Drywall Repair Las Vegas encompasses everything from nail pops and holes caused by doorknobs to cracks that can occur due to water damage. While many homeowners attempt to do these repairs themselves, some require a professional’s help.
When repairing large holes, first use a carpenter’s square to mark at least 1 inch above and below the hole. This will ensure that the patch is even with the surrounding wall material.
Drywall joint compound is the product used to create a smooth wall surface during drywall installation. It’s also useful for making repairs to existing walls. It’s similar to spackling paste but has a more durable consistency.
It can be applied by hand or with a drywall taping knife. It’s recommended to apply several coats of drywall joint compound, letting each coat dry as directed by the manufacturer. This allows the drywall patch to properly set before sanding and painting.
The first step is to prep the area where you’ll be applying drywall joint compound. This involves removing any paint or primer that may be on the wall and cleaning away any dust, dirt, or debris. You should also clean the area with a damp sponge or cloth to remove any moisture that could cause the drywall joint compound to crumble or crack later on.
Next, you should use a putty knife to apply a thin coat of drywall joint compound to the damaged area. You can add another layer if needed to fully cover the affected area. Let the drywall joint compound dry for as long as it’s instructed to, which usually takes 24 hours. Once it’s completely dry, you can sand the surface to make sure that it’s smooth and ready for paint.
You can find drywall joint compound in many different sizes, from 1-quart to 5-gallon tubs. Some varieties come as a powder that you mix with water to give it a cake frosting-like consistency, while others are pre-mixed. Contractors often prefer the latter because it saves time and effort in the field.
It’s important to understand the difference between drywall joint compound and spackle. Spackle is primarily used to fill in dings and dents like nail holes or small areas where you may have placed furniture. While it can perform this function quite well, you would not want to use drywall spackle when hanging new gypsum boards or repairing old ones.
Drywall joint compound is more versatile, though, and it’s the product that contractors use when putting up new drywall. It’s made to conceal seams and set tape, and it can even be used for larger repairs on finished walls. There are specialized types of joint compound available for fireproof drywall and low-dust applications.
Tape
Drywall is found throughout most homes, and drywall cracks, holes, and tears are inevitable. They can be minor and merely cosmetic, or they can become structural problems that affect the whole wall. The most important thing is to fix them right away, because left untreated, they can grow bigger and cause more damage. A new coat of paint can cover some damage, but a good patch job is a better solution. This will not only keep your walls looking great, but it can also prevent the blemishes from getting worse.
The most common method for repairing drywall is to use joint compound. Basically, you apply a layer of the compound to the surface and then smooth it out with a putty knife. Then, you add more layers until the surface is smooth and ready for sanding. This process will usually take two or three coats.
While there are different kinds of joint compound, the standard-setting variety is usually a good choice for most repairs. It will set up faster than other kinds of mud and will not shrink as it sets. There are also fast-setting versions of joint compound that will harden more quickly. These may be helpful if you are trying to work in a hurry or if your weather is changing and it might not be possible to wait for the regular compound to set.
When using joint compound, it is important to remember that it must completely cover the tape and underlying drywall. For this reason, it is a good idea to use a spackle or a lighter-weight joint compound when making small repairs. The lighter compounds will allow you to quickly cover the patch and tape and help you blend it into the wall or ceiling.
It is also recommended to use mesh drywall tape for the first taping coat in a repair, as it will provide more strength to the joint and reduce shifting of the drywall. However, if you are a beginner, paper tape will probably be easier for you to work with. Some people even use self-adhesive drywall tapes, but they can be difficult to hide with drywall compound and can leave behind bumps or ridges that will show through when painted.
Nails
Small holes caused by nails or screws that have worked their way out of drywall can be very annoying. They are also fairly easy to fix but time-consuming because the walls will need repainting. These nail pops, or drywall screw pops, are caused by the wood framing behind your drywall shrinking and losing its grip on the smooth shank of a drywall nail or screw. Trying to pound the nail or screw back down with a hammer is usually fruitless because the stud will shrink more and the nail or screw will work its way out again.
The best solution is to replace the nail with a drywall screw. This will be much easier and faster to do because you don’t have to pound the nail down. If the nail is in a stud, drive a drywall screw into it about 1 inch above and below it so that the new screw meets up with the stud on both sides of the wall.
If the nail is not in a stud, use your drywall putty knife to scrape up any old drywall compound on the surface of the wall where the nail or screw has come out. Then, re-drill the hole with a drywall drill bit to create a pilot hole for the new screw. Then, use the appropriate screwdriver to push the drywall screw through the drywall and into the wooden stud.
Once you’ve replaced a nail or screw with a drywall screw, you can smooth over the indentation that the screw or nail left with lightweight drywall patching compound. A quarter-sized glob of this compound should fill most nail or screw indentions.
Once the compound dries, give it a light sanding with your drywall sanding block or sponge to remove any remaining indentations. Then, once again, apply a thin coat of drywall joint compound over the repair, using your drywall taping knife to make it flush with the wall surface. Allow the drywall compound to dry before sanding again, this time with a higher grit of sandpaper. This will prepare the area for priming and painting.
Paint
Adding a fresh coat of paint to your home can hide many blemishes, including cracks, chips, and dents. However, this is only a temporary fix for drywall problems. Standard drywall is a paper and mineral combination that looks finished, smooth, and professional when it’s in good shape, but if it gets dented, dinged, or torn, the delicate gypsum inside can be exposed and soak up paint and primer like a sponge.
Holes and dents caused by furniture or other heavy objects can quickly become bigger problems if not repaired. Trying to cover up a hole or ding in drywall with a new coat of paint will only mask the problem and cause it to reappear later. It’s best to tackle a drywall repair job as soon as possible before the damage spreads too far.
Small holes that have not weakened the drywall panel can be easily fixed with spackle or lightweight joint compound. Once the mud has dried, it can be lightly sanded to create a perfectly smooth surface for painting. For more extensive damage, the affected section of drywall may need to be replaced with a piece of fresh drywall.
If you have recently painted your home, it’s best to work with the same color as the existing paint for your drywall repair. Otherwise, it will be easy to see where the repairs were made, and they will stand out against the rest of the wall.
If you don’t have the exact paint on hand, you can match it at a nearby home improvement store or by working with an expert at your local hardware store. The shade you buy must be exactly the same as the existing paint to give your drywall repair a seamless look.
