Winter Home Improvement Ideas: Drywall Installation and Repair

dmhome • Nov 27, 2017

 

If you can keep your home’s drywall looking good, this will a long way towards keeping the interior attractive. Shoddy areas, scratches and peeling can give the interior an unsightly look. Repair and maintenance are essential for beautiful drywall that contributes to the overall look of the home.

Reasons for Drywall Damage

Drywall is a sturdy building material, but it can be damaged under certain conditions. Some of the most common causes of this problem are:

  • Rodent infestation
  • Moisture intrusion
  • Cracks caused settling foundation
  • Holes from installations and wall hangings
  • Being bumped by furniture
  • Children writing on walls or scratching them with objects

Hiring a Contractor

Hiring a drywall contractor is much like hiring any other type of home contractor. You want to be assured of quality workmanship at a reasonable rate. The process is highly labor intensive, and requires some skill in getting the perfect finish.

It is basically a two part process, with the first being sheetrock installation. The panels must be cut to the correct sizes and shaped. Then they must be fastened before the seals are covered and sealed in the second phase of the process. The seams must be sanded and smoothed so that the result is one continuous surface.

Repairing Drywall

Small cracks and holes in drywall can be fixed with very little equipment, but extensive damage should be left to professionals. Ways to repair drywall include:

  • Use a drywall patch. These can be found at hardware and home improvement stores. These are useful only for minor repairs.
  • Damp the area and apply joint compound after trimming the edges of the hole with a utility knife. Some compounds will not require prior damping of the repair area.
  • Cut a square around the damaged area and then cut in a new piece that is the same size with some of the paper overhanging the edges. Use the drywall compound to adhere the edges of the paper to the wall.
  • Match the original texture and color of the wall to conceal the repair

Don’t Let Your Project Get too Big

Drywall repair can be a great DIY job, but do not attempt jobs that seem too big for you to handle. If you have never hung a drywall sheet, call us at 301-948-0100 for drywall repair. A drywall job is one of those projects that you can do in the winter, so you can start planning for it right now.

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