Drywall Ceiling Repair

Drywall ceilings can sustain different forms of damage. Small-sized holes and cracks along the loose tape joints on the drywall surface are quite common. Another kind of damage that drywall ceilings often sustain is water stains that result in the formation of large holes. This is more common in a two-story house where water from the bathroom or sink of the floor above leaks and causes damage to the drywall ceiling. Any such defects on the drywall ceiling looks really ugly. The only solution available for this problem is drywall ceiling repair.

How to Repair Drywall Ceiling?

Before starting the repair job, you have to equip yourself with the right kind of tools. For this, you have to purchase a drywall repair kit which contains all those tools and materials that are needed for this job.

Repairing Small Holes
Small holes on drywall ceiling is a very minor problem and it can be covered with the help of a few coats of drywall compound only. To begin with, use a utility knife to cut all the loose paper edges on the drywall surface that are surrounding the hole. Mix some drywall compound and apply it over the hole in such a way that a thick, uniform layer of about one-eighth of an inch is formed that cover the hole properly. Let the compound dry off and then sand the repaired area. Repeat the process of application of drywall compound 2-3 times more until the hole is filled up completely. Make sure that each coat of compound is cured thoroughly before you apply the next coat. Moreover, sanding of the dried compound is also a must or else small bumps will form on the drywall surface.

Repairing the Cracks
This is also not a serious damage and can be repaired quite easily. First of all, any loose material hanging from the surface of the ceiling has to be removed. Then the crack has to be covered up with a mesh tape first. This is done to ensure that similar problem does not recur in future. Then a little indentation is created on the damaged portion so that after the repair work the area remains in the same level as the rest of the ceiling wall. Now apply drywall compound and spread it properly to cover the entire mesh tape. You have to apply several thin coats of the compound to cover up the tape. As we have said above, each applied coat need to be dried and sanded before a new coat is applied.

Repairing Large Holes
As compared to the other two repair works, this is slightly more difficult. Take a framing square and mark the damaged part in the form of a square or rectangle. Then use a drywall saw to cut the drywall along the marked lines. Then take the measurement of the squared hole thus obtained. Cut two pieces of wood strips whose length should be about 6 inches more than the size of the opening. Insert the first wood strip inside the hole and hold it firmly against the inner wall and fasten it with the gypsum board of the drywall with the help of a drywall screw. Secure the strip both at the top side as well as at the bottom. Similarly, attach the second wood strip to the hole. Take a new piece of drywall which is of the same thickness as the existing drywall and cut it as per the measurement of the opening. Fit the patch into the hole using drywall screws and then secure the seams of the patch further with drywall mesh tape. Apply a thick layer of joint compound over the taped joints. One coat of mud is just not enough to hide the tape and hence several coats are needed. Each coat should be dried and sanded before the application of a fresh coat. Once the last coat of mud is dry sand it gently and then apply primer and paint to the area.

Ceiling repair cost is not very high and it could be in the range of $2 and $20. If you want to know about textured drywall ceiling repair, I must tell you that the procedure is the same as above. After you have finished the repair work, you have to blend the repaired portion with the texture of the surrounding ceiling. For this, you can use texture repair kits that are available in the form of sprays. Another method is to apply the joint compound with the help of textured rollers to obtain the desired finish.