HOW TO FIX A DRYWALL HOLE NEXT TO AN ELECTRICAL BOX
An electrical box patch is use when an electrical box does not fit right because the hole was either cut too large to begin with or somehow or another the wall around the electrical box has become damage.
In order to fix the damage area, the damage will need to be cut to the shape of a rectangle. A large strip will be place behind the wall, and then a patch will be placed into the hole, and properly mudded and textured.
To make an electrical box patch there are several materials and tools that will be needed. The materials needed are: large strip, 1-½ drywalls screws, a piece of drywall that will fit the area that is to be patched, and 45-minute drywall mud. The tools needed are: one and ½ inch taping knife, a drywall saw, a pencil, a wet rag, an electric screw driver, and the drywall utility knife.
First, take a large strip and place it next to the electrical box covering the damage area. Draw a line along the outside of the last strip indicating how large the hole is going to be cut in order for the patch to be made. It is important that the large strip exceeds several inches longer than the hole in both directions, so that it can be screwed into the wall correctly.
Next, take the drywall saw, cut the hole into a rectangle. Then take the drywall screw and screw it into the middle of the large strip so it can be used as a handle while screwing the large strip into the wall. While holding onto the screw place the large strip inside the hole, and insert the screw at the top end bottom of the large strip at least one is tighter and lower than the edges of the hole in the wall.
Once this is done, the screw that was used as a handle can be removed. Next, take a piece of drywall and cut it so that it fits into the hole, in order to do this the hole is going to be roughly drawn unto the patch. This can also be done before the last strip is place into the wall using the strip as a guide for the weight of the patch. Now take the patch and set it aside.
