What workarounds did people try for "How to fix a botched drywall patch with uneven edges and gaps"?

Community members documented 65 workarounds: 1. trimming rough edges with a razor knife at an angle 2. filling gaps and uneven areas with joint compound or hot mud 3. sealing torn paper with latex caulk or spray primer before mudding 4. Cutting a larger hole to reach studs 5. Installing backing boards parallel to ceiling joists to support the patch 6. patching the drywall yourself 7. installing a paintable access panel 8. Cutting out the damaged drywall, replacing it with new drywall, or hiring a professional to do the work. 9. DIY repair using inexpensive materials like drywall, mud, and tape while watching YouTube tutorials 10. Hiring a handyman or professional 11. Hanging a picture over the hole 12. Switching to hanging items with nails and patching the resulting holes instead 13. Using compound filler 14. Cutting boundaries and replacing the drywall 15. Using an endoscope camera to inspect the depth of the cavity 16. Filling holes with backer rod or low-expansion spray foam and patching with joint compound or mortar 17. Purchased joint compound mud without knowing the proper application sequence. 18. watching YouTube tutorials for step-by-step guidance 19. hiring a professional contractor to patch the drywall 20. Ignoring thin hairline cracks 21. Investigating the underlying cause of worsening cracks instead of covering them up 22. Covering plaster with drywall 23. Using drywall compound and sanding it down in thin layers 24. Using spackle, sandpaper, primer, and paint 25. Using spackle, a putty knife, a wet paper towel, primer, and paint 26. Using a drywall patch and paint 27. Using a drywall patch or a California patch supported by thin backer strips, then applying spray texture and paint. 28. Watch YouTube videos and redo the repair process multiple times 29. Hire a professional contractor 30. Using joint compound alone 31. Pre-filling flat spots with mud and taping over it 32. Cutting out an easy shape and replacing damaged pieces with new drywall 33. Wadding up newspaper to shove into holes to provide a backing for mud 34. Using a mesh patch with joint compound in thin layers 35. Hang a picture or wall art in front of it 36. Move 37. Take out the door jamb completely, down to the rough framing and then frame it in. 38. Stick a door-sized plasterboard against it and try to plaster the edges smooth. 39. filling the damaged area with spackle or a setting compound, sanding, and painting over it 40. cutting out the drywall to do a proper patch or add blocking between studs 41. using toggle bolts instead of standard drywall anchors 42. Digging out the soft patch material and applying proper drywall compound instead 43. Sanding down the existing layer and applying drywall compound over it 44. Waiting longer for the patch material to dry completely 45. using stainless washers to pull the plaster back into the lath 46. drywalling over the existing plaster 47. checking the foundation 48. asking the seller about the history 49. attributing the issue to garage humidity and leaving it 50. removing the fan and patching the plaster 51. patching dents and low spots with joint compound before priming and painting 52. applying wall texture to hide surface imperfections 53. replacing the existing drywall entirely 54. Fill the hole with spray foam, shave it down flush to the drywall, and paint or apply a drywall patch 55. Contact the plumber or contractor to ask if they can remediate the work or add a plate/collar 56. Use duct tape around the hole as a temporary seal 57. Perform drywall repair oneself or hire a general contractor for finishing work 58. stuffing the hole with old clothing rags for insulation 59. spraying construction foam and filling with putty 60. taking time with mudding and sanding 61. hiring someone else to do it 62. Using 1/4" flexible drywall that bends easily around an arch 63. Scoring the back of regular drywall board every inch or so to allow it to bend 64. Running flexible vinyl arch corner bead on the curved edge and filling with setting-type compound 65. Cutting 3 or 4 small pieces of sheetrock, screwing them into the framing, and smoothing with mesh tape and mud

How to fix a botched drywall patch with uneven edges and gaps

Cutting uneven edges, leaving gaps between sections, and tearing the paper creates an irregular surface that makes standard mudding and sanding fail. These mistakes prevent the patch from blending smoothly with the surrounding wall, leaving novices stuck with a poorly aligned repair.

Overview

Last updated Nov 4, 2026

People affected31 accounts across 5 forums

Workarounds found65 items attempted

Community agreement142 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 20 people.
It is not one crowd: 29 people on Reddit and 2 on Stack Exchange ran into the same thing.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

65 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

1
trimming rough edges with a razor knife at an angle
Did this help you?
2
filling gaps and uneven areas with joint compound or hot mud
Did this help you?
3
sealing torn paper with latex caulk or spray primer before mudding
Did this help you?
4
Cutting a larger hole to reach studs
Did this help you?
5
Installing backing boards parallel to ceiling joists to support the patch
Did this help you?
6
patching the drywall yourself
Did this help you?
7
installing a paintable access panel
Did this help you?
8
Cutting out the damaged drywall, replacing it with new drywall, or hiring a professional to do the work.
Did this help you?
9
DIY repair using inexpensive materials like drywall, mud, and tape while watching YouTube tutorials
Did this help you?
10
Hiring a handyman or professional
Did this help you?
11
Hanging a picture over the hole
Did this help you?
12
Switching to hanging items with nails and patching the resulting holes instead
Did this help you?
13
Using compound filler
Did this help you?
14
Cutting boundaries and replacing the drywall
Did this help you?
15
Using an endoscope camera to inspect the depth of the cavity
Did this help you?
16
Filling holes with backer rod or low-expansion spray foam and patching with joint compound or mortar
Did this help you?
17
Purchased joint compound mud without knowing the proper application sequence.
Did this help you?
18
watching YouTube tutorials for step-by-step guidance
Did this help you?
19
hiring a professional contractor to patch the drywall
Did this help you?
20
Ignoring thin hairline cracks
Did this help you?
21
Investigating the underlying cause of worsening cracks instead of covering them up
Did this help you?
22
Covering plaster with drywall
Did this help you?
23
Using drywall compound and sanding it down in thin layers
Did this help you?
24
Using spackle, sandpaper, primer, and paint
Did this help you?
25
Using spackle, a putty knife, a wet paper towel, primer, and paint
Did this help you?
26
Using a drywall patch and paint
Did this help you?
27
Using a drywall patch or a California patch supported by thin backer strips, then applying spray texture and paint.
Did this help you?
28
Watch YouTube videos and redo the repair process multiple times
Did this help you?
29
Hire a professional contractor
Did this help you?
30
Using joint compound alone
Did this help you?
31
Pre-filling flat spots with mud and taping over it
Did this help you?
32
Cutting out an easy shape and replacing damaged pieces with new drywall
Did this help you?
33
Wadding up newspaper to shove into holes to provide a backing for mud
Did this help you?
34
Using a mesh patch with joint compound in thin layers
Did this help you?
35
Hang a picture or wall art in front of it
Did this help you?
36
Move
Did this help you?
37
Take out the door jamb completely, down to the rough framing and then frame it in.
Did this help you?
38
Stick a door-sized plasterboard against it and try to plaster the edges smooth.
Did this help you?
39
filling the damaged area with spackle or a setting compound, sanding, and painting over it
Did this help you?
40
cutting out the drywall to do a proper patch or add blocking between studs
Did this help you?
41
using toggle bolts instead of standard drywall anchors
Did this help you?
42
Digging out the soft patch material and applying proper drywall compound instead
Did this help you?
43
Sanding down the existing layer and applying drywall compound over it
Did this help you?
44
Waiting longer for the patch material to dry completely
Did this help you?
45
using stainless washers to pull the plaster back into the lath
Did this help you?
46
drywalling over the existing plaster
Did this help you?
47
checking the foundation
Did this help you?
48
asking the seller about the history
Did this help you?
49
attributing the issue to garage humidity and leaving it
Did this help you?
50
removing the fan and patching the plaster
Did this help you?
51
patching dents and low spots with joint compound before priming and painting
Did this help you?
52
applying wall texture to hide surface imperfections
Did this help you?
53
replacing the existing drywall entirely
Did this help you?
54
Fill the hole with spray foam, shave it down flush to the drywall, and paint or apply a drywall patch
Did this help you?
55
Contact the plumber or contractor to ask if they can remediate the work or add a plate/collar
Did this help you?
56
Use duct tape around the hole as a temporary seal
Did this help you?
57
Perform drywall repair oneself or hire a general contractor for finishing work
Did this help you?
58
stuffing the hole with old clothing rags for insulation
Did this help you?
59
spraying construction foam and filling with putty
Did this help you?
60
taking time with mudding and sanding
Did this help you?
61
hiring someone else to do it
Did this help you?
62
Using 1/4" flexible drywall that bends easily around an arch
Did this help you?
63
Scoring the back of regular drywall board every inch or so to allow it to bend
Did this help you?
64
Running flexible vinyl arch corner bead on the curved edge and filling with setting-type compound
Did this help you?
65
Cutting 3 or 4 small pieces of sheetrock, screwing them into the framing, and smoothing with mesh tape and mud
Did this help you?

Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/HomeMaintenance14 people · September 2026 – October 2026

“I was playing with my mom and slipped and hit my head on the wall and it broke I’m trying to figure out how much this would cost so I could find stuff I could sell for money because it’s really tight”source ↗

urlocal_w3rid0 · r/HomeMaintenance · 47 upvotes

“I gently removed it to adjust the placement, but it created a bubble, then ripped off an entire chunk of paint/ drywall !”source ↗

“How do I fix this?”source ↗

“Would it be better to just hang things up with a nail in the future, and patch the holes, or is this a sign that I can't have anything on my walls?”source ↗

cosmic-cantaloupe · r/HomeMaintenance · 8 upvotes

“I was up in the attic doing some sorting out and cleaning and my foot slipped and it came crashing down through the roof board 😭.”source ↗

“Any idea on how to fix something like this?”source ↗

Fair-Win-8047 · r/HomeMaintenance · 5 upvotes

“An adhesive hook on this wall ended up taking off the paint. I know I can’t just put joint compound on it, so what do I do?”source ↗

littlebuttbigtitty · r/HomeMaintenance · 3 upvotes

“Accidentally knocked a hole in a wall and I put some mesh tape over it then just slathered a ton of DAP Patch n paint.”source ↗

“the main "void" still feels like putty. Not entirely wet or anything but I can tell it's still kinda soft.”source ↗

vocabularianrx2 · r/HomeMaintenance · 3 upvotes

“We bought this home a few months ago and just noticed these two spots. I used an endoscope camera to see how deep they went. The one on the right was shallow. The one on the left went a few inches in before I couldn’t go any further.”source ↗

“Do you guys think these are good to just fill in? What would you use?”source ↗

Galltator · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes

“Hello, a plumber recently came by to do some repairs and he had to cut a hole in the ceiling because the repair was upstairs. I understand it’s mostly drywall but I am wondering what else might be needed, as I’d like to do it myself.”source ↗

SnooPears1008 · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes

“I was tempted to have someone do it for me but then I thought i don't think it will be too hard. Bought a 4x4 sheet of drywall and I'm going to attempt to do it myself with the finishing.”source ↗

Jpeg228 · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes

“New homeowner, have a small dent in the wall; how do I go about fixing it?”source ↗

“I’m very not much handy with tools lol, any help on what to buy would also be appreciated.”source ↗

PlentySecret9711 · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

“I had a leak. I got it fixed. I tried to repair the ceiling. It's kinda crooked. How do I improve or fix this?”source ↗

Dull-Inspector9136 · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

“Everyone there was a leak underneath my shower and this is the resulting hole. I need some guidance on how I clean up the hole so that I can install new sheet rock.”source ↗

“Should I cut diagonal lines? Should I keep it square or rectangle? Should I have it in two parts or one big parts? Any guidance here would be great.”source ↗

That-Site-9816 · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

“Was doing a toilet paper holder in my bathroom and got the measurements wrong. Went to remove the mounting plates and drywall anchors&screws and the anchor stopped spinning with the screw so i had to pull it out. It blew out the drywall like this.”source ↗

“Can i just pull off the peeling parts, fill it and smooth it out with drywall putty / spackle , and paint it? or will i need to cut out the drywall and do a proper drywall patch?”source ↗

cameron_552 · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

“I want to close the whole more or less professionally. It looks weird and I suppose bugs are coming as well as the cold.”source ↗

Wrong_Sort_156 · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

“I am pretty handy and have done lots of drywall in the past. Is this something I can and should try to do myself or should I hire someone to do this professionally. I did get a quote of 475 for this but that seems steep to me.”source ↗

droctapus1 · r/HomeMaintenance

DIY Stack Exchange2 people · September 2025 – April 2026

“I made several errors whilst trying to repair a large patch of drywall. Specifically, I: cut the edges unevenly... which caused large gaps between the new/old sections somehow made the new/old sections uneven tore the paper in several places”source ↗

“Can I continue the repair with the usual sanding, mudding, etc, specifically all of the above problems (especially the uneven sections... I can't even figure out what caused it).”source ↗

Kevin P. Kilburn · DIY Stack Exchange · 13 upvotes

“I am a complete novice in drywall and thought this might be a good first patch job since it's pretty small.”source ↗

“I am guessing the fact that the hole overlaps the 2x4 means I need to cut a larger hole, since I can't see how I would attach the patch the way it is now.”source ↗

“To be clear, I was basically nervous looking at the drywall cut off such that some nails were no longer doing much and wondering if it was dumb to just patch the hole when the surrounding drywall no longer looked securely attached.”source ↗

Roy Koczela · DIY Stack Exchange · 10 upvotes

r/HomeImprovement11 people · September 2026 – October 2026

“Moved into a 120 year old house a year ago and since then I’ve noticed some pretty bad cracking happening emanating from the ceiling fans in 2 of our rooms.”source ↗

“I don’t have experience with plaster ceilings and I don’t know if there is more that I would need to do to repair any sag from the fan.”source ↗

tan-dino · r/HomeImprovement · 8 upvotes

“The guy at Home Depot said I should fill these breaks in the wall with foam, put fiber tape over the foam while it's setting, and then cut away excess, scrape some joint compound on it, sand, and paint instead of just using joint compound. Any reason that might be a bad idea to try?”source ↗

BingBongBluebird · r/HomeImprovement · 4 upvotes

“I need some step by step instructions on what I need to do to prepare to install a backsplash. Do I need to apply all new drywall?? I am not handy and this is our first home so I have no experience with any of this.”source ↗

Existing-Battle-3366 · r/HomeImprovement · 3 upvotes

“I am currently removing the tiles and getting a significant portion of the drywall with the tiles when i remove them.”source ↗

XenonFireFly · r/HomeImprovement · 3 upvotes

“My plaster ceiling is crumbling and I’m not sure what to do.”source ↗

“Should I just drywall over the plaster or have someone come repair it?”source ↗

QueenOfEverything4 · r/HomeImprovement · 3 upvotes

“Now I'm wondering - is it worth it to patch up the spots that peeled off and paint over it (I'd still have to remove the sticky residue too?) or try to just scrape off all the gray paint and hope I don't damage the drywall even more?”source ↗

hello_kirby · r/HomeImprovement · 3 upvotes

“I now have encountered a few issues and don't know what steps to take next.”source ↗

“I have several places where the drywall paper was knicked or gouged, as wall as places the the drywall paper seam tape ripped off from being wet.”source ↗

“I had small sheets of paint come off in the process and it has left quite a noticable paint 'ledge'.”source ↗

offbrandchris · r/HomeImprovement · 1 upvotes

“I don’t know much about plaster but I bought an old house that has plaster walls and ceilings.”source ↗

“The ceilings need help bc of cracks (can’t decide if they are getting worse).”source ↗

“instead of fixing the cracks in the ceilings, can I cover them with drywall.”source ↗

“Owning a 90 yr old house has a big learning curve for me and I’m trying to figure it out.”source ↗

Ok_Strawberry_6991 · r/HomeImprovement · 1 upvotes

“Apparently you can't plaster on that, so they just left it.”source ↗

“Fixing it after the kitchen has been installed was my first idea, but that will probably make a mess of the new kitchen, so I feel like I need to fix this before then... But I don’t quite know how.”source ↗

Bloodthunder · r/HomeImprovement · 1 upvotes

“I have multiple big missing chunks. I’m afraid if I fix the open sections more are just going to fall in a few months.”source ↗

QueenOfEverything4 · r/HomeImprovement · 1 upvotes

“I want to get the walls flat and properly finished, but I have zero experience with plaster and don’t really know where to begin.”source ↗

kcondojc · r/HomeImprovement · 1 upvotes

“I noticed that the drywall tape in most of the house in the corners of the ceiling and the seams of the drywall on the garage roof are lifting/peeking up.”source ↗

Lost_Recognition1433 · r/HomeImprovement

r/homeowners3 people · September 2026 – November 2026

“I was prepping to paint and found a spot peeling, started scraping and it led to this.”source ↗

“I have zero experience working with plaster. Any suggestions?”source ↗

Character-Sound-8024 · r/homeowners · 7 upvotes

“for the patch itself you need to cut back all the loose stuff first, then you can use a mesh patch and some joint compound.”source ↗

“thin layers is the trick, dont try to fill it all at once or you'll be sanding forever”source ↗

“the peeling paint around it might be moisture though, you checked if there's a leak above?”source ↗

ExoticEnthusiasm9502 · r/homeowners · 1 upvotes

“I’m trying to get it situated for now so that I can save up enough to renovate within a year but just kind of slap a Band-Aid on it that looks reasonably nice in the meantime.”source ↗

grizabellatmist · r/homeowners · 1 upvotes

“As I was peeling the wallpaper in the bathroom I found a soft and dark spot on the arched window near the shower.”source ↗

“I would love advice and guidance as to what I can use to fix this one section so that I can continue prepping the walls for joint compound to smooth them out and then paint.”source ↗

grizabellatmist · r/homeowners

r/Plumbing1 person · October 2026

“i don’t know anything about thjs stuff. drywall section is just that square space around area, caulked seal on outside. please advise.”source ↗

Responsible-Slip6705 · r/Plumbing · 2 upvotes

“Yeah, I’m trying to weigh complaining, seems off but again I am not versed in this stuff. To be clear, by all means not cheapest price and they finished 2 hours ahead of schedule.”source ↗

Responsible-Slip6705 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

“no! but it seems they could have accounted for the hole via plate or collar and still been done way ahead of schedule, no?”source ↗