Drywall and plaster repair

Holes and dents

Doorknob holes, anchor holes, cable cutouts and dents are the most common patches. Small holes get a mesh patch or fill; larger ones get a piece of new drywall screwed to backing, taped, mudded in thin coats and sanded smooth.

Cracks

Cracks at door and window corners are common after earthquakes and seasonal movement. We open them up, tape them and finish them so they are less likely to come back. Cracks that keep reopening wider may mean structural movement worth having checked.

Water damage

Once the leak is fixed and the area is dry, we cut out soft or stained drywall, replace it and match texture. Stain-blocking primer keeps marks from bleeding through paint.

Plaster walls

Older homes often have plaster on lath. We secure loose plaster, fill cracks and patch holes with materials made for plaster so the repair matches.

Texture matching

Orange peel, knockdown, skip trowel and smooth finishes each need a different technique. We test on scrap first to match yours.

Finishing and paint

A patch is only as good as its finish. We feather each coat wider than the last, sand between coats and check the patch with a work light held flat against the wall, which shows every ridge. Then we prime with a product suited to the surface, whether new paper, compound or old plaster. If you have leftover paint, we can roll the wall corner to corner so the sheen matches.

Ceilings are trickier because light rakes across them from windows. We match ceiling texture carefully and, when the ceiling paint has yellowed, recommend painting the full ceiling rather than just the patch.

Causes we see most

Doorknobs without stops, furniture moved without care, anchors pulled out of drywall and old plumbing access cuts are the everyday causes. Cracks come from settling, seasonal movement and earthquakes. Nail pops happen when framing shrinks and pushes nails out.

Water stains come from roof leaks, bath overflows, toilet seals and AC condensate lines. Each cause changes the fix: nail pops get screws and fresh compound, cracks get tape, and water damage starts with finding and stopping the leak.

Asbestos and older walls

Joint compound and textures made before the 1980s can contain asbestos. The EPA advises that material in good condition is generally best left alone and that testing should be done by trained professionals. If your home is older and the repair involves cutting or sanding original texture, have a sample lab-tested first, and we will go over the result with you.

Step by step on a typical patch

1. Cut the damaged area to a clean square.
2. Add backing strips where there is no stud.
3. Screw in a matching-thickness piece of drywall.
4. Tape the seams and apply compound in thin coats.
5. Sand between coats and check with a raking light.
6. Match texture and prime.

What is outside our scope

Mold growth beyond a small area and structural cracks that keep widening are outside our scope. Whole-room drywall replacement is a larger project. We handle the patch and finish once those are settled.

Ceilings after a leak

Ceiling drywall soaked from above sags, and wet drywall can come down suddenly. If a ceiling bulges, put a bucket underneath and poke a small hole at the low point to drain it, then stay out from under it.

Once the source is fixed and the framing has dried, we cut out the damaged section back to solid material, screw in new drywall to the joists with backing where needed, tape and finish it, and match the ceiling texture. Stain-blocking primer is important on ceilings, since water stains will bleed through ordinary paint within days.

Corner bead and outside corners

Outside corners take hits from vacuums, carts and furniture. Dented or cracked metal corner bead needs to be cut out and replaced, not just filled, or the crack returns. We install new bead, set it straight with compound, and blend it into the existing wall.

Texture types and how we match them

Orange peel is sprayed thin and looks like the skin of an orange. Knockdown is sprayed heavier and flattened with a knife. Skip trowel is hand-applied with a trowel in a random pattern.

Smooth needs a level-five finish to hide a patch under raking light. We spray or hand-apply a sample on cardboard, compare it in your light, and adjust before touching the wall.

More questions

Will the patch show after paint? If the original paint is old, sheen and color differences can show. Painting corner to corner on the wall avoids a visible square.

How long does compound take to dry? Setting-type compound sets in a set time; premixed compound takes longer, especially in thick coats, so follow the drying time on the bucket. Some patches need a second visit to finish properly; we’ll tell you after seeing photos.

Getting ready for a patch visit

Clear furniture a few feet from the wall, take down art near the repair, and let us know if anyone in the house is sensitive to dust. We cover floors and use a sander with dust collection where practical. If you have leftover paint, set the can out so we can read the color code.

Photo checklist