Top 3 Common DIY Drywall Repair Mistakes

With all the information available on the internet, it’s easy to think that anyone can be a jack of all trades with the help of a WikiHow article and a few YouTube videos. From jewelry making to drywall repair, you can find everything you need to know in a few simple searches. But what these online guides can’t give you is the experience and the keen eye to know that the job is well done.

At New Ceilings, we firmly believe that drywall repair is a task best left to the experts. Here are 3 of the most common drywall repair mistakes made by DIY enthusiasts:

• Oversanding drywall mud. As any good guide will tell you, you’re supposed to sand down your joint compound between layers to make sure it’s smooth, even, and ready to prime. But many DIYers wind up oversanding the compound, leaving divots and even going so far as to damage the drywall tape. It can be hard to tell when your compound is truly even, but an angled light can help.

• Drywall screws and nails are pushed in too far. To the inexperienced, it may seem that the further in you drive your screws and nails, the better they’re holding. This isn’t the case. If you drive your screws too far into your drywall, you risk breaking the drywall paper. Doing so is much more than a cosmetic issue; it effectively eliminates much of the screw’s holding power, leaving your walls weakened.

• Electrical boxes and switchplates don’t line up. This is a big one – often, the drywall repair team at New Ceilings is called to fix misaligned drywall. Even if you stick to the “measure twice, cut once” rule, it can be hard to get an exact match from your light switches or outlets to the drywall you’re putting in place. Such an issue can be an expensive one, as it’s highly recommended to start from scratch rather than patching up the gap.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: drywall repair isn’t as easy as it looks. Anyone can get a drywall patch kit from the home improvement store, but making the repair blend in seamlessly with the existing wall is another story altogether. To learn more, get in touch with the professionals at New Ceilings. Call 407-378-6040 to schedule your free consultation.