Cincinnati Drywall Repair: Why You Shouldn't Ignore Drywall Damage, Plus DIY Tips

Drywall is something of an unsung hero. People in Cincinnati tend to think it's just there to make their house look finished and provide a place to hang decorations, but it actually does a lot for our homes and commercial properties that go beyond appearances. It makes your home more comfortable, livable, and safe, and can even save you a surprising amount of money—unless it has suffered serious damage and can't provide any of those benefits the way it used to until it gets Cincinnati drywall repair service.

As sturdy as drywall is, it's certainly not impervious to damage and there are a lot of things that can happen to your walls and ceiling over the years, or in an instant. Maybe your kid decided to practice their baseball pitch or amateur karate moves indoors, or maybe you left the house for 20 minutes and your dog tried to dig a hole in the wall so he could follow you. Maybe the cause of the problem is a complete mystery to you. Whatever happened, there's now an issue and your home or business needs help from Cincinnati drywall repair experts.

Homeowners, residents and business owners alike can count on their local Cincinnati handyman for skilled drywall repair services. The team of service professionals at Mr. Handyman of Greater Cincinnati has extensive experience with a wide range of reliable handyman services. Customer satisfaction is our first priority, and we are proud to deliver the highest standards of excellent workmanship and outstanding customer service on every job.

What Is Drywall Made Of?

Drywall, which is also referred to as Sheetrock, gypsum board, wallboard and probably dozens of other nicknames in the construction industry, is made from panels of gypsum, which is a soft, sulfate mineral. The gypsum is encased in thick sheets of backer and facer paper and usually contains additives that reduce flammability and inhibit mold and mildew growth. Originally invented as an alternative to plaster that is easier to work with, it's now used to form the surface of walls and ceilings in most buildings in Cincinnati—and the rest of the United States too.

Why Is Cincinnati Drywall Repair So Important?

You probably don't spend much time thinking about drywall, even though you spend a lot of time completely surrounded by it. It's not the most exciting or noticeable material, so it's not surprising if you rarely give it a second thought. But when it's damaged, your eyes can't help but go straight to the trouble spot every time you enter the room.

Drywall damage is more than just an unattractive cosmetic issue, though. It can cause serious problems for your home that worsen and spread, costing you your comfort and your money over time. Here are some of the ways professional Cincinnati drywall repair from an experienced handyman can mitigate those problems and get your home back in great shape again:

• Save Money on Energy Costs: Cracks and holes in your walls or ceiling increase heat transfer between your house and the outdoors, which changes the temperature in your home. That means your HVAC system has to operate for longer periods of time and use more fuel, significantly increasing the amount you have to pay for energy costs on your monthly utility bill. Cincinnati drywall repair can restore your house to a more energy-efficient condition to reduce your HVAC's energy usage and save you money.
• Less Noise Between Rooms: Tired of hearing every bump and whisper from the next room? Drywall damage reduces the sound separation between rooms, which can make it really hard to enjoy your peace and quiet. Getting those trouble spots corrected will help muffle noise so you can relax.
• Discourage Pest Infestations: Rodent and insect pests in Cincinnati, like rats, mice, termites, cockroaches and ants, like to take advantage of existing holes and cracks to gain access to the inside of your walls and make your home a lot less comfortable and sanitary. Eliminating their entry and exit points will discourage infestations in the future so you can avoid unwelcome "guests."
• Increase Fire Safety: The drywall has additives that make it difficult for it to catch on fire. If it's kept in good condition, it can help stop fire from spreading rapidly and keep it contained in one part of the house until it can be put out, but damaged areas let the fire into the inside of the walls where it can quickly spread and cause the structure to collapse.
• Preserve Business Credibility: If you have a customer-facing business in Cincinnati, you know how important it is to keep up with appearances around your commercial property. It's not fair, but something like a crack in drywall can cause customers to lose credibility in your company and take their business elsewhere. Don't let that damage undermine all your hard work to grow your business success when it can be correctly quickly and efficiently by our Cincinnati drywall repair experts.
• Reveal Hidden Damage: This might not seem like a good thing—who wants to discover problems like water damage or wood rot inside their walls? But those types of problems can cause severe structural integrity issues for your building and are much better dealt with sooner rather than later. If you have signs of moisture damage on your walls or ceiling such as brown water stains or softened patches, chances are good there's worse lurking below the surface. Our Cincinnati handyman team can get your walls and ceilings fixed up and make sure deeper damage is addressed as well.

DIY Cincinnati Drywall Repair Or Professional Handyman Service?

Now that you know more about why Cincinnati drywall repair is so important for your home or commercial property, you may be wondering if you could just take care of it with some DIY repairs. If we're talking about very minor problems like screw or nail holes, then the answer is likely a yes—most people in Cincinnati can handle tiny instances of damage like that without too much trouble. If we're talking about a small hole that is less than four inches in diameter—like the type of hole that would be caused by a doorknob bashing into the wall—it's going to be more complicated and will require a lot more patience and technique than repairing nail and screw holes. It's still doable for an amateur though, especially someone with a bit of general handiwork experience.

But if your walls or ceilings have suffered more extensive damage and the area that needs Cincinnati drywall repair is larger than four inches across, this is a job better left to an experienced handyman professional. It requires a lot more steps, difficult-to-use equipment and some complicated techniques that take training and practice to master. You can count on our team to get your wall back in perfect condition with long-lasting, proper repair methods, so the repair is completely invisible when we're done and you can sit back and enjoy your flawless walls. We'll also paint the wall and clean up after ourselves before we leave.

How Do You Handle Small Drywall Repair in Cincinnati, OH?

If you're ready and willing to give Cincinnati drywall repair a try, we've got some step by step instructions below to help guide you through the process of fixing either a tiny spot of damage from screws or nails, or a larger (but still small) hole that is less than four inches in diameter.

Cincinnati Drywall Repair Supplies and Tools

Before you get started, gather up all the supplies and tools you'll need. You'll probably require some or all of the following items, depending on the size of the damage you're repairing. However, you may be able to get drywall repair kits at your local hardware store that contain most of the stuff listed below in one package, so it's worth checking if you don't already have these items on hand.

• Utility knife
• Putty knife
• Joint compound (also called plaster, spackle or drywall mud)
• Adhesive mesh drywall patch
• Sandpaper
• Wall texture spray
• Paint that matches the existing color on your wall
• Paintbrush or roller, depending on the size
• Drop cloth

Keep in mind that it's really important to have paint the exact same color as the paint on your wall, or the repaired spot will stick out like a sore thumb. That might not be such a big deal if it's in a spot that you can hide behind furniture, but if it's in a prominent location, it has to be concealed properly with the right color paint. If you don't have any leftover paint from when the wall was originally done, you can remove a small chip from a hidden corner and take it to your local Cincinnati paint store for color matching. Even if you do have leftover paint, if it's been quite a while since it was originally applied, the wall may have faded or become discolored and it will no longer match. In that case, you're better off repainting the whole room (or having your handyman take care of it) after the repair is done.

How to Fix Screw or Nail Holes

This Cincinnati drywall repair method is pretty simple and will work to cover up a puncture from a screw or nail head, or any other tiny hole of a similar size including short hairline cracks.

1. Lightweight spackle usually comes pre-mixed in a small tube, so start by squeezing out a small blob and use your putty knife or even just your finger to completely fill the spot of damage.
2. Try to smooth it out and make it as even as possible with the rest of your wall surface.
3. Let your spackle dry fully—this will probably only take about 30 minutes for a tiny amount, but check the package for the manufacturers' recommended drying times.
4. When it's totally dry, use fine-grit sandpaper to sand down spackle and remove any rough edges, leaving that part level with the rest of your wall.
5. Wipe your repaired zone with lightly dampened cloth to get rid of any excess dust.
6. Use a small paintbrush to touch up the repaired area so it's the same color.

How to Fix Small Holes

For damage that is larger than a nail puncture but less than four inches across, you will need an adhesive drywall patch. Here's what to do.

1. Use your utility knife to carefully cut away any loose remnants of drywall from around the edges of your damaged area.
2. Place a self-adhesive mesh patch over the hole, making sure it's sticking to your wall along edges.
3. Spread lightweight joint compound over top of patch. Use a generous amount and apply in a crisscross pattern, feathering with your knife at edges to help blend it into your wall surface.
4. Let your compound completely dry, which could be up to 24 hours—check the instructions on its package for drying times.
5. Apply another coat of compound if you need it to totally cover and fill over top of the patch, and let it dry.
6. Sand repair area until it is smoothed out and even with your wall.
7. At this point, you may want to apply texture spray. The smooth finish of the sanded spackle over your patch is not the same texture as the rest of your drywall, which has a very lightly stippled texture. Maybe that doesn't bother you, or your patch isn't in a very noticeable area. But if it does and it is, put a coat of texture spray over your patched area and let it dry.
8. Cover the repaired spot with paint—a roller or larger paintbrush is a better option for this size of repair.

If you've read over the instructions above and it sounds like a bigger hassle than you anticipated or you just don't have the free time to spend on it, no problem—you can rely on our handyman team for experienced, professional drywall repair in Cincinnati, OH.

Trust the Pros at Mr. Handyman for Expert Cincinnati Drywall Repair

Whether you're in Cincinnati or a nearby area such as West Chester or Mason, you can rely on the team of professionals at Mr. Handyman of Greater Cincinnati for dependable residential services and commercial services.

Pick up the phone and give us a call today to schedule an appointment or find out more about what we can do to enhance your property.