In this video, Chris P. Vine (Crispy V) demonstrates how to patch drywall screws or nail heads in drywall. He has demonstrated other drywall tasks, such as DIY Wall Texture in a Can and Drywall Patching in previous videos.
He begins by whacking the fasteners with the butt end of his taping knife, not to show them whose boss, but to make sure they are set below the face of the drywall. He then runs his knife up and down the fastener lines to make sure nothing is proud of the surface.
The first coat covering drywall screws
The key to a professional job is not to waste motion or effort. Chris illustrates the time-tested simplicity of the process, spreading a line of joint compound over the fastener heads moving the taping knife upward. Then he scrapes off the excess mud, sliding the knife downward.
Not only is this efficient motion, but it pushes mud into the round hole from two directions, assuring that the holes are full.
"The reason you pull it two ways is to fill in the hole completely if you go one way you won't be able to fill it up and might leave a hole for the next coat."
The second coat completely fills the holes and removes excess compound
Do the same up-and-down filling and scraping motion for a second coat to make sure you fill any tiny bubble holes or minor imperfections from coat one. That is pretty much all there is to that simple drywall chore.
This video is narrated by Fernando Pages Ruiz, our Latin America Editor. The new edition of his book, Building An Affordable House, is available on Amazon.