Drywall Installation & Repair
Drywall Repair
Holes, cracks, nail pops and water-stained ceilings, patched, retextured and painted so the repair blends into the wall around it.
Drywall Repair
Drywall damage comes from everywhere: a doorknob without a stop, a picture hook ripped out, a plumber who had to get into a wall, a slow roof leak, a house settling over decades or a small earthquake. Most of it is quick to repair. Making it invisible is the part that takes skill.
A good repair matches three things: the flatness of the wall, the texture and the paint. Get any one of them wrong, and the patch shows in low afternoon light. We handle all three, and we fix the cause first when there is one.
Types of repairs
The repair method depends on the size and the cause.
Small holes and dents
Filled with compound, sanded and blended. Often done the same day as paint.
Larger holes
Cut back to a square opening, backed with wood or a patch, new drywall installed, taped and finished.
Cracks
Opened, retaped and finished, since compound alone over a moving joint will crack again.
Nail and screw pops
Reset or replaced with screws, then filled and finished.
Water-stained ceilings
Leak fixed and dry first, damaged board replaced, stain-blocking primer, texture and paint.
Corner bead
Dented or cracked metal corners replaced and refinished.
Texture and paint
Texture is where most patches give themselves away. Orange peel is sprayed in fine droplets; knockdown is sprayed heavier and flattened with a knife; skip trowel and hand textures are applied by hand. We match the size, spacing and height of the existing pattern on a test area before finishing the repair.
Paint fades and yellows over time, so touching up just the patch often leaves a visible square. Painting the whole wall or ceiling from corner to corner gives the cleanest result.
When a crack means more
Most drywall cracks are cosmetic, from settling, shrinkage or minor movement. Cracks that keep widening, appear with doors that start sticking, or show up after an earthquake alongside gaps at the floor or ceiling deserve a structural look before patching. We tell you if we think an engineer should see it.
From our clients
Real Google reviews from LE Construction clients, quoted word for word.
EXCELLENT
5.0 out of 5, based on 17 Google reviews
Make the damage disappear
Send a photo. We will tell you what the repair needs and how much it will cost, in writing.
Drywall Repair: FAQs
How much does drywall repair cost?
A few small patches in one visit cost much less than a large ceiling repair after a leak. Size, location, texture and how much painting is needed to blend the repair all affect the price. Because setup and drying time are shared, it is more economical to fix several repairs at once.
How long does a drywall repair take?
Compound has to dry between coats, so even a small repair usually takes more than one visit or a full day, plus texture and paint. Larger repairs and ceilings take longer. We schedule visits around drying time so the repair is done right.
Can you repair plaster walls too?
Yes. Many older homes in Santa Paula, Ventura and Ojai have plaster over wood lath. Small cracks and holes can be repaired in plaster; larger areas are often patched with drywall built up to the plaster's thickness so the wall stays flat.
Should I fix a water stain myself with paint?
Not until the leak is fixed and the drywall is dry and solid. Regular paint lets water stains bleed through again. If the drywall is soft or sagging, it needs to be replaced. A stain-blocking primer under the paint keeps it from coming back.