Walls and Tile repairs you can do yourself

Drywall dents, holes, nail pops and tired bathroom caulk are the most common cosmetic repairs in a house. All of them are learnable with a putty knife, patience and thin coats.

Walls guides

WallsHow to Fix Drywall Nail PopsEasy · 30 minutes of work, plus drying time WallsHow to Patch a Large Hole in DrywallModerate · 2 hours of work over 1 to 2 days WallsHow to Patch a Small Hole in DrywallEasy · 30 minutes of work, plus drying time WallsHow to Recaulk a Bathtub or ShowerEasy · 1 to 2 hours, plus 24 hours to cure WallsHow to Regrout TileModerate · 3 to 6 hours for a tub surround, plus cure time

What walls jobs are safe to DIY?

Patching holes, fixing nail pops, recaulking and regrouting are classic DIY jobs. Large cracks that keep coming back, sagging ceilings, or water stains that spread point to structural or leak problems that need a pro.

Tools for walls work

Most of these jobs use the same short list of hand tools. See the basic home toolkit for what to buy first.