Sheet Rock Repair: Things to Consider Before Attempting

Most people like to keep the interior of their home looking sharp and as close to new as possible. However, the reality is, when it comes to maintaining a home, it’s generally difficult to hide at least some evidence that people are actually live there. Many times this evidence can be found as damage on the home’s walls. While, sometimes the evidence is as minor as nail holes scattered here and there. Other times, the damage can be more considerable requiring either minor or extensive repair.

When it comes to sheet rock repair, there are different approaches you can take. However, before you attempt to do a repair project yourself, there are a few things you should think about.

Who Needs Sheet Rock Repair?

There are many great things about sheet rock. It’s relatively light and easy to install. It can be textured and painted in many different ways allowing for a nearly endless array of design possibilities. Its one negative, however, has to do with durability. Even the slightest bump can put a dent or an outright hole in the surface of a wall lined with sheet rock. If the spring on your door stop has ever bent, you know this all to well.

If you live in a house that has sheet rock, you’re liable to need to have it patched a time or two. Most sheet rock patch jobs are minor. Maybe the movers were careless and poked out a few holes while moving in the furniture. Or, maybe you had a moment of weakness when your team lost in the final seconds and you punched a dent in the wall during a fit of uncontrolled rage. Regardless of the reason, even the smallest lapse in judgment and attention can lead to sheet rock damage. Luckily this type of damage is generally easy and inexpensive to repair. Some people choose to do this kind of work themselves. However, for larger problems caused by fire and flood, a contractor is usually needed. A slowly leaking pipe in the wall or ceiling can damage sheet rock over a long period of time. Often, since the damage is slow-forming and camouflaged by layers of latex paint, the damage goes undetected. This can allow the area to spread, requiring a more extensive and expensive repair job.

Benefits of Hiring A Contractor For Sheet Rock Repair

Most qualified contractors can remove burned or moldy, water logged-sheet rock and replace it with new material within hours. However, they offer more value than just basic repair. When it comes to sheet rock repair, the replacement of the sheet rock itself is only half the battle. Afterward, you’re going to be stuck with a flat white surface that sticks out from the rest of your walls like a sore thumb. This is when a contractor’s texturing expertise comes to the rescue. Using a drywall texture hopper gun, a qualified contractor can usually create a seamless transition from the repaired sheet rock to the rest of the wall. When it comes to sheet rock repair, the finished product should offer no evidence that a repair has been made. The goal here is to make the new wall match the old ones. A professional contractor offers you the best chance to achieve this.

Risks of Do-it-yourself Sheet Rock Repair

Home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes love to push the do-it-yourself mentality. They do this for good reason: these companies’ operate on a business model that depends greatly on do-it-yourselfers since they sell home remodeling and repair products. If they can convince customers to bypass the contractor and do projects themselves, they’re going to make a good profit off of selling the raw materials. Often, these stores air television advertisements that can make it seem like a diy approach to home repair is much easier than it really is.

Most of these home improvement stores sell patches that promise to easily repair smaller sheet rock problems. However, there are a few things you should consider before you attempt do it yourself sheet rock repair.

The fact is these kits do an adequate job at patching sheet rock holes. However, the problems usually arise when it comes time to match the texture of the patch with the rest of the walls. Textures like orange peel, knockdown and skip trowel can be difficult for an amateur to work with. On the other hand, a professional contractor has the experience to create flawless textural transitions from the patch to the remaining wall.