Tips When Repairing Drywall
Repairing drywall? Here is a list of tips that will help you repairing that damaged drywall. Water damage to drywall is commonly the result of roofing and plumbing leaks. The absorption of water by the drywall panel will result in mold stains. Mold stains are black spots that can cause a lot of harm on your overall well-being. In fact, it can cause respiratory illnesses, such as bleeding of the lungs and other serious health conditions. One of the most common signals of water absorption in your drywall is sagging, discoloration or cracks on your drywall.
Repairing Drywall: Small Cracks
The fastest and easiest solution to implement. Get the ready-mixed spackling compound and apply it on the crack with a putty knife. It is recommended that you install a strip of fiberglass mesh tape, over the crack to strengthen the area of the crack. Apply a light coat of drywall mud around the edges of the newly cut square hole and place the patch into the wall. Squeeze out excess drywall mud with your putty knife and let dry overnight. Re-putty the patched area, again allowing the mud to dry overnight. Sand away excess mud and smooth out the wall. Paint the area and you're done.
Repairing Drywall: Large Cracks
Use a jigsaw or drywall handsaw to remove the affected area. If the drywall has mold stains on it, verify that the surrounding area is free of leaks and that there are no problems with the plumbing or other pipes. Drywall with mold stains or mildew clinging on it should be discarded and not used. There are water resistant drywalls available today and this is basically the best type of drywall that you can use for repairing or replacing water damaged drywall.
Install a plywood backer board that will serve to fasten the replacement drywall. After the patch has been installed, apply the fiberglass drywall tape, and cover it with drywall mud. You need to add a little water and whip the mud up to the consistency of creamy icing. Be careful not to mix too much air into it. Mud is officially known as joint compound. Its main use is taping and finishing drywall while spackle is primarily used to patch small holes. Spackle is a thicker compound that would be difficult to use for finishing drywall. Mud is often used to patch drywall, but it shrinks more than spackle and may need a second application. Give the mud enough time to cure, and then start to sand the joints in order to ensure a flat and smooth finish and get it ready for painting.
Repairing Drywall: General Tips
While working with the repairing drywall process remember these simple tips:- Drive the drywall screws carefully without damaging the paper.
- Don’t press to hard the joint tape, you don’t want to squeeze out all the compound. The joint might fail.
- If no drywall clips are available, bridge the back opening with a board a little larger than the opening. Secure it to the drywall and patch to the board.
- Nails and screws should get three total coats.
- Use 100-grit (fine) sandpaper for finishing and 60-grit (coarse) sandpaper to remove knife lines or stray bumps in dry plaster.
- Don't overwork the compound (because it dries quickly and loses its creaminess).
- NEVER REUSE OLD COMPOUND! Throw away any compound that has been removed from the can, even if never touched!
