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If you only have tiny holes in your drywall (for example, dents or nail marks), you probably won’t need a patch kit. Instead, you can plug the hole with a small amount of spackle. Once the spackle dries, you can sand the area and paint over it—just like you would in the steps outlined above.

Drywall mudding can be done in one day if the project is small and the desired effect isn’t too complex. If you need multiple layers of mud, one day may not be realistic. But a single room that requires little more than joint compound on the seams and screws can be done in a day or two.

If your home was built before the 1940s and was not remodeled in the past 50 or so years, you probably have plaster walls. Aside from assuming, there are some practical ways to tell if you have plaster walls, including the following: If you knock on the wall and it feels solid, not hollow, if you can’t insert a thumbtack easily, if there are cracks that look like spiderwebs, or if your home has curved, arched, or swirled walls, doorways, or window openings.

If you have an unfinished basement or attic, you could examine the backs of any finished walls to check, too.

Drywall can be toxic to the environment and to humans in some cases. As drywall breaks down in a landfill and comes in contact with other organic chemicals, it can create hydrogen sulfide gas or leach into the groundwater. Additionally, the CDC recommends methods for controlling the inhalation of drywall dust when handled. While the common ingredients of drywall—gypsum, silica, and mica—are naturally occurring, they can cause irritation in some humans.