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How to repair holes in gyprock?

Hi ! We removed an attached entertainment unit of our new house. In the process we accidentally peeled off plaster / paint. Once off we realized there was multiple anchors we needed to remove and old electrical points holes. Now we have a bunch of holes in gyprock. We are getting electrician in to disconnect / remove power points.

I have watched the gyprock repair videos so I understand that process for that. I am just wondering if anyone knows what the blue layer of gyprock is and if I need to replace that (or can just plaster and paint over).

Any pointers to clean this up would be welcomed !!

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @FMaree. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing a wall.

It’s very common to uncover a bit of a mess behind built-in entertainment units, especially when they’ve been anchored in multiple places or cover old electrical points. Good call on organising an electrician to remove and make safe the old power points, and it’s great to hear you’ve already watched a few gyprock repair videos to get a sense of the process.

That blue layer you’ve uncovered is most likely just an old wall colour that was painted over with white. It’s unlikely to be anything special like a moisture barrier unless you’re dealing with a wet area, which doesn't appear to be the case here. You can simply sand it lightly to remove any gloss, seal it with a primer to prevent bleed-through, and paint over it with the rest of the wall once your patching is done.

For the larger holes—particularly those left by power points or heavy anchors—you’ll need to glue in some backing strips behind the opening to support your repair. You can use a scrap of timber or gyprock, glued or screwed in behind the hole, and then fix your new patch to that. Once the patch is in place, tape the joins with mesh or paper tape and apply joint compound in layers, feathering it out wider each time for a smooth finish.

Where the top paper layer of the Gyprock has torn, it’s important to neaten those edges before you start filling. Use a sharp utility knife to trim back any loose or furry paper so you're left with a clean edge. Trying to apply compound over frayed paper will often cause bubbling and make the patch stand out even after painting. Once everything’s patched, give the area a light sand, seal with a stain-blocking primer, and you’ll be ready to repaint.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

FMaree

Thankyou so much for your help !! Went really well !!

JacobZ

Nice work @FMaree,

That looks brand new!

Thank you for sharing the update.

Jacob

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