# Horrible drywall job



## 489537 (Sep 3, 2017)

Hi,

I've had drywall work done last year. It was done by a relative who is a contractor who usually does a nice work but I'm seeing now is inexperienced with doing drywall. Most of it you can't really tell it's bad because of windows and everything blocking the ability to look from an angle at it. However a wall with no windows and sunlight on it, it looks awful. You can see a visible seam every 4 feet. You can see areas of indents from screw holes. It almost brings me to tears looking at it. There's also an area above a doorway with a long vertical crack going up to the ceiling.

What are my options besides having someone come in and redo the drywall? I'd like to actually go over the drywall with something and start fresh. What is popular right now with covering walls besides drywall.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

I'm not a drywall guy so maybe others will give better advice.....

Personally I hate wallpaper. Just more work in the long run. 

Other wall coverings will be a lot of work/expense. The way I'd go is skim 
coat of mud over walls you mentioned. Leave the rest alone. I happen to 
know 2 carpenters who are skilled at this so I'd hire them rather than
drywallers. 

I'd likely have them do the mudding and the priming and do the painting 
myself. Reason for having them do the priming is that that's an opportunity 
for "primer check" where they can see/fix remaining blemishes.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Pictures, we need pictures to advise .

A good drywall finisher uses wider and wider drywall blades to blend out those lines and dents.

Then primer and paint.

Do you prefer paint, wallpaper, or paneling?


ED


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

Why would you not post a picture?? Is is smooth wall or textured? If its smooth wall, you can float another coat on the seams, sand, spot prime, and repaint the wall, and its a done deal. Texture is a little more complicated, but same deal. Might need to skim coat the walls and retexture. 

What sheen is the paint? The shinier it is, the more flaws it show. flat paint might make it a lot less noticable.

You should have had the contractor fix it for no cost. A year later though....

If you want to 'start fresh' its gonna cost a lot more money than simply fixing the bad walls.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

A little hard to say without seeing it but it shouldn't be a big deal to take joint compound to smooth/level everything out, sand, prime and repaint.


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## 489537 (Sep 3, 2017)

I took a picture and there was zero way to even see the seams in the photo. That's why I didn't even bother posting a picture. 

It's a smooth wall, yes. Sheen for paint was eggshell. 

To the person above saying I should have the person fix it for no charge. It was a relative. I didn't want to cause hard feelings in the family. Yes I know it was a mistake. Live and learn definitely applies here. 

I could repaint that wall with flat paint... would that look silly though having one large wall be flat and others eggshell? If not, that would definitely be the easiest option if it would hide the seams.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Flat paint won't highlight the defects in the finish but it won't make them go away. IMO it's best to remud the wall as needed, sand, prime and repaint.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

If you didn’t pay Big money for level 5 you are going to see imperfections wherever light shines across.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

BrandonK393 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've had drywall work done last year. It was done by a relative who is a contractor who usually does a nice work but I'm seeing now is inexperienced with doing drywall. Most of it you can't really tell it's bad because of windows and everything blocking the ability to look from an angle at it. However a wall with no windows and sunlight on it, it looks awful. You can see a visible seam every 4 feet. You can see areas of indents from screw holes. It almost brings me to tears looking at it. There's also an area above a doorway with a long vertical crack going up to the ceiling.
> 
> What are my options besides having someone come in and redo the drywall? I'd like to actually go over the drywall with something and start fresh. What is popular right now with covering walls besides drywall.



Note that the inspection is to be performed after primer but before paint. HO choosing a High sheen paint is not the drywallers problem unless it’s specified in the contract and large sums of money are exchanged.


Method for Inspecting Interior Joint Treated Gypsum Panel Surfaces:

http://www.dwfc.org/wp-content/files/OLD_FILES/Method_for_Inspecting_-_Interior_Wall_Surfaces.pdf


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

The 2 best ways to scrutinize the finish is to eye ball the walls at an angle with a bright light or inspect the wall while the primer is wet/shiny and then remember where to go back and do more work [if needed]


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## 489537 (Sep 3, 2017)

Can someone give their opinion if it would look really bad to have one wall flat paint and the rest eggshell sheen?

I'd gladly pay someone to re-mud the bad areas but then I'm thinking about the fine layer of dust that would go everywhere while they're sanding.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

BrandonK393 said:


> Can someone give their opinion if it would look really bad to have one wall flat paint and the rest eggshell sheen?


Personal tastes vary too much to give any real answer. 

Another method I've seen was to paint the wall with one colour 
and then use a sponge to splotch over that with another shade 
of the same colour. Hides pretty big blemishes but not everyone 
would find that attractive either.


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## 489537 (Sep 3, 2017)

I actually didn't even think of sponge painting and that would actually hide all the imperfections.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

BrandonK393 said:


> Can someone give their opinion if it would look really bad to have one wall flat paint and the rest eggshell sheen?
> 
> I'd gladly pay someone to re-mud the bad areas but then I'm thinking about the fine layer of dust that would go everywhere while they're sanding.



Any good mud person knows (should) know about wet sanding and NOT have a lot of sanding to do when they are done. In the pic, I am wet sanding with a wet towel in our bedroom where I did a large patch after removing plaster that was falling. They make the hand held sponge block wet sanding blocks.


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

I really dont think you should paint the wall flat. Since its a smooth wall, it wont take a lot of effort to float out the bad joints or skim coat the wall and repaint. Call whoever did it, and offer to pay them to fix it. When they realize they didnt do that great of a job to begin with, they might hook you up on it. If it were me, I would at the very least meet you half way, if not for free.

As for sanding, I even have a really cheap shop vac sanding attachment that keeps the dust down to ALMOST nothing. Its a smooth wall, so there wont be that much of a need for sanding. I am not a pro drywaller, but I dont know if wet sanding will cut it on a smooth wall with eggshell paint. Maybe a good guy can do it, IDK. I know I cant.

This is what I use right here. Its dirt cheap, but it does the job reasonably well, and keeps the dust to a bare minimum. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00097D2K4/ref=asc_df_B00097D2K45321912/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00097D2K4&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198070022856&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13701177514887089811&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028309&hvtargid=pla-320293240793

I actually have this one and another one that connects to a pole, but theyre the same thing, really. as little drywall as I do, its all I need.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I often use a wet sponge to smooth out repairs in occupied houses - no dust whatsoever! It does require that the mud be applied neater.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

I have renovated 4 homes in the passed 26 years and my wife and I lived in them while we worked on them. She just about left me after 5 years of having to clean, clean, every thing in the house from microscopic drywall dust... EVERY time I sanded drywall. Even with my plastic sealed over the rooms doors.

There is NO way to stop drywall sanding dust from getting throughout the house, unless a person builds a totally sealed plastic tent around the drywall work area. Even when using a tent, the person doing the drywall repairs needs to taped up in the tent after entering it, as my wife did me. 

Vacuum cleaners and hand held wands ? If the vac does not have a exhaust HEPA filter, then the vac is blowing micorsopic drywall dust, right back out in the room. Run your hand over a glass table top after sanding drywall dust in any part of the home ....a day later.

I think I ruined 3 nice household type canister/uprights so far in 26 years, from sucking up drywall dust. 

So I learned to mud to where little sanding is needed. Wet sanding fits the bill when doing drywall finishing/repairs, in the house one is living in. Happy wife, happy hubby. JMO


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## ClarenceBauer (Mar 4, 2005)

Why not do repairs or new work with NO sanding is required.
I have used the Master of Plaster product for over 20 years never had the need to sand.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

I don't see the major disaster here. Maybe pictures will show otherwise, but it sounds like all the guy did was maybe just tape and the first mud layer. That's typically the level of rocking done in garages around here. The last thing I would do is tear it all out. Do the finish layers o mudding.


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