Drywall Repair Before Painting

Common drywall damage

Most drywall repairs fall into a few categories. Nail pops appear as small round bumps where fasteners have worked loose as framing shrinks and moves. Hairline cracks form at the corners of doors and windows, where walls take stress as a house settles. Doorknob holes, furniture dings and holes left after removing shelves or TV mounts are everyday wear. Water stains from past leaks need the source fixed first, then a stain-blocking primer or a new section of drywall if the board has softened. Each calls for a different repair, and choosing the right one is the difference between a patch that disappears and one that shows.

Matching the texture

The patch itself is only part of the job. Many walls are not smooth: orange peel and knockdown textures are common in homes across Solano, Napa and Sonoma counties, and a flat patch on a textured wall stands out under raking light. After the repair is taped, filled and sanded, we reapply texture to match the surrounding wall, feathering the edges so the transition is gradual. Matching takes testing, since the size and spacing of the texture can vary from room to room. The repaired area is then primed so it absorbs paint at the same rate as the rest of the wall.

Repair and paint in one visit

A drywall patch that is left unpainted, or painted with a mismatched touch-up, is often more noticeable than the original damage. Combining the repair with painting solves that. In many cases the whole wall, from corner to corner, is repainted after the repair so there is no visible halo around the patch. Drywall repair is often the first step of an interior painting project, but it can also be booked on its own after a plumbing or electrical repair has left openings in a wall. The written estimate lists each repair and the painting that follows it.