English Living
Interiors
DIY Expert Warns Viral TikTok Hack will Damage Your Home and Here’s Why
As the cost of living crisis continues and many of us are feeling the pinch from the festive period, we might be looking for cheap DIY hacks to fix blemishes around the house. While there are some useful decorating hacks circulating on social media, there is one that experts are advising us not to be fooled by.
The hack, which has been viewed by over 15 million people on Tiktok, suggests covering holes in walls throughout the home with a piece of paper and then painting over it. Although this hack has been done in jest, The Paint Shed warns homeowners to not be caught out by trying this viral hack and says that it will only make things worse.
Why is this not a good thing to do?
Fixing a hole in your wall with a piece of paper is not recommended for several reasons but more importantly, it simply doesn’t fix the hole in the wall. Not long after the piece of paper is painted over, the wet paint will seep through the paper revealing the hole once again. If you were lucky and the paint did not seep through, bubbles of air would still appear where the piece of paper is located due to air behind the wall.
Most walls can put up a pretty good fight against bangs or barges. But if you were to knock into the wall, then the hole once again would be revealed. This is yet another reason why this ‘hack’ isn’t really a hack at all.
Having a hole in the wall also reduces a layer of insulation, paper will not keep you warm meaning that cold will get into your home pretty quickly. This could become very expensive, especially with the current cost of heating.
How to fix a hole in the wall
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Clean the hole
Anything that is loose near the hole like drywall debris needs to be removed, followed by the area being sanded so that it is smooth.
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Brace it
Place a piece of hardboard through the hole. This should provide backing by being screwed in using drywall screws. It should be long enough to extend at least 1 inch past the edge of the hole on either side.
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Prepare the patch
Then take a piece of drywall, and measure it to ensure it is the correct size before cutting with a knife. Once that’s done, place it in the opening and use a screwdriver to attach it to the piece of wood behind.
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Place mesh tape
Mesh tape should then be placed around the former hole on the seams.
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Joint compound time
Joint compound should then be placed over the mesh tape and screws, it is best to use a putty knife for this task. Following this, it should be left to dry.
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Get sanding
When the compound has dried, you should look out for any imperfections. They should be sanded until the wall is as smooth as the rest of the wall.
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Time to paint
When you are happy with the look of the wall, it is time to paint over the repair so it matches up with the rest of the wall. Firstly a layer of primer should be used, followed by your choice of paint.
