Drywall repair in Nashville homes usually starts with something small: a door knob through the wall, a crack that keeps coming back over a doorway, nail pops along the ceiling, or a brown stain where water got in. None of these are hard to fix well, but they are easy to fix badly. A patch that shows a ridge, a different texture or a dull spot under the paint can look worse than the hole did.
Salt and Cedar Home Remodeling is a locally owned remodeling company in Nashville. Kitchens are the core of what we do, and walls and ceilings are part of nearly every remodel. We take on drywall repair and patching, framing for new interior walls, and the painting that makes a repair disappear. You have one point of contact from the first visit to the final walkthrough.
This page walks through how drywall gets repaired, how a new interior wall is framed, and why the paint is part of the repair.
Drywall Repair and Patching
Common drywall problems
Most drywall damage falls into a few familiar types. Nail pops are small round bumps where a fastener has worked loose, often on ceilings and in newer homes as the framing settles. Cracks tend to show up at the corners of doors and windows and along ceiling seams, where the house moves the most. Holes come from door knobs, furniture, old anchors and wiring work. And water stains show up on ceilings below bathrooms, near windows and under the roof.
Water stains: find the source first
A water stain is a sign, not the problem. Before any patch goes on, the source has to be found and fixed, whether that is a leaking drain, a supply line, a window or the roof. Drywall that got wet is checked for softness and mold, and wet sections are cut out and replaced rather than painted over. Stain blocking primer goes on any stain that stays, because ordinary paint lets it bleed back through. If the leak is in a plumbing line, the repair to that line is done by a plumber we bring in, and we fix the wall and ceiling once it is dry.
Patch types by size
The right drywall patch depends on the size of the damage.
- Small holes and nail pops. Nail holes and small dents are filled with spackle or joint compound. For a nail pop, the loose fastener is reset or a new screw is driven next to it, then the spot is filled.
- Medium holes. A door-knob sized hole gets a mesh or metal-backed patch, then several thin coats of joint compound feathered out wide so there is no bump.
- Large holes. Bigger damage is cut back to a clean square, wood blocking is fastened behind the opening, and a new piece of drywall is screwed in. The seams are then taped and finished like any new wall.
Tape, mud, sanding and texture
Most of the skill in drywall repair is in the finish. Joints are taped, then covered with joint compound in thin coats, each one wider than the last, with drying time between. Sanding between coats keeps the surface flat. If the wall has texture, such as orange peel or knockdown, the patch is textured to match so it does not read as a smooth square on a rough wall. A good patch is invisible from across the room and when light rakes across it.
Ceiling drywall repair
Ceilings take the same steps, with a few extras. Gravity works against every coat, and light from windows tends to skim across a ceiling and show every ridge. Sagging ceiling drywall usually means fasteners have let go or water has soaked the board, and those sections are refastened or replaced rather than patched over. Textured ceilings, including older popcorn finishes, need their own approach to blend a repair.
Framing New Interior Walls
Sometimes the fix is a wall that is not there yet. A new interior wall can split a large room into an office and a sitting area, close in a laundry space, create a closet or add a hallway. Most new interior walls are non-load-bearing partition walls, which means they divide space but do not hold up the house.
How a partition wall is framed
A partition wall is built from a bottom plate fastened to the floor, a top plate fastened to the ceiling joists or to blocking between them, and studs set between the two at a regular spacing. Getting the wall plumb and square is what lets the drywall, trim and doors go on cleanly later.
Blocking for what will hang on the wall
Framing is the time to plan for anything heavy. Wood blocking between the studs gives solid backing for a wall-mounted TV, upper cabinets, shelving or grab bars. Adding it now is simple. Adding it after the drywall is up means opening the wall again.
Door openings and headers
A door opening in a new wall gets a header across the top, with studs on each side framed to the size of the door you plan to hang. Planning the door size and swing before framing keeps it from bumping into switches, vents or furniture.
Load-bearing walls and wiring
Anything that touches a load-bearing wall starts with finding out whether it carries load, because removing or cutting into a wall that holds up the floor or roof above needs a different plan from a partition wall. New outlets and switches in a new wall are added by a licensed electrician, and we plan the framing and schedule so that work happens before the drywall goes up.
Painting After the Repair
A drywall patch only disappears after primer and paint. Fresh joint compound absorbs paint differently from the painted wall around it, so a patch painted without primer often shows as a dull or shiny spot. The patch is primed first, and then painted, usually from corner to corner on that wall rather than just over the spot, so the color and sheen match. If the room is due for a new color, our interior painting page covers how we paint whole rooms.
How a drywall project runs with us
It starts with a visit. We look at the damage or the space for the new wall, talk with you about what you want, and check for causes like a leak or a settling crack. You get a free estimate that lays out the work.
On the day of the work, floors and furniture are covered, because drywall dust travels. The damage is cut back and patched, or the wall is framed and hung, then taped, finished, sanded and primed. Paint follows once the compound is fully dry. At the end, we walk the room with you before the job is called done.
Drywall work often comes with other projects. If you have a list of small fixes around the house, see our handyman services. If you are finishing a basement, read about basement finishing. And if the wall you want to move is between the kitchen and the living room, start with kitchen remodeling. When you are ready, tell us about your walls.
Why homeowners call us for drywall repair
- One point of contact. We run the job from the first visit to the final walkthrough, so you are not passed between people.
- Patches that disappear. We tape, finish, texture and prime each repair so it blends with the wall around it.
- Source first. When there is water damage, the cause is found and fixed before the wall is closed up. If it is a plumbing leak, a plumber we bring in repairs it.
- Locally owned in Nashville. We serve Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, Nolensville, Hermitage and Bellevue.