Ripped a Patch of Paint off Plasterboard

ascorbic on 11/08/2020 - 23:42

I've managed to rip a bit of paint off the plasterboard while trying to reposition a 3M adhesive hook (see photo here). Does anyone have any experience with patching up this sort of thing? The damage isn't too big (about a 20c coin) so just looking to DIY.

Here in VIC, Bunnings stores are shut to the general public so I can't walk in and ask the staff what they recommend. If anyone has product recommendations, they would be much appreciated. Looking at tutorials on Youtube, it seems that the main thing is applying a bit of compound (but not sure what type) over the area and sanding it down before painting. Some tutorials include coating the area with a sealant but I'm not sure if this is necessary (it's not a wet area).

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Comments

  • moocow on 11/08/2020 - 23:54

    Bunnings have plaster patch kits, you can do click and collect or delivery. If you don't want it to stand out too much you'll need to paint the whole wall… otherwise just stick a picture over it

    You can always call bunnings too and ask to speak to the paint dept

    • Antares on 12/08/2020 - 00:08
      +6

      This doesn't need a plaster patch kit, those are usually for holes. Just use some spakfilla https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-180g-spakfilla-rapid-gap… and then some sandpaper to get it smooth, then paint over it. You can use the piece you ripped off to colour match the paint, but I'm unsure how you'll do this with the lockdown in Victoria, so you may need to wait to paint it.

      • iand on 12/08/2020 - 00:13
        +2

        Also feather around the area when you repaint ( keep painting lightly further and further out from the patch area until the brush is dry this will help stop the new paint showing up against the old paint

        • ascorbic on 12/08/2020 - 00:19

          Would a paint roller be suitable for this kind of job? Just thinking it would avoid brush marks

          • ihbh on 12/08/2020 - 09:17

            @ascorbic: No, use tissues to dabble around the hole to blend new paint with old (feathering). You don't need a brush - just do this by dipping tissue in paint and dabble from the centre of the hole outwards to the edges and slightly beyond.

            • ascorbic on 12/08/2020 - 14:50

              @ihbh: Hadn't thought of that method, cheers!

      • ascorbic on 12/08/2020 - 00:18

        Thanks, this looks to be exactly what I need! Does this need any prep in terms of sealer or anything like that?

    • ascorbic on 12/08/2020 - 00:14

      I believe I still have a can of leftover paint used on the walls a few years back. Would it still stand out if I were to use this only on the patched area (given it's an exact colour match)? Not really keen on doing the whole wall…

  • GangGang on 12/08/2020 - 08:34
    +1

    The info regarding sealer probably means undercoat, nothing to do with wet areas. The undercoat just seals the plasterboard. If not the plasterboard will just suck the top coat and you will need to do a few coats to cover it.

    Purchase enough paint for the whole wall. Unless you have the same paint can that the wall was painted with?

    Paint colour will be different even though you pick the same colour.thats why you need to do the whole section.

    • Domingo on 12/08/2020 - 10:52

      When I moved out of my last rental we removed ~50 command hooks and damaged the paint in around 3 places, similar to or a little bigger than OP's patch. The paint was probably 10 years old so we probably could have got away with not doing anything, but decided to do the right thing.

      I want to bunnings and got ~15 white swatches, found the one that was closest to my wall colour and found it was not even close once we started painting. Did a little mixing with some blacks and eventually a little bit of green, with the final result being you couldn't even tell where we had patched things up. You can get it the same with some patience and mixing, probably took us about 7 or 8 attempts, but was a lot easier than doing the whole wall.

      • GangGang on 12/08/2020 - 11:20

        With a lot of patience it can be done, like you did.

        The reason I mentioned above is because I work in qc lab for paint. The tint strength spec in every batch is different. That determines the colour when the paint can gets tinted at the shop, it's never the same so you will never get the exact same colour unless it's the same batch.

      • ascorbic on 12/08/2020 - 14:45

        Great work! Did you apply it with a brush, roller or something else (someone above suggested tissue)? From the sound of it, the main thing is to get an exact match of paint but some are suggesting that it will still show even using the same can of paint.

        • Domingo on 12/08/2020 - 15:30
          +1

          just a smallish brush, about 1cm across - if you're gentle with your finishing, you should be able to get it fairly close to the texture of the rest of the wall. The tradeoff is not repainting the whole wall!

  • Seraphin7 on 12/08/2020 - 11:32

    A good clean and sand is all you'll really need to worry about in terms of preparation. Maybe a quick smear of filler.

    Matching paint colour will be your primary issue. As others have mentioned, you may need to end up painting the entire section of wall pending how close you want the match to be.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/08/2020 - 11:57

    Wont damage your wall my ass 🤣

  • ascorbic on 12/08/2020 - 17:04
    +1

    Update: I went to find the leftover paint from the builder and managed to find some of this from when they were putting the walls up. Surprisingly, it's still pliable and hasn't hardened over 3+ years! I figured if they used this to join the plasterboards together, it should be alright to use for a little patch up. Progress picture here.

    Now I just have to wait 24 hours for it to set before I sand and paint.

    • Euphemistic on 12/08/2020 - 20:32

      Sounds good. Once it’s done you’ll be the only one to notice it - and only sometimes, when you remember it’s there.

    • lgacb08 on 13/08/2020 - 22:22

      yeah, those compound stay wet for ages if you keep it airtight, just finished my 2kg can after 3 years and starting with a new one.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 12/08/2020 - 17:10
    +1

    That looks perfect and thanks for the updates. :)

  • lost in transit on 13/08/2020 - 22:36

    Great Job mate…

  • ascorbic on 14/08/2020 - 18:19
    +1

    Update 2: I sanded it down and gave it a couple licks of paint. Very pleased with how it's turned out!

    I found that using a scotchbrite sponge and dabbing (not rubbing) left a texture closest to the rest of the wall. I used a brush to start but ended up leaving stroke marks. Also used paper towel/tissue in the surrounding area to feather it out and get a nice smooth transition (thanks @ihbh!).

    The paint isn't completely dry but here is how it's looking (and with flash).

    It's not 100% perfect but I'd say it's about 95%. You basically have to know where it is beforehand to point it out.

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