5 Steps to Take When You Need Emergency Drywall Repair
It happens before you know it: a loose elbow, a flying object, a jutting piece of furniture – suddenly there’s a dent or hole in your drywall. If you’re faced with such a problem, don’t panic. Most drywall damage is easy to fix, so long as you have the right tools and materials on hand. Here are five basic steps you should take when it’s time to perform some emergency drywall repair.
5 Steps to Take for Emergency Drywall Repair
1. Assess the Damage
Before you do anything else, take a good look at the damage in question. The way you approach drywall repair will depend on the problem’s origin, location, and severity. Small dents, cracks, and holes on the face of your drywall are the easiest to fix. Corners are a bit trickier to repair due to their configuration and the presence of corner beads. If water damage is to blame for your drywall problems, you may be in for an even more involved repair process (it’s best to hire professionals in this case). Once you’ve got a grip on the issue in front of you, you can start making further preparations.
2. Gather the Right Stuff
Though every drywall ding is unique, most repairs require the same basic set of tools and materials. To cover most of your bases, you’ll want to invest in the following:
- Putty knife
- Razor knife
- Joint compound
- Drywall patch kit
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Sandpaper (80 and 120 grit)
- Drywall tape
- Drywall screws/nails
- High-quality interior paint
Depending on your specific needs, you might also want to carry:
- Drywall saw/hacksaw
- Electronic stud finder
- Pry bar
- Metal snips
- Drill/driver
- Carpenter’s square
- Drywall corner beads
3. Clean and Fill the Hole
Now, it’s time to get to work. Start by cleaning out any debris lingering inside the hole or damaged area. Doing so will allow you to properly fill the breach with your joint compound. Slightly overfill the hole and then smooth out the excess with your putty knife so the repair is mostly flush with the surrounding wall. Medium-sized holes might warrant the use of a drywall patch to facilitate the repair. As for larger holes, you may need to cut around the damaged section and replace it with fresh drywall before sealing the repair. Details aside, let the wet compound dry completely (dry times vary based on the mixture, quantity, interior climate conditions, etc).
4. Sand It Down
After the joint compound has dried, sand it smooth. Be careful to not sand the section too aggressively as this can remove too much spackle and potentially damage your drywall and its paint job.
5. Paint Over the Repair
At this point, your drywall should be structurally sound once more. The only thing to do now is conceal the repair with some interior painting. You’ll want the paint you apply to perfectly match the surrounding color and finish. If you properly stored your interior paint from a previous job, you can simply track it down and use it for these purposes. Otherwise, you’ll have to recall the exact paint product you used for that wall. If you can’t figure it out, color matching professionals can help you locate the best match.
If You’re Not Sure, Call the Pros
Most people can handle minor drywall repairs on their own. That said, not everyone has the time, materials, or confidence to get the job right. Moreover, larger and more complex drywall problems should be handled by drywall carpentry professionals. Whatever the case, it’s never a bad idea to get some help from people who know their stuff. At Anderson Painting, drywall repair is just one of many renovation services we offer our Raleigh, NC, clients.
To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
