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Repairing a Wall After a Dog Chewing

Erin Ringwald

Dogs and puppies chew for a number of reasons. They chew out of boredom or to ease the pain of teething. They also chew when they become anxious or fearful. Regardless of the reason, if your four-legged friend chews your walls, the damage left behind is unsightly. Repairing wall damage from your dog does not require an expensive professional. Repair the damage yourself using supplies from a hardware store.

Flat Surfaces

Repair the holes left by Fido's chewing.

Step 1

Draw a square or rectangle around the section to be removed using a pencil and a level. Place one edge of the square over the top of a stud. Cut the drawn section out using a box cutter. Prevent the drywall from falling inside the wall as you remove it.

Step 2

Cut a piece of 1-by-4-inch pine for the side of the hole you cut, opposite the stud. The third measurement should be 2 inches longer than the hole. Apply construction adhesive on the top and bottom inch of the pine piece.

Step 3

Insert the pine piece through the hole in the wall positioning it on the side opposite of the stud. Position it so the top and bottom of the pine piece are each 1 inch under the drywall. Place the side of board underneath the drywall. Secure in place using a C-clamp at the top and bottom. Let it dry overnight.

Step 4

Remove the C-clamps once the adhesive dries. Cut a piece of drywall to make a patch to fit the hole you created in Step 1. Place the drywall patch in hole. Place one screw through each corner of the patch into the stud and pine piece.

Step 5

Cut four pieces of self-adhering fiberglass mesh tape. Cut one piece for each side of the drywall patch. Cut each piece 2 inches longer than the patch. Place the sticky side of the tape against the wall. Center the pieces over the seams between the patch and the drywall.

Step 6

Apply drywall compound over the mesh using a 3-inch drywall knife. Smooth the compound with the knife. Let the compound dry for three to five hours. Smooth the dried compound using a hand sander. Use coarse sanding mesh. Sand until the drywall compound is even with the existing drywall and patch.

Step 7

Apply two to three layers of drywall compound over the patch using an 8-inch taping knife. Let the compound dry between layers for three to five hours. After the final layer, sand the surface with the hand sander. Dust the sand away and paint to match the rest of the wall.

Corners

Step 1

Remove the corner section that needs repairing using a hacksaw. Cut through the metal corner bead 1 inch above and 1 inch below the damage. Cut down the sides of the corner bead using a box cutter. Insert a nail bar under the edge of the metal bead and pry it oHold a new metal bead over the hole. Mark the length of the hole on the new piece. Use a hacksaw to cut the new bead to length.

Step 2

Hold a new metal bead over the hole. Mark the length of the hole on the new piece. Use a hacksaw to cut the new bead to length.

Step 3

Place the cut piece on the wall’s corner. Hammer one nail through each hole on the side of the bead to secure it to the wall.

Step 4

Apply drywall compound to the surface of the bead using a putty knife. Apply two to three layers until the surrounding drywall is even with the drywall compound. Give the compound three to five hours to dry between layers. Smooth the surface of the compound with an 8-inch taping knife.

Step 5

Paint the repaired area to match the surrounding walls.