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Tips & Techniques

Tapeless Drywall Patches

Cut. glue. repair!

Issue 264 – Dec 2016/Jan 2017
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Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller

When cutting a hole in drywall, I use an oscillating multitool to make an inward sloping cut on each side so that the resulting cut-out piece can be reinserted into the hole. When the time comes to replace the piece, I run a bead of construction adhesive around the sides to adhere it to the wall.

Because the multitool created a small kerf, the patched piece sinks a little bit below the wall surface. So I fill in the depression and finish the edges with lightweight spackle. This takes a few coats with light sanding in between, but it creates much less mess than traditional taping and feathering with joint compound.

— David Matzinger, Menlo Park, Calif.

From Fine Homebuilding #264

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View Comments

  1. MartinPolach | Mar 30, 2019 10:51pm | #1

    I LIKE that...smart and simple!!!!!

  2. WolfDaddy | May 15, 2022 05:30pm | #2

    Won't it still crack around the edge at some point? Seems repairs always do that without tape.

  3. BobboMax | May 20, 2022 05:35pm | #3

    If you want to use tape, try "FibaFuse." It's a non-woven fiberglass tape and when used with hot (setting) mud, it's stronger than paper tape. It's 1/3 the thickness of paper tape, so you don't have to feather as far for good appearance.

    It's permeable, so if you have a bubble, swiping a knife across it will push the air through the tape. Likewise, you can remedy a dry spot by mashing mud through the FibaFuse.

    There are 2 types, new and old. The old is thinnest and plain white, the new has blue threads in it. Both are OK, but the thinner type is better for repairs and is (kinda) available from the Big Orange Box and other drywall suppliers.

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