Repairs and paint
Drywall and ceiling repair for holes, cracks and nail pops, then the whole room painted so the patches disappear.
Services
Drywall and painting
We do drywall repair, build and finish new walls, take down textured ceilings, and paint. The order matters: prep, prime, two coats, cut in by hand. Skip a step and the wall tells on you within a year.
Should popcorn ceilings be removed?
Yes, in most houses. A popcorn ceiling holds dust, hides cracks and makes a room feel lower. Removing it gives a smooth ceiling that takes light and paint. The one rule: textured ceilings in older houses sometimes hold asbestos, so a lab tests a sample before anyone scrapes.
From small to big
Repair, rebuild or smooth the ceiling
Three kinds of drywall and paint job. The ceiling one is the messiest, which is why people put it off. Most rooms end up needing a mix of the three.
New walls and ceilings
Framing a new wall, boarding a basement, or boxing in ducts. Taped to a smooth finish.
Ceilings
Popcorn removed, cracks taped, the whole ceiling skimmed and painted flat.
Step by step
How a drywall and paint job runs
Paint runs in six steps and only two of them involve paint. That is the point. Every job also follows the five stages on our process page, from planning to the final walk-through.
Protect the room
Floors covered, furniture moved or wrapped, dust walls up at the doorways. The furnace fan goes off while we sand, so fine dust does not travel through the ducts.
Repair and board
Holes patched, new board hung, corners beaded.
Tape and mud
Three coats of compound, each one wider, each one sanded. Outside corners get metal or paper bead so they stay straight for years.
Prime
Primer on every patch and every new sheet so the finish coat goes on even.
Two finish coats
Rolled walls, hand-cut edges, trim and doors done with a brush.
Check in daylight
We look at the wall with the lights off and the blinds open. Misses get a third pass.
The rooms pictured are examples of a smooth finish, not our painting. Ask for photos of walls and ceilings we have done.
The quote
What changes a drywall and paint quote
Paint is cheap. Height, texture and colour changes are what move drywall repair cost and the paint quote.
- Popcorn ceiling removal and the asbestos test before it.
- Matching an old wall texture next to a patch so it disappears.
- High ceilings and stairwells that need scaffolding.
- Dark to light colour changes, which can need a third coat.
- Trim, doors and closets painted along with the walls.
- Water damage that needs new board, not a patch.
Behind the walls
Problems we find on drywall and paint jobs
A fresh coat shows every old mistake. These three are the ones we fix before the first roller touches the wall.
Nail pops and cracked seams
The house moved after the first finish. We cut them back, re-tape and re-mud.
Paint peeling off a glossy wall
The last painter skipped the primer. We sand, prime and start again.
Stains that bleed through
Water marks and smoke come back through regular paint. A stain-blocking primer stops them.
Corners that drifted
Older houses settle, so walls lean and corners wander. We float those corners with compound so trim, cabinets and tile meet them cleanly.
Questions
What people ask about drywall and painting
Two paint and drywall questions nearly everyone asks.
You ask
How many coats of paint does a wall need?
We say
Two finish coats over primer. Ceilings get a flat finish so roller marks do not show. One coat looks fine wet and patchy dry. A dark colour over light, or light over dark, can need a third. New drywall always gets primer first, or the finish dries dull where the compound is.
You ask
Can you paint over a popcorn ceiling instead of removing it?
We say
Yes, with a thick roller and a lot of paint, but it stays bumpy and still holds dust. Paint also soaks the texture, which makes it much harder to scrape off later. Removing it costs more and gives you a smooth ceiling. If the house is older, test for asbestos before anyone scrapes it.
A note from the crew
When a Saturday and a roller will do
If you only need one wall painted a new colour, do it yourself on a Saturday. We take the rooms and the ceilings.