No matter the cause (most often a slammed door), a doorknob hole in the wall begs for immediate repair.

The repair process used to go something like this: One went to the home center to buy $8 or $10 worth of drywall repair ingredients, then another $25 or $30 for tools. Next, several hours were spent making the patch and waiting for each of several layers of joint compound to dry. Finally, touch-up paint was applied to the repaired area.

Today the repair can be made in less than five minutes.

We love discovering anything new and unusual - in this case, a device that disguises and permanently repairs a hole created by a doorknob.

We recently met a couple of young inventor brothers, Al Smith and Jason Fields, at the National Hardware Show where they unmasked their solution to this extremely common household occurrence.

Fields and Smith have created a repair device that essentially is a molded cup that covers a hole in a wall and prevents damage from recurring by making the hole a permanent part of the repair. The brothers call their invention the KnobNest. These guys are practical. Why make a repair to a wall broken by a door knob and then worry about when it is going to happen again? Why not add something to the wall that forms a nice-looking recess that will accept a door knob?

The KnobNest comes in two pieces: The KnobNest itself and a foam mounting gasket with adhesive on both sides that doubles as an installation template. The adhesive on both sides of the mounting gasket is protected with a peel-off covering.

The installation can be done in minutes. The mounting gasket is centered over the hole in the wall and a pencil is used to mark a circle around the inside of the gasket. Next, a wallboard saw (hole saw) is used to cut along the pencil mark. It is all right to be a little sloppy with the saw cut since the KnobNest has a lip that will conceal it.

With the hole cut and cleaned, and the debris thrown into the wall cavity, the next step is to place the KnobNest into the hole. First, the protective paper must be removed from one side of the mounting gasket. The gasket then is pressed in place against the inside lip... the KnobNest trim flange.

Now the KnobNest is ready to be permanently installed. Simply remove the protective sheet from the exposed side of the mounting gasket and place the KnobNest into the hole. For the best connection, thoroughly clean the wall area where the mounting gasket will adhere. Our guess is that all the damage will be covered by the KnobNest and that absolutely no other patchwork will have to be performed, including patch painting.

Let's review the tools we used: a pencil and a hole saw; and work required: marking and cutting a hole and thoroughly cleaning an area equal to about one-fourth of a square foot, and installing a molded plastic cup. Expect to spend about $10 for the KnobNest.