Why Your Drywall Patch Shows, and How to Make It Disappear

A drywall patch usually shows for one of four reasons: a ridge where the compound wasn't feathered wide enough, a shiny or dull spot where the patch wasn't primed, texture that doesn't match the wall around it, or paint that was touched up instead of rolled across the whole wall. Each one has a fix.

The patch has a ridge or hump

A patch built up in one thick coat sits proud of the wall, and light from the side shows its edge. Sand the high spots down without cutting into the tape, then skim thin coats of joint compound, each one wider than the last, until the edges feather out to nothing. On a wall that's usually 8 to 12 inches past the repair, and wider on a ceiling. Run your hand across the patch: if you can feel the edge, you'll see it after painting.

The patch is shiny or dull after painting

A patch that dries to a different sheen is called flashing. Joint compound absorbs paint differently than painted drywall, so the paint over it looks duller or shinier. Prime the patched area before you paint and the sheen evens out.

The texture doesn't match

A smooth patch in an orange peel or knockdown wall stands out even when it's perfectly flat. Match the texture before priming. Orange peel can be sprayed from an aerosol can or a hopper. Knockdown is sprayed or rolled on, then flattened with a wide knife once it starts to set. Practice on a scrap of cardboard first, and blend the texture a little past the patch. Skip trowel and other hand-applied textures take the most practice to match. Our guide to common drywall textures shows what each one looks like.

The paint doesn't match

Even the same paint color can look different on a patch when the old paint has faded or the sheen is different. Paint the whole wall, corner to corner, so the color and sheen are even. On a ceiling, paint the whole ceiling.

For the patch itself, by hole size, see how to patch a hole in drywall.

Drywall patch repair in Orlando

New Ceilings fixes patches that show, as well as new damage, on walls and ceilings across Orlando and Central Florida. We match orange peel, knockdown, skip trowel and smooth finishes, then paint so the repair blends in. Every job starts with a free written quote. See drywall and ceiling repair.