Tips for Minor DIY Drywall Repair

In most homes, drywall is the most commonly used material for finishing interior walls and ceilings. A great drywall job will give your home a clean, finished look, but over the years it can suffer some minor wear and tear. Your drywall can be easily dented, scratched and damaged. While you should leave major drywall projects to the pros, an avid DIYer can learn how to repair holes in drywall.

B. Wright Drywall Inc. in Edmonton shares some tips for DIY drywall repair:

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Get quality drywall mud.

Everything you’ll need for minor drywall repair can be found at your local hardware store. The most critical supply you’ll use for your drywall repair job is the drywall mud, also known as drywall compound. Purchasing quality drywall mud can really improve your results so it’s not something you want to cheap out on. If you are not sure what to get, contact the pros at B. Wright Drywall and they can steer you in the right direction.

Use metal straight edge to apply the drywall mud.

Take a small amount of the drywall compound and smooth it over the hole in your drywall using a clean, metal straight edge. Make sure you scrape away any access compound before it dries to the wall. When you have a perfectly smooth surface, leave it to dry overnight.

Be patient with repetitive mudding and sanding.

Once the compound you put on the wall is completely dry, sand it down with a drywall hand sander until it is flush with the wall. You can pick up a drywall hand sander at the hardware store. Larger repairs will likely require you to fill in the hole with more compound, leave it to dry, and sand it again. Be patient with it and be sure to let it dry completely before sanding it again.

Large holes will need to be patched with pieces of drywall.

If the hole or damage is too big to fill with drywall mud, you will have to pick up a sheet of drywall and create a patch for it. In most cases, you’ll have to put some boards behind the patch, attached to your framing so you have something to hold it into place. Once the piece is in place, you will have to use tape on the seams before applying compound. Taping, mudding and sanding at this level can be difficult and will take practice to get it right.

If you’re not sure if you can do it – always hire a drywall contractor!

If the damage seems large and the task daunting, you could end up saving yourself a lot of time and stress by hiring drywall contractors in Edmonton to take care of it for you. Properly installing drywall is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master. Having it done by a professional will ensure the best results.