# Large drywall patches - best way to fix? Screw them to what?



## Scott99999 (May 26, 2009)

Hello, 

I've had to patch some large areas of drywall after a bathroom and kitchen remodel. Essentially, the 30-year-old drywall had crumbled at the base, or there was a large area (2 ft. x 1ft or 5ft x 1ft.) that needed to be cut out. 

I've seen different recommendations for how to handle this. 

*QUESTION*: Cut the drywall hole to half of the surrounding studs? Cut the drywall to the nearest stud, then sister the stud with another 2x4? A 2x2 furring strip? Or fasten furring strips to the drywall, then fasten the drywall patch to the furring strips (doesn't seem right for large areas)? 

Cutting to half of a stud seems to leave you very little area to screw into. 


*QUESTION 2: *What's the best wood to use for this (especially in areas prone to moisture, like a bathroom)? Green Douglas Fir (GDF) studs? Lowes also sells "whitewood" studs, which I believe is used for trim and possibly comes from different sources? They're more expensive, but I'm assuming not better. If I sister a 2x4 to an existing 2x4, will it bow or split as it the newer wood dries at a different rate than the older wood? Or use a pine (or other) furring strip and screw that to the stud, and then drywall to the furring strip? 


Thanks! 

Scott


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## knighton (Jul 30, 2009)

Scott99999 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've had to patch some large areas of drywall after a bathroom and kitchen remodel. Essentially, the 30-year-old drywall had crumbled at the base, or there was a large area (2 ft. x 1ft or 5ft x 1ft.) that needed to be cut out.
> 
> ...


Good luck with it all. It's much easier than you think.


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## Scott99999 (May 26, 2009)

Thanks, 

I think part of my concern with the half-a-stud approach is that these are only 12 or 16-inch holes, so technically, not supported by anything at the center. They'll only be supported by the edges if I don't add something. 

The bathroom is 5x5 and the ceiling is all joists and plumbing (there's a bathroom above this bathroom), so a vent isn't an easy option without cutting through something important.  So I'm trying to use as much mold-resistant material as possible, considering not much air will be moving through here. There's an external window, however, but that doesn't do much when it's cold.


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## knighton (Jul 30, 2009)

Scott99999 said:


> Thanks,
> 
> I think part of my concern with the half-a-stud approach is that these are only 12 or 16-inch holes, so technically, not supported by anything at the center. They'll only be supported by the edges if I don't add something.
> 
> The bathroom is 5x5 and the ceiling is all joists and plumbing (there's a bathroom above this bathroom), so a vent isn't an easy option without cutting through something important.  So I'm trying to use as much mold-resistant material as possible, considering not much air will be moving through here. There's an external window, however, but that doesn't do much when it's cold.


Ideally you want to connect at all 4 sides. If you only have two studs to screw to, you could (a) screw a piece 1x4 to the underside of the already exisiting drywall and attach your new drywall to that, giving you 4 sides connected or (b) attach a 1x4 on the underside of the unsupported sheet to the other unsupported sheet then you would have an additional "stud" of sorts to attach the dryall to.

I wouldn't imagine having any special studs would prevent mold, since there's plenty of old wood back there. As for the venting, is it possible to run it out of the ceiling to the outside of the house? My house was built in 1965 and for some reason they put no vents in the bathrooms, so once I gutted them I found problems. I added vents and it makes a world of difference.

Again good lu


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## Scott99999 (May 26, 2009)

Thanks, 

Unfortunately, the joists run parallel to the outside of the house, so I'd have to go through a joist (and/or a pipe) for anything at the height of the ceiling. The other side of the bathroom is a firebox / chimney. And what remains simply goes into an equally small, adjoining laundry room. Not the best design, but it's what we inherited. 

In general, assuming the plumbing is in good condition, it should be OK - but it's not ideal. There will just be some general humidity and warmth in the area because of all of the plumbing and the washing machine. 

With some major surgery, I'm sure I could get something in. 

Thanks again.


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## knighton (Jul 30, 2009)

Scott99999 said:


> Thanks,
> 
> Unfortunately, the joists run parallel to the outside of the house, so I'd have to go through a joist (and/or a pipe) for anything at the height of the ceiling. The other side of the bathroom is a firebox / chimney. And what remains simply goes into an equally small, adjoining laundry room. Not the best design, but it's what we inherited.
> 
> ...


I guess I thought you had a shower in there, in which the vent is necessary, but if it's just a toilet and sink, you'll be just fine. 
Remember, you don't necessarily have to have anything in the middle of the drywall for support, especially that small of a hole.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

As long as the drywall on the unsupported edges isn't sagged, "knighton" is correct. Adding a 1'x of some type on the unsupported edge pulls the existing drywall and the new piece flush with each other if there has been some sort of water leak (for example) and has caused a minor sag that needs to be corrected without cutting out too much rock......


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