Repairing a hole in your drywall may seem like a job best left to a professional, but it is job that you can do yourself with a little time and a few tools. Not long ago, whenever you had a hole in your drywall you had to rip out a section of the drywall between the studs, reinforce the patch and replace with a new piece of drywall. However, most paint and hardware stores now stock a mesh patch that you can place over the hole. The mesh patch has a sticky back and will easily adhere to the wall. The tools that you will need for this project are a mesh wall patch, a utility knife, sandpaper, joint compound, putty knife and tray to hold the joint compound on. You will also need to wear a dust mask when you sand to protect your lungs.

1. To begin, cover the floor with a drop cloth to protect the area around where you will be working.

2. Prepare the surface for the mesh patch. Using your utility knife, cut away any protruding pieces of drywall. Next, gently sand around the hole gently using sandpaper to assure that the area around the hole is smooth.

3 Place the mesh patch over the hole by peeling away the paper backing off of the patch. Make sure to center the patch directly over the hole and to smooth the edges out once it is in place.

4 Prepare your joint compound by loading it on your tray. Using your putty knife, apply the joint compound over the patched area. Be sure to smooth the joint compound out beyond the patch, from side to side and from top to bottom.

5 Allow the joint compound to fully dry. If you used standard joint compound it will normally take 8-10 hours to completely dry. Once it has dried, gently sand the patch using about a 100 grit sandpaper. Once you have sanded the repaired area, clean away any dust using a damp rag.

6. Apply another coat of joint compound to the patch. This time use a thinner coat than you did previously. Allow the joint compound to dry. Sand the area again using a fine grit sandpaper. A 150 grit sandpaper would be a good choice for the final sanding.

7. Now it is time to paint the repaired area and the job is finished. To complete this you will need to prime the newly repaired area before you paint it. You may use a latex based primer to do this such as Kilz Primer. After you prime the repair, allow it to fully dry. Now you are ready to apply the finish coat of paint and the job is complete. If the fresh paint does not match up with the existing paint on your wall, you will have to paint the entire wall from corner to corner.

One other thing worth mentioning is that if you are pressed for time, you can buy a fast set joint compound that will enable you to finish this project much faster. The compound comes in a powder form and you mix it with water according to the manufacturers directions.

This is a simple project that most homeowners should have no trouble with.