DRYWALL REPAIR KIT AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to building construction materials and repairs, and particularly to a drywall repair kit and method of using the same for patching holes in drywall.

BACKGROUND ART

Drywall, also known as gypsum wallboard, and similar structural materials are commonly used in the construction of houses, buildings and other structures. Drywall, in particular, is susceptible to cracking, puncture, marring, and other damage, such as the formation of holes and gashes, and frequently requires repair. Small nicks and gouges can frequently be cosmetically repaired with spackle. Larger areas of drywall require replacement of either an entire panel of drywall or a portion of the panel. It is often easier and less expensive to patch a damaged drywall panel, rather than replacing an entire panel of drywall. Drywall repair often involves providing some sort of mounting structure for a replacement piece of drywall. Such mounting structures, though, are often difficult to manipulate and secure through the hole in the drywall, or do not provide adequate support for the replacement patch. Further, drywall repair mounting systems are often sized and shaped for the repair of a hole in a wall having a particular size and shape. Those drywall repair systems that are adjustable in size often use a mesh screen that must be folded or cut down to size with a proper wire cutter or pair of snips, which is a tedious process. Thus, a drywall repair kit and method of using the same solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure is directed to a support plate for drywall repair. The support plate includes an elongated thin sheet of metal having a plurality of perforations defining a grid of closely spaced starter holes that are adapted for receiving drywall fasteners. The support plate also has a plurality of transverse score lines at regularly spaced intervals. The support plate is frangible in order to adjust the length of the sheet for manipulation through and behind a hole in a drywall panel.

The disclosure is also directed to a drywall repair kit. The kit includes at least one thin elongated support plate with a plurality of perforations that define a grid of starter holes and a plurality of transverse score lines. The plate is frangible along the score lines to facilitate adjustment of the length of the plate. The kit also includes a plurality of drywall fasteners with pointed ends adapted for engaging the starter holes as well as a replacement drywall board for patching a hole in a drywall panel. In operation, the support plate is secured behind a hole in the drywall panel by the fasteners and the replacement drywall board is fastened to the support plate by the fasteners to fill and repair the hole in the drywall panel.

The disclosure is further directed to a method of repairing drywall. The hole in the drywall panel is first squared off to form a hole that is dimensioned and configured to receive a drywall patch slightly smaller in dimension than the squared off hole. At least on section of perforated support plate is then snapped off along one of a plurality of pre-formed score lines defined in the support plate in order to adjust the length of the support plate, and the support plate is inserted through the squared off hole in the drywall panel. The support plate is then held flush against the drywall panel in rear of the squared off hole and a plurality of drywall fasteners are inserted through the drywall panel and the perforations in the support plate in order to fasten the support plate to the drywall panel in rear of the squared off hole. The drywall patch is then fastened to the support plate so that the drywall patch fills the squared off hole. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. IA is an environmental view of a drywall panel having a hole to be repaired according to the method of the present invention.

Fig. IB is an environmental view of the drywall panel after the hole has been squared off according to the method of the present invention and a replacement drywall patch of the drywall repair kit for placement in the squared off hole.

Fig. 1C is an environmental view of a pair of support plates of the drywall repair kit mounted to the drywall panel behind the hole in the panel according to the method of the present invention.

Fig. ID is an environmental view of the replacement drywall patch provided with the drywall repair kit fastened to the pair of support plates to patch the hole in the drywall panel according to the method of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the basic elements of a drywall repair kit according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an environmental side view in section of a replacement drywall board to be fastened to the pair of support plates of the drywall repair kit according to the method of the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYIING OUT THE INVENTION

Drywall, also known as gypsum wallboard, and similar structural materials are commonly used in the construction of houses, buildings and other structures. Drywall, in particular, is susceptible to cracking, puncture, marring, and other damage, such as the formation of holes and gashes, and frequently requires repair. Small nicks and gouges can frequently be cosmetically repaired with spackle. Larger areas of drywall require replacement of either an entire panel of drywall or a portion of the panel. It is often easier and less expensive to patch a damaged drywall panel, rather than replacing an entire panel of drywall. Drywall repair often involves providing some sort of mounting structure for a replacement piece of drywall. Such mounting structures, though, are often difficult to manipulate and secure through the hole in the drywall, or do not provide adequate support for the replacement patch. Further, drywall repair mounting systems are often sized and shaped for the repair of a hole in a wall having a particular size and shape. Those drywall repair systems that are adjustable in size often use a mesh screen that must be folded or cut down to size with a proper wire cutter or pair of snips, which is a tedious process. Thus, a drywall repair kit and method of using the same solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Fig. 2 shows a drywall repair kit 10 of the present invention, which provides tools and materials for repairing holes in walls made from drywall panels. The kit includes at least one support plate 12, a roll of fiberglass mesh drywall tape 28, a drywall or keyhole saw 30, a plurality of drywall screws 18, and a replacement drywall board or patch 24. Although only a single support plate 12 and replacement drywall board 24 are shown in the drawing, it will be understood that the kit may contain a plurality of support plates 12 and drywall patches 24 in any desired number for repairing more than one damaged drywall panel. The drywall repair kit 10 is provided for fixing a drywall panel, such as that shown in

Fig. IA. Fig. IA shows a drywall panel 14 having an irregularly shaped hole 16 that requires repair. The drywall repair kit 10 may also be utilized to repair gashes, scrapes, cracks and

other damage to drywall by cutting the panel 14 to remove the damaged portion of drywall and patching the resulting hole as described below.

In order to repair the damage to drywall 14, drywall saw 30, shown in Fig. 2, is used to cut the drywall panel 14 around hole 16 to form a squared off hole 26 encompassing the damaged area, as shown in Fig. IB. The squared off hole 26 is dimensioned to receive the replacement drywall patch 24 provided in kit 10. The replacement drywall patch 24 may be used as a template for cutting the squared off hole 26.

The support plate 12 is inserted through the squared off hole and held against the rear surface of the drywall panel 14 by hand while driving drywall fasteners 18 through the panel 14 and pre-formed starter holes 20 defined in the support plates 12 to secure the plates 12 behind the squared off hole 26, as shown in Fig. 1C. Preferably, a pair of support plates 12 is installed in this manner spaced apart laterally, as shown in Fig. 1C, or spaced apart vertically at the top and bottom of the hole 26, in order to provide a more stable support for the patch. Starter holes 20 are shown as being positioned in a rectilinear grid pattern. However, it should be noted that this is for exemplary purposes only, and that the positioning and pattern of starter holes 20 is dependent upon the needs and desires of the user.

Fasteners 18 are shown in the drawings as being drywall screws. However, it will be understood that the pair of support plates 12 may be secured to drywall 14 by nails or other suitable drywall fasteners. In the preferred embodiment, the support plate 12 is formed from sheet metal having a thickness of approximately 1/64 inches. As best shown in Fig. 2, the support plate 12 is formed with transverse score lines 22 formed therein at convenient intervals, e.g., every 1/2 inch, so that each plate 12 is frangible and one or more sections may be broken off at the score lines to adjust the plate to a convenient length for insertion behind hole 26. The support plate 12 is also provided with a longitudinal guideline or guidelines for vertically aligning the support plate 12 behind hole 26.

The kit described above is primarily directed to the consumer or casual user. In such a kit, representative dimensions of each support plate 12 may be about six inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide for a 4" x 4" patch, or eight inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide for a 6" x 6" patch. A single support plate 12 may be furnished by itself in bulk quantity for those in the building construction and home improvement trades. In such case, the support plate 12 may be furnished in greater lengths, e.g., twenty-four inches long, so that a single support plate may be used to patch multiple holes in drywall by breaking the support plate to appropriate length along score lines 22.

As best shown in Fig. 3, in use, the support plate 12 (or pair of support plates) is secured to drywall panel 14 through engagement of fasteners 18 (shown here as threaded drywall screws, although any other suitable fastener may be utilized) with starter holes 20 and drywall 14. Starter holes 20 are slightly smaller in diameter than fasteners 18. A representative diameter of starter holes 20 may be, e.g., 1/32". Starter holes 20 form a closely spaced grid of perforations in support plate(s) 12 so that the pointed ends of fasteners

18 are likely to align with a starter hole 20 when driven through drywall panel 14 and patch

24. Starter holes 20 are provided to hasten penetration of fasteners 18 through support plate(s) 12, but are smaller in diameter than fasteners 18 so that fasteners 18 are gripped by the support plate 12, in much the same manner as a self-tapping screw.

As shown in Fig. IB, drywall saw 30 is provided to square off opening 26 to conform to replacement drywall patch 24. The user may use replacement drywall patch 24 as a template, pressing replacement drywall patch 24 against drywall panel 14 to cover hole 16 and tracing around the perimeter of replacement drywall patch 24. Replacement drywall patch 24 is then positioned to cover and seal opening 26, and is secured to the support plates 12 through the engagement of fasteners 18 with starter holes 20. Fig. ID illustrates the replacement drywall patch 24 received within opening 26 and secured to the pair of support plates 12 by fasteners 18 to form a smooth, continuous wall surface.

Once replacement drywall 36 is mounted on the pair of support plates 12, and secured thereto, a length of fiberglass mesh drywall tape may be cut from roll 28 to cover the gap formed between replacement drywall board 24 and the piece of drywall 14. The fiberglass mesh drywall tape and joint between drywall patch 24 and squared off opening 26 may then be coated with one or more coats of spackle or joint compound, allowed to dry, sanded to a smooth finish, and painted. In the preferred embodiment, a drywall or keyhole saw 30 is provided for use hi the kit. The saw 30 may be disposable. However, any suitable cutting device, such as a razor knife _^ may also be used for cutting and shaping the opening in drywall 14,

Brywali repair kit 10 provides an inexpensive and transportable kit, including the tools and materials required to patch and repair damaged drywall. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.