In preparing drywall for repainting, what's the best way to deal with old plastic or metal inserts for screws that are embedded in the drywall? Pull them out? Push them in? Disintegrate them with a drill ?
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In preparing drywall for repainting, what's the best way to deal with old plastic or metal inserts for screws that are embedded in the drywall? Pull them out? Push them in? Disintegrate them with a drill ?
Stephen, try to pull them out as in wind them out. Pushing them in is more likely to break out the back of the sheeting which is not as good to repair. Cheers
It depends on the type of fastener that it is. The little plastic ones are best drilled out. The ones that spread wings behind the wall need the head drilled off and then pushed into the wall. The ones that screw into the dry wall should be screwed back out. The metal expanding ones are probably the worst. I usually put a long screw in them and tap the screw to extend the back part and sometime the front flange will break free so you can push it into the wall.
On the older molly bolts the back wings expand out to about a 2" cross. As Lee mentioned if the front flange can be coaxed off pushing it into the wall may be your best choice.
Some plastic models may also expand inside the wall. Drilling off the head may not make it fall into the wall, but it can likely be covered with patching material.
These inserts are "the enemy." Knowing how your enemy does their thing will go a long way in deciding how to deal with them.
jtk
Assuming you're not putting an insert back after painting and you want the hole patched, you need a shallow recess with sloped edges so you can fill it easily. Whacking the insert with a hammer to set it slightly below the surface usually works. You want a dent shallow enough to fill in one pass with whatever you're using and you don't want edges of paper sticking up. If you have deeper holes, pre-fill with Fixall or quick-setting joint compound. Be sure you leave the pre-fill low enough so you won't have to sand down the finish fill, especially with something like Fixall. Great filler but it expands and sets up rock hard.
IMO nails and inserts in the wall are OK but those glue-on picture hangers are a no-no. They don't leave holes but when you pull them off they take a square of paint with them and that's harder to patch than a hole.
Prior to removing, cut through paper around tape. This limits damage to a small square, that is easily repaired.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Rutherford
Cut the heads off with a single edge razor blade.
Whack what's left with a hammer to make a decent sized dimple.
Fill the dimple with mud or Spackle.
Sand - prime - paint.
My approach is similar to this. Most of the time I find the head is flush or just below the surface so I use a large Phillips head screw driver as a punch and tap it with a mallet to get the insert head sunk in so there is a dimple to fill withQuote:
Originally Posted by Rich Engelhardt
spackle or joint compound. I fill it slightly proud because the stuff shrinks, wait until it's completely dry, sand down with 220#.
{{{looks left....looks right.....looks outside the door to make sure no one is lurking there....}}} I do that too sometimes....but...I really wasn't sure I should admit to whacking a screwdriver as a punch here on a tool forum :D:D:D.....people have disappeared for saying less ;) ;)Quote:
Most of the time I find the head is flush or just below the surface so I use a large Phillips head screw driver as a punch and tap it with a mallet
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Engelhardt
A screwdriver should never be used as a punch or a pry bar - right? When we need a punch or a pry bar, we are instructed to use an "old screwdriver". Obvious age discrimination.
Argggg!!!! Please don't make me disappear! I like it here! Please,please,please don't start banishment proceeding against me! I don't do rejection well :(
LOL!