When you start any home decorating project you pray that the walls underneath the existing wallpaper have a smooth and flawless finish. However in reality this is rather rare so don’t be too alarmed if you find imperfections in the plasterboard or plaster beneath your wallpaper. Most damaged wall repair is n’t too tricky and by following these handy hints, you’ll be on your way to flawless walls in no time: Damaged Wall Repairs – Fixing Nail Holes and Pops One common imperfection found in walls are nail holes and nail pops. Nail pops occur when the nails used to hold plasterboard in place pop back out, creating a raised surface. Nail holes on the other hand are usually created by applying picture hooks to walls. Both of these are easy to fix. For nail pops, use a pair of pliers and remove the nail completely from the wall, leaving a hole. To repair the nail holes simply apply some joint compound or filler over the hole and leave to dry for 24 hours. After it’s dry, use a sander to remove the excess and create a flat surface. Once lining paper and wallpaper have been applied, you’ll never know the hole ever existed. Damaged Wall Repairs – Small Dents and Holes Whether you’ve been moving furniture and punched a hole in your plasterboard or opened a door too fiercely and created a deep dent, you’ll feel rather frustrated and will need to repair it. There are a number of options available for repair. A short term fix is to buy a stick-on repair plate from a hardware store. These are hard plastic plates which have a self-adhesive backing. Simply place over the hole and paint or wallpaper over. Due to the nature of the repair you will have a slightly raised surface. If you’re looking for a more permanent repair, you may have to redecorate the damaged wall. For most dents, you may be able to fill and sand as with nail holes. However for holes, you’ll likely need to replace that entire panel of plasterboard or create a patch by cutting away and replacing a section of plasterboard. Where the pieces join you are likely to have minor imperfections, the visibility of these can be reduced by the use of many superior quality lining papers including thermal insulating lining paper which is typically thicker than other lining papers. Damaged Wall Repairs – Crumbling, Pitting and Minor Dents Where plaster is slightly crumbling or has minor denting or pits to the surface, there are two repair solutions. The first is to plaster over the wall to create a new surface. This will usually require a professional plaster and can be quite costly. Alternatively good quality, thick lining papers can help disguise the damage, creating a smooth, even surface for wallpaper or paint to be applied. So next time you’re looking to repair damaged walls, try these handy tips to get a flawless finish.