Sunday, 15 September 2013

Patching Drywall Made Easy

By Brian Winters


Seeing holes, bumps and dents in your drywall is normal since it is the most common material used in covering walls and ceilings. Taking immediate action prevents you from encountering unnecessary disasters in the future. Contact your local drywall specialist if you think you cannot handle repairing it on your own.

It is important to take safety precautions before performing drywall repairs. Wear protective goggles, gloves, footwear and dust mask before repairing your drywall. Use plastic sheets or cloth to cover all the furniture inside the room to protect them from dust particles. Secure the area and do not allow anyone to enter the room until the repair is finished.

With a utility knife, scrape the remaining plaster and panel edges of the hole for an even surface. Once the edges are removed, fill the hole with a generous amount of joint compound until it sets. This will serve as your base coating before applying a finishing compound. If the consistency of the mud is too loose, use a newspaper to support the compound temporarily.

Lay a fiberglass tape over the hole and around its edges. Mesh tapes are self-adhesive while paper tapes require drywall mud for sticking. Apply a new layer of base coating to conceal all the tape pieces. Thin coating is required to be able to blend it with the existing drywall. Once dry, use a sanding block to flush the repaired area with the drywall. Use a damp cloth to wipe the dust particles accumulating.

You may have to repeat applying layers of compound until it blends with your existing drywall. Be careful not to over sand the panel to avoid applying multiple layers of joint compound. Let the compound dry overnight to achieve a smooth and even surface when sanding.

Once it dries, proceed with finishing the drywall panel. Apply a premixed finishing compound and flush it with your drywall to conceal the repaired area. If you're already satisfied with the surface area, sand the panel until no texture remains. You can now proceed to add color to the patched drywall.

Coat the panel with two coatings of primer before painting. This should not be overlooked since mud compounds can dry up the paint easily. Blend the new drywall patch with your existing panels by choosing the exact paint color. Do not use paint brushes in painting your panel since they leave ugly brush marks over your drywall.Avoid having bumps and rough texture by finishing your drywall panel as smooth as possible.

Do not hesitate to ask help from a specialist if you don't have enough time in repairing your drywall. Doing this prevents you from encountering costly drywall repairs in the future. Call a specialist for guaranteed drywall repair and installation services.




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