Repairing Drywall Basics
Repairing Drywall pops are those annoying chips in the paint and plaster that appear on your wall, they are usually the size of a dime or quarter. They start as a irregular circle shaped crack or blemish and may completely pop off over time.
Common in newer homes and apartments, drywall pops are most usually nails, sometimes screws, that have shifted from just under the surface of the drywall and pops through the finish. Repairing the area is not hard, you can easily do it yourself in a four simple steps, using a few standard tools.
Tools that you will need:
Drywall Knife, screwdriver, screws, joint compound, sandpaper.
Step 1
The area of the wall will be obvious, the paint and joint compound will be push up by the nail head. Before repairing drywall pop, try and remove the nail. If you cannot get the nail out, then hammer it deeper into the wall. If it is a screw tighten the screw so that the head of the screw is below the surface of the drywall.
Step 2
Using a drywall knife (available at any hardware store), carefully chip away all of the material that is not flush with the wall. Sand lightly over the area to clean it up.
Step 3
Drive one or two screws through the surface of the repairing drywall to attach it to the studs underneath, position the screws directly under or above the pop that you just cleaned as that will assure you of hitting the studs. The head of the screw should be just below the surface of the drywall. Do not use nails as they tend to work loose over time and will give you another drywall pop.
Step 4
Finish the surface with joint compound, and then sand when completely dry.
So the next time you walk by that annoying blemish on your wall, try this simple repair to remove those drywall pops.
Repairing Water Damaged Drywall
Discovering the need for repairing drywall damaged by water is never happy occasion. In almost all cases, the solution will be to replace the damaged area, because simply trying to repairing it after it has been weakened will likely end up costing more in the long run. This is in terms of both money and time. If you catch damage early on, then you have the best chances of being able to employ a quick repair method opposed to something more extensive.
It doesn’t matter where in the house your drywall water damage is located, the first step is always to locate the source of where the water leak is coming from. In most cases, you will discover this to be a leaking pipe or perhaps a roofing problem which is allowing rain water to enter the house. There is no point in going to all the work of repairing damaged drywall only to have problem reoccur, because it was never properly handled to begin with.
Once you have taken care of the original leak you can begin to get to work on dealing with the water damaged drywall. The first step is to try out the area completely. You can use a high powered fan and/or a dehumidifier to assist with this process. The bottom line is you want to get rid of all moisture completely. This is very important and can not be stated with enough emphasis. If the area is not dried thoroughly, then dangerous molds can begin to grow in as soon as 24 hours. It may be necessary to cut a hole in the drywall to ensure that proper air circulation can be achieved. However this shouldn’t be necessary for just a small crack.
If you are only repairing a small crack, then this can be relatively simple to fix. Just applying some spackling compound with the putting knife. If leaking water has caused extensive damage, then you will be forced to do more structural repair work.
If you are faced with a large portion of drywall damage due to water than the first step is to get rid of all of the affected material. If necessary use a handsaw or other tool to make the job easier. While doing this, be very observant to spot, any mold or mildew. If you find any then this material must be removed immediately as well. When you are done, thoroughly clean all surfaces.
After you have completed this, check for any moisture in the area that you may have missed earlier and make sure that it is completely dry before you begin any patch work. If you are replacing a large hole then you will need to use a plywood backing board. This is to give the new drywall somewhere to be fastened to. After the patch has been secured, you can begin with applying drywall tape, and drywall mud. After the mudding has dried finish it off by sanding which will leave the surface both flat and smooth. Now it is ready for painting.
While it is tempting to want to just clean up the damaged drywall., you are far better off ensuring that the plumbing or roofing leak has been taken care of first. A problem like this will not resolve itself and is well worth taking the extra time and money to ensure that, you are not faced with a larger expense or project later on. If you are unable to find the source of the leak your self, please do not hesitate to get professional help.
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