How to Fix Drywall Hole using a Lath Strip-Part 1 of 2
A lath strip patch is a very common drywall patch. It is used because it is the very fast to set up and it requires at least amount of proper work. There are however, several downfalls to using a lath strip patch. The greatest downfall is that this patch does not inset into the wall requiring a large area to be smoothed out and re-textured in order to get the patch to blend into the existing wall.
Another downfall to using a lath strip patch is that because of the make-up of the patch, the drywall tape will need to be used in order to keep the joints of the patch from cracking overtime.
Given all these, a lath strip patch is still very common and works well in the right situations. To make a lath strip patch, there are several tools and materials that will be needed. The materials needed are two lath strips longer than the patch, a piece of drywall, several inches larger than the hole being patched, 45-minute drywall mud, and drywall tape. The tools needed are a 6-inch and a 12-inch taping knife, a drywall saw, a pencil, a square, a wet rag, an electric screw driver, drywall screws, and a drywall utility knife.
First, take a previously prepared drywall patch that is larger than the hole and draw and arrow on the front side of the patch. The arrow was there so that the patch can be consistently oriented while being cut and placed. The front side of the patch will be recognizable from the lighter, smoother, thicker appearance of the paper compared to the darker, thinner, rougher back side. Now, place the patch over the hole with the arrow facing up and draw the outline of the patch onto the wall.
Now take the drywall saw and following the outline, cut the wall. Remove the drywall including any extra pieces, and go over the edges with the drywall utility knife if necessary. Now, place the patch into the wall and make sure it fits correctly. Make any needed adjustments.
Next, place the lath strips into the hole in the wall. Screw them vertically on either side of the hole, placing a drywall screw at least an inch to an inch and a half above and below the outer edges of the hole.
Now place the patch into the hole and screw it securely onto the lath strips about an inch to an inch and a half above and below the inside edges of the patch.
