I accidentally tore off the top layer of my drywall while removing a cable hider that had double-sided tape. I'm really hoping to avoid replacing the whole drywall piece. What's the best way to prep this area for repainting? Should I apply a skim coat, primer, and then paint? Any advice would be appreciated. I'm a bit of a newbie at this!
3 Answers
Yep, you're on the right track! You definitely want to skim coat, prime, and then paint. Just a heads-up, though, make sure you're prepared to paint the entire wall afterward to get an even finish!
Here's a solid way to tackle it:
1. Use a metal putty knife to scrape over the torn area gently. You want to remove any loose paper without making the tear worse.
2. Grab a quart or pint of Kilz Primer and a utility brush (so you can toss it later). Apply it on any exposed brown paper to seal the fibers.
3. Do a skim coat with all-purpose mud. Sand it down and repeat as needed until it's smooth. Tons of videos online show how to do this!
4. Prime twice.
5. Apply two coats of finish paint. If you have the exact paint code from the wall, you can get away with just painting around the patch, but keep in mind that fresh paint can look different even if it's the same color. The only way to hide the patch completely is to repaint the whole wall.
Good plan to skim coat and prime! But since the paper is exposed, you might run into issues with bubbling during the skim coat process. I recommend sealing it first with something like Pro999 if you can find it in smaller sizes. It’ll help you get a smooth surface before you lay down the skim coat. Otherwise, you could still patch it, but it might take a bit more effort to make it look seamless!
Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely check that out.
Thank you so much for the detailed steps! I really appreciate it!