How To Renovate the Drywall in Your Home
We will look at different projects that can be done to your drywall to give your home new life
Drywall will be one of the biggest things in your home. It is impotant to know how to renovate the drywall in your home because the wrong texture, acoustic texture, or damage to your drywall can make your home look less than desirable. We will discuss some of the projects and options you can have done to rejuvenate your drywall and bring your home back to life.
Acoustic Ceiling Texture
Also known as the “popcorn ceiling,” it was popular in the past, but today most people want it removed. For this reason, many drywall contractors have become well-versed in the removal of acoustic textures. Having this texture removed can make a massive difference in the look and feel of the drywall in your home.
Adding new Drywall Texture
An easy way to renew the drywall in your home is adding new drywall textures also has the potential to make a huge difference when you renovate the drywall in your home. For example, after removing the acoustic ceiling texture, replacing it with a more desirable option is a popular option that will make a huge impact.
The most popular surface styles in today’s market are orange peel, splatter, knockdown, and smooth coat. Each one has its challenges when applying and will require different levels of expertise to complete appropriately.
Cut-outs
Maybe your living room is separated from your kitchen by a wall. You want to take it out, but it is where most of your cabinet space is located. What about a cut-out? This is where you will cut a hole in the wall, as long as it is not load-bearing, frame it to the correct size, and then drywall and finish it. This will be a compromise. You didn’t get rid of that wall entirely, so you still have your cabinet space, but now the rooms are more connected, and you can have conversations with people in the living room while in the kitchen. Cut-outs are an easy way to reinvent the drywall in your home.
Shelves
When done well, a floating shelf that has been framed and wrapped in drywall is blended into the existing wall. This will give it a seamless and appealing appearance. Although floating shelves can be made from many different materials, a seamless drywall shelf is a popular option.
Niches
You can use a little lumber and some drywall to frame a shelf space within a wall, a niche. This will give you more shelving space without having a sizeable bulky unit placed somewhere in your home. It could be located in a bathroom for extra shelf space, a kitchen for spice storage, or an office for knick-nacks. Niches are ideal if you want to give the drywall in your home a modern look.
Call a Professional
It is a sound idea to call a professional contractor like us after a flood or if you would like to renovate the drywall in your home. We have the experience to mitigate mold damage and undertake the repairs that will make your home or commercial space like new again, here is an article we have made showing you how Argenta Painting can help “Flood Damage – We Are Here To Help And What Else You Need To Know”. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment for a free quote, please contact us. We will be honored to help you restore the place you love.
Practicality
The drywall in your home can be installed for practicality if you have a room that tends to be louder than others, such as an entertainment room, weight room, or any other noisy area. You can purchase and install a noise dampening drywall board to keep the sound in the room as much as possible.
When installing drywall in damp locations such as bathrooms, you can also purchase moisture-resistant drywall. This will help prevent moisture damage from occurring, which will also help avoid any moisture-related issues, such as mold.
Patching Holes
Patching holes can be made in any number of different ways. One popular option for the average homeowner is to purchase a patch kit, this is probably the easiest way to fix the drywall in your home. This will usually consist of a mesh patch to put over the hole in the wall, some drywall mud, and a putty knife to cover the patch.
Another option is what some call a butterfly patch, which is where you cut the hole in the wall into a square. And then cut a piece of drywall larger than the hole. Cut the exact size of the square onto the back of the drywall and then peel the excess drywall away, leaving the front paper of the drywall and the square in place.
When you place the drywall in the hole, the backing of the drywall should fit into the hole snug while the front paper overlaps the edges. Then you will apply your mud finish and texture it to match the rest of your wall.
Or you can put a board behind the hole, screw through the sheetrock on the edges of the hole into the board to hold it in place, and then cut a new piece of drywall to fit in the hole. Screw it to the board, tape the seams, apply the drywall mud, and finish with texture.
The drywall in your home can be easily fixed if you have the tools and knowledge, it is not as complicated as you may think. We have a video “Professional Texture Repair Made to Look Easy” were we show the process.
Should a Homeowner try and Complete their Drywall Work?
This will depend on several factors. You will need to ensure that you have all of the tools required to complete the work. Have you ever done this type of work before? Do you understand how to complete the project, and do you know how to texture? These are all questions that you will need to consider before attempting a drywall project on your own.
Fixing the drywall in your home might seem extremely easy and this is why it is very common for homeowners to attempt to patch holes and minor repairs using pre-made kits. This will need to be done at the homeowner’s discretion.
Mistakes that Homeowners Make
If you decide to renovate the drywall in your home by yourself we have you covered. Here are some tips that we can share with you as professionals tradespeople:
Hanging drywall alone: Do not attempt to hang drywall alone. Drywall sheets are heavy and awkward to move around by yourself. Trying to hang drywall yourself means that it is much more likely that you will hurt yourself or drop and damage your drywall.
Not using drywall screws: Drywall screws are necessary when hanging drywall, especially on a ceiling. Drywall panels can be heavy, and their weight resting on nails for years to come may mean that they will eventually come loose and cause severe damage.
Over sanding: over sanding is far too common with homeowners attempting to do their drywall. Over sanding occurs when an individual tries to smooth out a drywall joint but sands too much and damages the drywall.
Too tight: When you cut your drywall to make a close fit, you can crumble the edges when the joint is too tight. Instead, it would help if you cut the drywall to leave an ⅛ inch between the panels to ensure that the drywall edges do not crumble when fitted against each other. Making the proper cuts can make your job a lot easier when fixing the drywall in your home.
Joints around moving components: If you have a taped and finished joint around a moving object such as a window or a door, then the movement of these items can lead to your drywall cracking and showing the stress of being connected to a moving component. A better idea is to notch the sheetrock around the door or window to prevent this flexing.
Conclusion
You can definitely fix the drywall in your home by yourself but is a challenging thing to master, and if it is not done correctly, it will be very noticeable. The average homeowner may not be able to complete a drywall project to a professional standard. This is why whenever considering a drywall project; you always consider having a professional complete it. This will ensure that it is done well and that you will be happy with the results once it is finished.
