How to Fix Damaged Drywall Corners: All You Need To Know

Accidents happen, and the outward-facing corners of our walls are easy targets. You don’t need to bring in a professional to fix up your damaged drywall corners. It’s super easy to do all by yourself, without paying those hefty labour charges.

Furthermore, the materials you will need are very inexpensive, like tape and metal corner guards. Best of all, the project doesn’t take much time to do.

Here is how you can fix the damaged drywall corners in your property:

Protect Your Space And Yourself

Have a drop sheet, or any kind of material you can use to protect the area where you are working. You should also have a mask, some working clothes that you don’t mind getting damaged or dirty, and you could consider wearing protective eye gear.

Other items that can help ensure your safety and protect your belongings during the repair process are:

The materials you will be using could get on other areas of your house, causing damage or a very messy and difficult clean-up. For this reason, it’s best to protect your space and avoid that from happening altogether. Personal equipment does the same, but for yourself.

Pry Away Damaged Drywall

Using something sharp – like a screwdriver, putty knife, or any other sharp object – pry away any weak material. If it comes free easily, it needs to be pried off, but don’t try to rip off more than you need to. You’re just looking for any weak bits of drywall, crumbling, or pulling away from the wall.

You need to build up the repair on a solid base. The weakened material is no longer usable and will only contribute to a subpar repair if it isn’t removed first. This process essentially provides you with a clear canvas to work with.

Clean Up

Using a damp rag or sponge, you want to pat away any dust created when you remove the weakened material. Make sure the rag is not too wet, just damp enough to catch the small dust particles from the drywall. You can even pass over the area with a dry rag afterwards to pick up any leftover particles and make sure the area is arid.

Just as you can’t put repair a damaged and weakened surface, you also can’t repair a dusty surface that still has pieces of debris in it. In order to make sure the joint compound is going to bind effectively, the space has to be clean and dry before beginning.

Hammer The Bead Into Place

Sometimes, the wall becomes so badly damaged that the bead gets bent. The bead is a unit underneath the drywall on the corner of the wall used in construction. It is sometimes made of metal. You can straighten the bead out by gently tapping it back into place with a hammer. You may also need to use a nail and a hammer to secure the bead in place if it is loose.

If you’re going to fix something, do it right. Tapping the bead back into a straight and even line will only contribute to a perfect fix. It will also contribute to the solid base that is necessary for properly fixing the wall.

Slap On The Joint Compound

Now it’s time to fill in your damaged area with compound. Put some compound onto a putty knife. You could also use a taping knife, or another similar tool – and apply it liberally to the wall. Starting on one side, apply the joint compound to the corner and feather it out. Then do the other side. Do this quickly, almost sloppily, to the entire area. Once you’re done, then you can go around and remove the excess compound. Let this coat dry for at least one full day.

Applying the compound liberally ensures that there is enough to fill the chip that has been made. Feathering out is a step that is used to create consistency between the repair and the rest of the wall. It’s what is going to make your repair look natural.

Round Two

After a quick sanding with 120 grit sandpaper, and a wipe down with a dry or very lightly dampened cloth, apply one final coat of compound to the wall. This coat is much lighter and more precise.

The thinner final coat catches any missed damage during the first coat or any minor damage caused during the sanding process. It brings the repair to its final phase, and the damaged area is now ready to be primed and painted.