DIY vs Professional Drywall Repair: Which is the Better Option?
When you own your own home, it’s a good idea to be handy enough to make repairs around the house. This can range from minor projects like replacing a torn screen to something more involved, and requiring a lot more skill, such as repairing a hole or gouge in your drywall. Of course, with every repair or project, you have the option of either doing it yourself, often referred to as DIY, or hiring a professional. That choice will depend primarily on two factors: the difficulty and complexity of the project, and your skill level.
Repairing the Drywall Yourself… Pros and Cons.
If you’re fairly handy with tools and have some experience with home repairs, especially working with drywall, this might be a DIY project you’ll want to take on. Saving a little money is always a good thing, and completing a repair on your own home can give you a sense of accomplishment when it’s done correctly.
That said, there are a few things to be careful of before you dive in. If you don’t have any experience in drywall repair or installation, it can be a challenge to get results you’ll be happy with. Plus, there’s a good chance you don’t have all the right tools. And while you might be able to complete the repair without some of those tools, it will take a lot longer and you may not get the results you want.
Another drawback of DIY drywall repair is the time it takes. This can be a time-consuming project, especially if you’re not familiar with the process. You could easily find yourself making multiple trips to the hardware store to buy expensive tools and materials while you figure it out. Also, if you start it as a weekend project and don’t finish over the weekend, you’ll be living with an unsightly mess in the wall until you have time to finish.
Using a Professional for Drywall Repair.
To make sure that your drywall repair is seamless and has a professional looking finish, your best option is to have a professional drywall repair company handle it. Drywall contractors should always have exactly the right tools, as well as the materials and expertise to get the job done right the first time.
Probably the most difficult part of this project is finishing it so that you can’t see the seams between the repair and the rest of the wall. Often, we see the results of a DIY repair and the area of the wall that was fixed isn’t smooth or the paint doesn’t match perfectly in color or texture. With a professional contractor, you shouldn’t be able to tell a repair has been made at all.
Another benefit of using a professional contractor is the time savings. For a pro, a small repair like a hole or a gouge should only take a few hours, saving you a lot of stress and frustration.
So, when deciding whether to try to fix a drywall problem yourself or call in a professional, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Budget.While tackling a DIY repair may save you a little money on the labor, consider how much money you will have to spend on material and especially tools that you may never need again.
- Skill level. Some people are naturally handy with tools and repairs, and if you feel confident in your skill, DIY may be the right option for you. Be honest with yourself about whether you want to try this level of project and if you have the skill and patience to do it.
- Tools. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of tools that are specifically designed for drywall installation and repair. The chances that you own any of them are pretty unlikely if you don’t do this type of work, so you could end up spending a lot of money on tools.
- Time. When you add up the prep work, labor, and clean up, it can take someone who doesn’t have expertise in drywall repair a lot longer than it would a professional contractor.
