How to patch drywall

But even then, if you have highly expansive soils and the soil becomes soaked, the drywall mud may bulge out over cracks you patched. If those are too annoying to live with, or if cracks reappear, there is still one remedy to consider: Cover the walls with something other than drywall, such as paneling, boards or peel-and-stick wall coverings. You might want to first paint the wall a matching color (or black, if you’re using boards) to keep the gaps between the pieces from being too noticeable.