RE: Dry wall help!!!!!!

[stoichie]

 
I made the mistake of pulling out my frig to clean behind it.  Lo and behold, the dry wall is toast.  It seems that my water line to frig leaked down the dry wall.  I hoped that it would dry out and be fine, but it is now a brittle peeling mess.  So my question is how do you replace a 2ft by 2ft section of dry wall?  I am not terribly worried about the final texturing matching (Its behind the frig and below the cabinet line).  Besides, my house has nock down.

[mike4947]

 stoichie
Don t know it it s exactly the correct method but it worked for me. I had to find the wall studs. I then cut the drywall half way on each stud so I had somewhere to nail the patch on the sides. Then I used a couple of 2 x 2 s toenailed at the top and bottom for edge support there. That way I had a box built to nail the drywall to and the rest was tape & drywall compound and sanding.
 
 PS: I used the fiberglass tape rather than the paper tape. IMHO it holds better and need less compound overall.

[Ab Diver]

 stoichie
Cut it back to the studs so you can anchor the new piece properly. If you want, you can also screw a piece of 2x wood between the right and left studs as a horizontal backer board as well, for the top and bottom (or just the top if you are replacing material all the way to the floor). The edges of the old and new drywall should meet in the middle of a stud. Use a straightedge to guide a razor knife for a clean cut. Screw or nail the new material down. Then tape and mud over the joint. You can get a good " home handyman"  type instruction booklet at most any home center or hardware store that will cover all aspects of a repair like this in detail (highly reccommended for first timers). Good luck, and have fun. Yes, I said have fun! Stuff like this can be a great confidence builder, and it sounds like you have the perfect spot to try drywall repair for the first time. I mean, who s gunna see it, and if you don t like it, rip it out and start over. []

[Miller Tyme]

 stoichie
As Mike and Dave have said, the easiest way to fix it is to cut the rock back to the nearest studs, but framing above and below isn t necessary. I ve been in drywall for 12 years, and have patched enough houses.
 First, you should see where your leak is coming from. There may be more damage to pipes and other walls that you may not be aware of.
 Most chain hardware stores(Menard s, Home Depot) that sell drywall will usually have scrap pieces, so check with them.
 I have always used paper tape, the mesh is fine for repairs, but the paper holds up much better, and requires less sanding.
 Make sure you put enough mud on before taping, and wipe as much off as possible(use a 6 inch knife), then allow to dry about 4 hrs. Apply a skim coat to the tape, and allow to dry. Apply a second coat, allow to dry. Then lightly sand or sponge the edges.
 For knock-down texture, there are products available in aerosol cans that roughly match the texture. You may have to use the 6 inch knife to knock down, just be patient.
 Good luck with your project.[8D]

[wynot]

 stoichie
The other big thing in my  experience  (I hate working with drywall, btw) is to put enough mud on to do the seams and cover the tape, move quickly, and don t keep fussing at smoothing it out, because the mud starts uncovering all your work the more you mess with it - it sets up pretty quickly.