Drywall Repair
Drywall repair is the most common building repair that is performed in the US. There are lots of videos online about how to perform small drywall repairs, but many of them are misleading. Often these videos will tell you to fill the hole with any kind of paste or gel and paint over it. While this technique can LOOK like the wall is repaired, it leaves the wall weaker and susceptible to further damage. Drywall is made of a compressed powder mixed with various ingredients sandwiched between two thick layers of paper. Anytime the drywall is damaged, it either crumbles or cracks. Small holes, dents, and dings cause the drywall to crumble on the inside, and simply filling the gap with another material won’t help. A poorly completed drywall repair will leave the drywall weaker or looking worse than before the repair was attempted. Sometimes, hiring a great drywall contractor is the best thing you can do.
If you’re going to attempt to repair drywall on your own, you need to use the right materials to do it right. There are multiple kinds of spackle and drywall compounds that can be used to properly repair small damaged areas that will strengthen the wall and help to resist damage in the future. If you go this route, then it’s important to take your time and use the proper techniques. If you just put a light coat of spackle over the surface of a hole, the area will remain weak. If repairing a small hole, you need to press the drywall compound into the hole enough so that it starts to squeeze out the other side. This will ensure that the entire depth of the damage is filled with material, and will result in a strong repair. Drywall compound can shrink when drying, so often multiple coats are needed. You want the final coat to stick up above the surface just a little bit, so that you can sand it perfectly flat, leaving you with a good flat surface to paint.
Cracks or larger areas of damaged drywall require the damaged drywall to be cut out and a new piece of drywall inserted that fits the resulting hole as closely as possible. The new piece of drywall needs to be braced by either installing supports behind the drywall or by using drywall clips. After the replacement drywall piece is braced, the edges have to be repaired with drywall compound and possibly tape, depending on the size of the repair. Again, multiple coats of drywall compound or “mud” may be needed.
Water damaged drywall is another common drywall repair, and the type of repair needed will depend on the extent of the damage. If the drywall got wet once and is now dry, you can try just painting over the discoloration, but if the source of the moisture has not been fixed, you’ll just make a bad situation worse. If there is a leak behind the drywall that has not been repaired, or the drywall becomes excessively wet, there’s a very good chance that mold will begin growing on the backside of the drywall, and could soon become a health hazard. Besides the mold, drywall that has become excessively wet will often weaken and need to be replaced. In this case, the damaged or moldy drywall has to be cut out and replaced after the source of the leak has been fixed.
There is no “one” way to repair all drywall, and knowing the basics isn’t enough to know if the wall has been weakened or not. Improperly conducted repairs can leave the wall weaker than it should be, and can make it more likely that future damage to the drywall will occur. It’s often best to call in a professional drywall repair company who will know the best materials and techniques to use to ensure you get the best drywall repair possible, and end up with a drywall surface that is as strong or stronger than it was to begin with that can will make it easier when it comes time to finishing or texturing.
Midland Drywall Contractors uses the right people with the right experience and the right material and equipment to repair your drywall right. We know the best techniques and tricks to repair multiple types of drywall that we’ve learned over many years of fixing drywall damage in the Midland Odessa area. We’ve been called one of the top drywall contractors in Texas because we know how to treat our customers while delivering the best repairs possible.
