Jacksonville Painting Contractors | Drywall Repairs
Drywall is an excellent surface for your interior walls. Most newer homes have at least a little. It's inexpensive, durable, and easy to install. Plus it's simple to paint and maintain. But sometimes our drywall takes a beating. If you have kids or pets (or if you do your share of bumping around), your drywall can crack, dent, or cave in. Even if you are the most careful of homeowners, there are household situations that can warp your drywall, despite your care. Here are some of the most common drywall problems, and how to fix them. A New Leaf has a team of local painters and contractors to help you get this job done right.
- Cracks. Cracks most often occur along drywall seams. Drywall arrives at your home in large rectangles which are fastened together with tape and sealed over. When this seal fails, it is simple enough to fix. With a shallow crack, all you have to do is fill the area with a thin layer of new compound, then sand it down once its dry. From there, it's a quick paint job and you're done. For deeper cracks, you must pull away the paper surface of the drywall, a few inches on all sides of the crack. Fill the crack with compound, allow to dry, and mend the crack with fiberglass tape. One more thin layer of compound, and you'll be able to sand and paint, just like before.
- Protruding Nails. Oftentimes, new homes were constructed with wood that wasn't completely dry. As it dries, the screws and nails that secure your drywall to the wood studs may be forced out, causing visible bumps in the drywall surface. You can cut away the area around the screw and 1) screw or nail the offending fastener farther into the drywall and patch, or 2) remove the screw or nail, patch the spot, and add another screw or nail above or below the spot.
- Holes. For small holes in your drywall (up to 6 inches in diameter) you can buy a patch kit or make your own. A patch will be pretty simple: a piece of drywall the size and shape of your hole with extra tape on all sides, so that when you fit the patch into the hole, the tape seals it. Then you seal, sand, and paint. You can make your own by cutting a piece of drywall slightly larger than the hole, then pulling away the extra drywall and leaving the leftover tape surface in place to act as a seal. Then seal, sand, and repaint.
- Large Holes. This job is similar to the repair of small holes, but you'll have to do a little extra reinforcement. Cut the hole into a convenient shape with a drywall saw, careful not to cut into electrical or plumbing systems, or studs. Reinforce the studs with horizontal wood cleats as necessary, then fit your drywall patch into the hole just like with the small hole repair process above.
All of these drywall repairs can be performed by a medium-level DIYer or a residential contractor. A New Leaf employs, licensed, experienced painters and contractors and we proudly serve the Jacksonville, FL area. We'll be able to help or perform any drywall repairs. Give us a call today and we'll have your drywall looking good as new in no time at all.