

A note of caution
If you are asthmatic or have any respiratory condition, please use a respiratory mask when doing this. Do not endanger your health; if you are planning on moving out it is better to lose your security deposit than to put yourself in harm’s way trying to fix the drywall.