Howdy all, wondering my best option for fixing this soft spot above a switch box?  My thought was to lay a piece of fiberglass tape in and then mud in place to level it smooth.  Several coats and feather it up and away. There’s nothing above the box, the stud is on the left side and the wires feed from below.

Any advice?
Thanks,
Dave

Edit: sorry the dang photo seem to have rotated, that pushed in spot is at the top of the box.

Throw some of this in there: https://www.homedepot.com/p/USG-Sheetrock-Brand-18-lb-Easy-Sand-45-Lightweight-Setting-Type-Joint-Compound-384210/100321610
Wait until it sets up and scrape it flat.
Then put the fiberglass tape or papertape on there with regular mud or the easysand mud, coat over it until it'll sand out smooth, then prime and paint.

What I do for hole repairs is paint sticks and liquid nails adhesive. Tie a string to the center of the stick, adhesive on both ends, position in hole then pull string to apply pressure on stick while adhesive sets.

Here you would have to trim away the broken drywall.

Then sparkle as needed in layers until built up for final finishing. The stick keeps the sparkling from sagging to the inside of the hole, and a stronger overall repair.

Let is set up most of the way, then go over it lightly.
Leave it a little high still.
It does sand easily enough.

I learned how to place top coats smooth enough to not require anything but
maybe a light pass with a knife to smooth any tiny remaining ridges.

I also was taught how to do real plaster work by a much older retired guy.

No 'Knives' are used.
Steel finishing tools similar to concrete work.

The nice white topcoat is mostly lime putty and has a very long setting time.
Many hours.
This allows it to be tooled flat and smooth.

Plaster walls never saw a lick of sandpaper.

As a drywall painting contractor I think that would be too small to even cut and patch or brace for that matter.
Just use some lightweight patching compound ( I prefer hot mud or premixed spackle ) and just float it, sand when dry and you should be fine.
Alot of it will be covered by the plate as well.

This. It’s pretty small hole.

I would cut away the shattered drywall and hot mud it. Be liberal with the hot mud and don't be afraid to use your hands if you have to. Get mud on the back side if you can reach it and stuff the hole. Don't be afraid of making multiple coats.

Cut shattered drywall, it's trash anyway.

Fill the hole. May take a coat or two.

Fill the repair and try to get it smooth.

Fill and feather the repair to match the rest of the wall.

Fill and feather to make the repair disappear.

Finish

A good drywaller can make a few steps disappear. I don't think it needs tape, but the correct way is to tape it.

Proper method



I would trim the bad drywall away, hot mud it a few coats, and finish it out. I get paid to do this. You can tool hotmud as it sets like concrete. Use that to your advantage.

The drywall contractor is correct. You can just coat it and it will be fine. There is no stress in that area. The most difficult part is making the repair disappear. Everyone that uses that switch will look at that spot. Drywall is an illusion. Spend the time to make the repair disappear and nobody will know.

Vancouver Carpenter is the man for YouTube drywall videos.

That should be less than 2 hours to cut out square, install a small wood brace anchored to drywall on each side.
Put in a small piece of the same thickness drywall.
Mesh tape, Easy Sand20 Lightweight.
If you are good at drywall you should be able to strike that smooth with single coat.
Remember you can put another coat on Easy Sand as soon as it is set up.
You do not have to wait for it to dry, just set.
It actually bonds better to the still damp fist coat.

Let set overnight, touch up paint, done.

That is such a small area getting it flat, level, and smooth with knives will be easy.
Use a knife wider than the area and make careful stroke down from the box.
You may have to pull the switches out on their wires to get a drywall knife under the support tabs.

Quick fix or long term its not going anywhere? I would pull it out and box it out 1'x1' rock it and tape it up and re paint

I don’t know, I would just fill it, sand it and paint it.