99-Cent
Store Solution #3: Patch Drywall Hole
Article From HouseLogic.com
By: Harmon Leon
Published: May 11, 2011
Yesterday's torn-screen fix cost all of $1.98 (including an
impulse purchase). Today's is the priciest in this weeklong series--but still
under $10.
If Charlie Sheen is a friend of yours (no
judgment), you're probably ready for most anything, i.e., you keep a
defibrillator in your living room. But do you have a drywall repair kit to patch
the holes he'll punch in your wall during your annual Memorial Day party? Scrap
the call to a handyman or the police, and stop by the dollar store for what
you'll need to set things right post-bacchanal.
Supplies:
•Wire
screen, 99 cents (actually an envelope sorter made out of screen-a big savings
since a roll of screen at the big box store is about $20 or more)
•String,
99 cents
•Pencil,
99 cents
•Joint
knife, 99 cents
•Masking
tape, 99 cents
•Sandpaper,
99 cents
•Drywall
compound, 3.58
•Sizzle
cologne, 99 cents (to get party-ready)
Total: $10.51 (if you can't resist the
Sizzle)
What you do:
•Cut
the wire screen 2 inches larger than the hole.
•Tie
one end of the string to the pencil and thread the other end through the middle
of the screen-then bend the screen, and insert it and the pencil into the hole.
•Pull
the string until the screen is flat against the hole (the pencil helps push the
screen flat against the drywall) and hold it taut while you apply the drywall
compound.
•Tape
the string to the wall to hold the screen in place as the compound dries.
•Cut
the string when dry.
•Sand
and smooth compound with joint knife.
Tomorrow's 99-cent store solution: Tighten a
loose cabinet hinge.
What other inexpensive home fixes have you found or tried? What minor home
repair job have you neglected because of lack of time?