What a Perfect Drywall Repair Job Looks Like
Sometimes there is more than meets the eye and that’s when Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair can excel above all others—ensuring that our customers are happy with the outcome, no matter how difficult the job may be.
Drywall repair is as much of an art as it is a science. Our company-trained techs have learned to apply our proprietary drywall repair techniques, which are what separates a DIY amateur from the professionals. After all, being a professional refers to someone who applies experience, knowledge and insight to every aspect of the work he or she does.
Recently, we were contacted by a customer who discovered some “bubbling” on the drywall. He was concerned about the potential for additional damage inside the wall. This is something we often see and customers will only call us once they see the “symptoms” coming through the drywall. Needless to say, we can only react to what we see and no one ever peaks inside their walls because it is a contained environment.
The customers had a very specific reason for contacting us, since they had purchased new windows and during the installation the job came to a screeching stop. The window installation contractors discovered that a window above a sliding glass door dropped into the wall while removing it. The installers quickly called their supervisor to let them know what they’ve found and upon further inspection, the whole base of the window was discovered to be rotten.
And this is where things became scary for the customer, who was told that the wood inside was rotten and there was indication that the damage may extend to either side of the sliding glass door and window. Not knowing what to do, they called Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair to discuss the challenge, sharing video and photos with our team to let us know ahead of time what the situation was. The wood was indeed rotten, but we could only see so much into this small area where the window used to be.
The following image gallery shows the early stages of this drywall repair job
We started the process by sending a drywall repair estimator, who looked at the size and condition of the jog area to determine how big or small of a it would be. By tapping on the wall, the estimator’s trained ear can determine how much “hollow space” is behind the drywall. Also, the estimator feels the wall to get an idea of whether the bubbles are topical or if they come from water damage inside. Once an assessment was established, a work order is created with an estimate.
During this time, the customers’ window installation had come to a full-stop and the repair needed to happen in a timely manner to avoid extended exposure to the elements. Although there was a piece of plywood cut to fit the now broken window, it wasn’t enough to prevent the wall from getting wet as the rainy season approached quickly. But that wasn’t an issue for Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair because we have a great team of drywall repair techs who allow us to work on multiple jobs every week.
It didn’t take more than a week to schedule the repair job and we started the work on a Tuesday morning at 8:00 am. The drywall repair job was started by Fidel, one of our senior drywall repair techs, who also happens to be a Master Carpenter. Upon arrival, we set up Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair’s signature “dustless” system, which effectively creates a barrier around the work area to prevent dust from spreading through the customer’s house. Once this was secured, the work began to remove all the damaged drywall, which exposed the cement block of the outer wall.
Since every drywall repair job is different, Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair trains its drywall repair techs to have a systematic approach in these complex repair jobs. Therefore, when removing the damaged drywall, Fidel kept on cutting the drywall every few inches to ensure he would outline how far the damage had reached. Knowing the sliding glass door was framed by wood and it was rotten, he had to be careful to identify what else could be damaged but also avoid over-extending beyond the limits of the damage.
Here are more images from this perfect drywall repair job
Once the damage was identified, the drywall repair tech stripped the drywall, removed the rotten wood, and assessed the situation. Luckily, the damage had been caused a long time ago and the area was dry and free of mold. We were ready to send a mold removal crew from our sister company, Hole in the Wall Restoration. This sibling company provides water remediation, damage cleanup, flood dryout, and mold removal for customers who have worst-case-scenario mold conditions before we can complete their drywall repair job.
Fortunately, this wasn’t the case. Once the tech confirmed the drywall repair did not require mold removal, he moved on to recreating the door frame. It should be noted that he was also happy to find out that the wall had cement block between the top of the old sliding glass door and the bottom of the picture window above it. The tech proceeded to cut the drywall beyond the damage to ensure the repair job was thorough and effective. We are of the belief that we have to address the issue and avoid cutting more than what is needed to be repaired.
The replacement of the wood frame was managed effectively by the drywall repair tech, who happened to be one of our double-duty team members—who are both drywall repair techs and carpenters. Case in point, estimators work hard at assessing to the best of their ability the scope of each drywall repair job, allowing us to determine who in our team is best for the job. Upon completing the framing work, the tech started installing the drywall panels, which were cut to perfection to match the sliding glass door frame and picture window.
During the re-framing process, the drywall repair tech discovered the need to replace part of the stucco edge on the outside wall. The original damage was caused by a hairline crack on the wall, which allowed water to seep through. As part of our service to customers, Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair offers light stucco work to ensure the work we do is completed during the job. With this in mind, we cut off a strip of stucco around the perimeter of the picture window, repairing and applying stucco while our tech finished the interior work, which took about a day to complete.
Here is the last set of the images from this drywall repair job
Once the framing and drywall was installed, the next step was to apply the joint compound. This ensures that the panels have a seamless look and feel after they’re sanded to perfection. At this point, the final step was to prime and paint the wall. Early in the job, the drywall tech removed a piece of the drywall and took it to one of our paint suppliers for a perfect color match. We also match the texture, whether it is standard knockdown, light knockdown, heavy knockdown, orange peel, stipple/stomp, popcorn, or none at all.
After matching the texture, the final step was to prime and paint the wall. Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair’s techs take a lot of pride in ensuring customers are amazed at the finished job. And as the photos show, the original damage that prevented the customers’ windows from being installed was nothing more than an old memory for them. Within a day of completing the job, they were able to get the installation of the new sliding glass door and picture window scheduled.
Curiously, the window installation crew complimented the workmanship of Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair, stating that it was a “perfect fit” and that considering how bad the original wall was, the wall looked as if nothing had ever damaged it. This is exactly what we aim for: satisfaction that goes beyond the customer’s own amazement. Hole in the Wall is the name—Drywall Repair is the game. And the game is on every day as we help countless home owners in both Central Florida and the Greater Birmingham area in Alabama, where we expanded our operation in 2019.
This is just one example of a complex job that was completed by our company-trained drywall repair techs, who dedicate their skill and craft to ensuring every customer is not only satisfied, but also referring their friends and family. Trust Hole in the Wall Drywall Repair to repair your walls and ceilings—we are the best in the business and we love what we do.