Common Drywall Problems And How To Fix Them

Common Drywall Problems And How To Fix Them

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There are some common drywall problems you can easily fix if you have the technical know-how. Drywall is also known as wallboard, gypsum board, sheetrock, gyp board, or plasterboard.

Regardless of the name you call it, there will be some time that you will need to repair it.

Drywall is a building material used in modern-day, and it contains several panels (usually 4ft by 8ft) with a gypsum core sandwiched in-between two faces of heavy paper.

These papers are usually made from recycled paper. One of the faces is smooth and is the top surface, and the other is often a Kraft paper as the backing face.

Below are some common drywall problems may experience in your home and how you can repair them.

4 Common Drywall Problems and Remedies

1. Popped Nails

Regardless of how you prefer to use construction adhesive and drywall screws to apply screws to hold the drywall to the ceiling joists or studs, the majority of homes are built with just ring-shanked nails with no adhesive.

Even though the use of ring-shanked nails is often an accepted way of construction. It, however, leads to problems in the long run as the wood studs warp or dry out and mount excessive pressure on the drywall then the ring-shanked nail can handle.

This then leaves you with nail pops that need patching and painting.

Solution: Follow these steps to fix popped nails on drywall: 

  • On the top and under the popped nail, fasten a number 6 coarse-thread drywall screw of 1 ¼ inch. Be sure to fasten the screw to the exact spot where it is right under the drywall paper’s surface, not deeper than it punctures the surface of the paper.
  • You can use a similar ring-shank that causes the pop problem if there are no drywall screws available. Drive the nails in the top and under the popped nail until you can easily remove the nails from the drywall surface using the hammer’s head.
  • Paste the first coat of already-mixed drywall spackle or joint compound.
  • Paste a second coat compound immediately the first coat you applied has dried to make sure the edges are feathered. Do this with a flat blade tapping knife of about 4 to 6 inches (you can use a disposable knife).
  • Hold on till the compound is completely dry, around 24-hours, then gently sand with a sanding block as well as 200-grit sandpaper. Avoid sanding with your hand or fingers. Make sure there is a strong backing to the sandpaper for better result. 
  • Check the repair once it’s dry. Be sure to repeat the joint compound application and sanding if you observe that the compound shrinks or notices pitting. 

Proceed to priming and painting once you notice the repair is dry and smoothly sanded (feel it with your backhand).    

2. Loose Holes for Electrical Boxes

Making a hole in a drywall sheet is very difficult and prepares for it to match well with anything you already have on the wall, such as an electrical receptacle that is nailed onto the stud.

Professionals know how to make the perfect measurements as they do this more often. We can’t say the same about DIYer. 

Solution: You can do these in several ways, but consider these three.

  • At first, you can consider the old way of slathering lipstick across the receptacle border, applying pressure on the drywall sheet against it, and cutting towards the lipstick path. This solution is not the best but will work if there are no other options available.
  • Secondly, you can first run the electrical cables and twist the edges together, but make sure you do not fix back the receptacle yet. Use a small portion of the painter’s tape on the floor to mark the receptacle’s spot. Proceed by installing the drywall. You can then cut the hole once the drywall is installed. This method enables you to use retrofit electrical boxes, rather than the type that fixes directly to studs.
  • Thirdly, this is the best method but requires you to buy a special tool known as Blindmark. You place a magnetic insert in the receptacle and then install the drywall. Using another magnetic piece of similar size with a receptacle face, locate the first insert. Draw a boundary around the magnetic piece using a pencil and cut along the outline. This method often ends up with perfect holes.  

3. Dent in Drywall

It is often popular to have a dent in drywall and can be easily repaired as follows: 

  • Apply spackle or already-mixed drywall joint compound to the dented part using a four to size inch flat blade taping knife (you can use the disposable plastic type). 
  • Hold on till the compound is completely dry, around 24-hours, then gently sand with a sanding block as well as 200-grit sandpaper. Avoid sanding with your hand or fingers. Make sure there is a strong backing to the sandpaper for better result. 
  • Check the repair once it’s dry. Be sure to repeat the joint compound application and sanding if you observe that the compound shrinks or notices pitting. 

Proceed to priming and painting once you notice the repair is dry and smoothly sanded (feel it with your backhand).   

4. Drywall Joint Tape that is split or bubbled

Fixing tape problems is more complex than drywall dents or nail pops because it involves pulling off paper tape around two inches wide, thus creating a more repair area. However, the repair is made simple if you proceed with these steps:

  • Use a very sharp razor or sharp knife to cut out the damaged part of the drywall tape. Then gently remove the damaged part of the tape. You will also remove small parts of the dried drywall joint compound.
  • Apply an already-mixed drywall joint compound, then exposed drywall joint to serve as bedding for the new tape using a four-inch drywall taping knife with a flat blade (you can use the disposable plastic type). Be sure to apply the compound to cover the width and length of the tape completely. 
  • Cut a new part of drywall tape to length.
  • Place the drywall tape on the joint with your slightly misted four-inch drywall taping knife and as you hold the taping knife at an angle of 450, gently move the knife down on the tape, firmly and fully pressing it into the bedding of the joint compound. The compound will ooze across the boundaries. 
  • Leave to dry overnight and scrape off any high spots using the taping knife the following day.
  • Use a ten-inch taping knife to apply another coat of joint compound. Also, use your slightly misted taping knife to apply a second coat of an already-mixed joint compound of six to eight inches wide and cover the first compound layer. 
  • Hold the knife at 900 to the taped joint, draw the taping knife down the taped repair in just one smooth stroke. Get rid of any excess from the edges. You are looking to get a taped and relatively smooth area. You may notice some bubbles, but it is ok. 
  • Leave to dry overnight and scrape off any high spots using the taping knife the following day.
  • Use your slightly misted ten-inch taping knife to apply the third and final layer of joint compound. Paste the joint compound to a spot that is 8-10 inches wide.
  • Leave to dry overnight and scrape off any high spots using the taping knife the following day, then gently sand with about 200 grit sandpaper and a sanding block. 
  • Check the repair once it’s dry. Be sure to repeat the joint compound application and sanding if you observe that the compound shrinks or notices pitting. 
  • Proceed to priming and painting once you notice the repair is dry and smoothly sanded (feel it with your backhand).    

Get a Professional Drywall Repair

We have discussed four of the many common drywall problems and how to fix them. However, if you know you can’t handle it perfectly as explained, or lacks the skills to offer proper surface finishing, you will need a professional to handle it.

Besides, drywall repairs not properly-done can leave your wall roughed and reduce the value of your home. You can contact a drywall repair professionals at Dallas Paints to repair your wall and give it a smooth painting finish.

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