Drywall Ceiling Repair Guidelines
Being a homeowner, there comes that time that you have to do the things that all homeowners do, and one of the things on that list is drywall ceiling repair. This is a common thing that happens at least once in a home’s lifespan. When it comes down to it, doing this is just like doing crack repair on a wall, only upside down. This is not a highly technical job that requires special skills and tools. This job can be handled by someone with a general knowledge of wallboard repair and a few basic tools. If you have a command on basic sheetrock repair and finishing, you should not have much of a problem with drywall ceiling repair.
One of the most prevalent reasons that you would have to do drywall ceiling repair is because of water damage. If you own a two story home, this is much more common than in a single story house. The reason for this is that there is always a bathroom upstairs with running water. The water damage can be from a sink that overflowed, a bath left unattended, and in the worst case, a leak in a water line. The first thing to do is stop the source of the water damage to the ceiling before you begin your repair work.
Once you have the problem that caused the damage fixed, you will have to give the ceiling time to dry adequately. The ceiling should be completely dry before you attempt to repair the damaged spot. If you have ever tried fixing drywall that was wet, you know what I am talking about. When the area is dry enough to work with, you will want to cut the damaged area out. When you cut the damage out, make sure you leave ½ of the ceiling joist exposed on at least two sides, you may have to cut an area bigger than the damage to accomplish this. This way, you will have something to nail to when you get ready to put the new drywall up.
Once you are sure that the area is dry, it is a good idea to drill a hole or two into the middle of the damaged spot, sometimes all the water does not evaporate or soak in. This way you can drain it out. Be extremely careful if you are using an electric drill, as we all know, electricity and water do not mix well together.
Now, cut the new sheetrock to size and nail or glue it into place. Once this is done, use joint compound and sheetrock tape to fill in the seam. It is a good idea to use several thin coats of compound and sand on every third coat. This will fill in any dents from nails also. When this is done, you can match the texture of the ceiling by splattering joint compound on the new area, after it sits for about 5 minutes, run the trowel over it to match the existing ceiling.
The finishing is the most difficult part of the job. However, this is one of the easiest ceiling types to fix and the cost savings will be great. When the joint compound dries, you can paint to blend and you are done with your drywall ceiling repair.
