# Repair 3 inch diameter holes



## MikeFromHC (Dec 28, 2011)

I will be blowing in some insulation behind dry wall and the requirement is essentially 16 three inch diameter holes for every ten feet and there is over 100 linear feet...
I will of course try to save as many of the plugs as possible but am looking for a quick and simple way to cover the holes by replacing the plugs or???

TIA


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## jproffer (Mar 12, 2005)

As long as I had the plugs, I would slip a short 1x2 into the hole and work it around so it was laying across the hole. Drive a couple screws in each side through the "good" drywall. Put the plug over the new board and screw it in. Mud, sand, paint.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

That's one silly way of insulating a wall. That's going to be a ton of drywall repair and no real good way to support the plugs when you try to replace them. And why are you not boring the holes from the outside?


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## havalife (Mar 23, 2011)

I don't know of an easy way to do 160 holes. Why are you doing it this way? Older house or room convertion? Are you sure this is going to work, I have seen this done on garage convertions but I always wondered how good it goes around the wires and other things in the walls. I would worry about a lot of areas that may not get insulation and how much will it settle over time.


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## More Power! (Aug 2, 2011)

jproffer said:


> As long as I had the plugs, I would slip a short 1x2 into the hole and work it around so it was laying across the hole. Drive a couple screws in each side through the "good" drywall. Put the plug over the new board and screw it in. Mud, sand, paint.


This ^^^

Jim


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I've gutted and completly redone many old houses that where insulated by boring holes like that, not one had a wall full of insulatrion. All had nothing about 12" down from the top, nothing 6" down from the window stools and any place a wire crossed the studs or it happened to get caught on a nail it just piled up.


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## MikeFromHC (Dec 28, 2011)

joecaption said:


> That's one silly way of insulating a wall. That's going to be a ton of drywall repair and no real good way to support the plugs when you try to replace them. And why are you not boring the holes from the outside?


I would think that the companies selling these products would have stopped doing so if this was such a silly way.
I would also ask why drilling the outside would be less silly.
In any event drilling and filling drywall (one of the suggested methods with all such systems) is a lot easier than drilling through and then repairing stucco, wire mesh, and wood. 

Owens-Corning claims their material will fill past wires, of which there are few in this old house and an inexpensive device widely available will show any voids that might result.

I don't think I will be able to afford aerogel pellets when/if they hit the market in 2013 or so but this will be the wave of the future.

To those who actually contributed something, thanks.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

And your right it would be hard with that type siding, I should have asked before.
Has this house ever had the wiring redo up to currect codes? Your reply about lack of wires makes me think not.
Great time to remove the old plaster and lath, rewire add insulation and not have to do it later.
You would be shocked to see all the old bare, hidden splices with just tape around them, critter eaten wire, lack of blocking at the top and bottom of the walls.


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

I have seen foam plugs for sale in a wide range of diameters. They are slightly tapered, you just tap them into the hole slightly inset, mud over them. If you cannot find them, you can make your own using a block of styrofoam and a hole saw that is about 1/8 inch larger in diameter than the hole you are seeking to fill, you compress the plug and insert. Just make sure the material you are using meets local fire code requirements, there are some forms of foam that are highly fire resistant, and others will go up like a torch.


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## Ironlight (Apr 13, 2011)

joecaption said:


> That's one silly way of insulating a wall. That's going to be a ton of drywall repair and no real good way to support the plugs when you try to replace them. And why are you not boring the holes from the outside?


Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

It's how cellulose is blown in. And the perfectly good and customary and reliable way of patching drywall with the cutout piece is exactly as jproffer stated. And lastly, boring holes from the outside? Because that is less work to patch? Are you out of your mind?


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

How about a California patch?
Just make your round hole a square..............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kfw8M-a0pE


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

jproffer said:


> As long as I had the plugs, I would slip a short 1x2 into the hole and work it around so it was laying across the hole. Drive a couple screws in each side through the "good" drywall. Put the plug over the new board and screw it in. Mud, sand, paint.


Depending on what you have laying around, you can also do this with something thinner, using a dollop of adhesive on each end of a 6" or so long piece, tuck it behind the drywall, hold it for 20 seconds or so, and move onto the next one, then go back later and glue the plugs in place. 6 of one and a half dozen of the other, as the screw holes are almost effortless to mud as long as you're mudding the plugs in place. It depends on how many plugs that you salvage getting them out of the hole saw, but you may also find that it's easier to just cut the holes square to start with, and go with the California patch.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Do the wall interiors (stud bays) contain fire-blocking? 

Is that why there are 16 holes in every ten feet, so-as to get below the fire-blocking?


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

Bud Cline said:


> Do the wall interiors (stud bays) contain fire-blocking?
> 
> Is that why there are 16 holes in every ten feet, so-as to get below the fire-blocking?


I was taught that you need two holes per bay.
One up high and one down low.
Blow the insulation in from the bottom until it comes out the top.

If there's fire blocking, you just add holes to fill each bay.


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## luckyrabbit (Jan 4, 2012)

I agree with tcleve ... hot patches are the way to go.. or re drywall....


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## redline9k (Dec 2, 2010)

if they're all along the same horizontal plane (in a row and not staggered vertically), why not cut a 3" strip out the whole way around the room and just replace w/ a full 8 or 12' sheet (cut to 3" wide) instead of trying to patch individual holes?


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

I do a lot of patches following the electrician around. Whenever I cut the initial hole, I cut with a drywall saw but instead of a 90 degree cut, I angle the saw to make it roughly 30-45 degrees. The piece you took out will go right back in and sit just below the surface of the surrounding drywall. Mix up some quick settting compound and butter the edges of the hole, stick the patch in. I then use the ultra thin nylon mesh tape and run four pieces around the patch. Couple coats of mud and its good as new. Very quick process, hole doesn't need to measured or marked. Just number the patches if your making as many holes you are talking about doing.
Just curious, why do the holes need to be 3"? In the past I have used the blow in machines and they required just a 1" hole.
Mike Hawkins


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## EvilNCarnate (Jan 27, 2011)

firehawkmph said:


> I do a lot of patches following the electrician around. Whenever I cut the initial hole, I cut with a drywall saw but instead of a 90 degree cut, I angle the saw to make it roughly 30-45 degrees. The piece you took out will go right back in and sit just below the surface of the surrounding drywall. Mix up some quick settting compound and butter the edges of the hole, stick the patch in. I then use the ultra thin nylon mesh tape and run four pieces around the patch. Couple coats of mud and its good as new. Very quick process, hole doesn't need to measured or marked. Just number the patches if your making as many holes you are talking about doing.
> Just curious, why do the holes need to be 3"? In the past I have used the blow in machines and they required just a 1" hole.
> Mike Hawkins


Similar method I use. I cut out the plug and then when its time to put it back in I put a screw in the middle of the plug, wipe the edge of the hole and plug with a damp sponge to clean the dust and give some moisture. Butter the edges of the hole and plug with joint compound. Insert the plug and use the screw as a handle to get it close to level. I also have only made 1 hole for filling with insulation... really curious why 3 holes is that anything like the 3 seashells?


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

When I spoke to an insulation contractor last month, they indicated that they would be plugging the holes with a tapered foam plug. Although I like jproffer's idea and have used it (on a few holes), and really like the California Patch (for future single holes), I think I'd contact an insulation contractor or supplier and see if those tapered plugs are available (for a lot of holes.) Tap them in, sand 'em flush, mud and sand.

Hey, look what I found! Googled "tapered drywall plugs insulation."
http://www.sfproducts.com/plugs.htm
No experience with this product or vendor. Just FYI.


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