Interior house painters tend to love drywall because it’s just so easy to coat. However, when compared to brick, concrete, and metal, drywall is very easy to damage. Scratches, marks, dents, and holes big and small are quite commonplace on this popular surface material. When your drywall gets damaged, what can you do about it? More specifically, what do you do about dents in your wall? Let’s break down the repair process.
What’s the Damage?
Before we get into the details of drywall dent repair, let’s start by delineating the different types of damage so you understand what constitutes a dent. Generally speaking, a dent refers to a gouge in your drywall that doesn’t completely penetrate the surface. When something goes right through the material, this would be called a hole. A dent is also different from a scratch or mark, as these don’t leave a cavity in the drywall.
If you’re wondering why these distinctions matter, it has to do with the drywall repair procedure. The way you repair or touch up a scratch is different than how you fix a dent, which differs from fixing a hole, etc. For instance, a new coat of interior painting should cover up most marks, but more work is required to fix a dent or worse.
Step-by-Step Drywall Dent Repair
Now that we’ve described what a drywall dent is, let’s go over how to fix it. You’ll need some waterproof primer, joint compound, sandpaper, a utility knife, a paintbrush, a putty knife, a dust mask, and paint.
- Prepare the Area
Just as you would with any residential painting task, your first step in repairing a dent is to prepare your workspace for efficiency, safety, and easy cleanup. Move furniture away from or out of the room, lay down drop cloths where you’ll be working, and gather your materials and tools for easy access.
- Score the Dent
Using your utility knife, gently cut around (score) the dented area about an inch away from the dent and remove the piece.
- Sand the Damaged Area
Sand the edges surrounding the cut-away dent area for better surface adherence.
- Apply Waterproof Primer
Next, prime the dented spot with a paintbrush to seal this portion of drywall.
- Apply Joint Compound
Then, with your putty knife, apply a small amount of joint compound to fill the dent. Feather the edges to blend the new compound with the rest of the wall. Let the material dry.
- Sand Once More
The dried compound will probably turn out a bit rough and protrude from the wall, so sand this section down before applying another coat or two of the joint compound.
- Touch Up the Paint Job
Once you have successfully filled in the dent and smoothed over the final coat of compound, it’s time to finish the job with some primer and paint. You want the newly repaired area to look seamless, so be sure to use the same brand, color, and finish as before for the perfect match. If you need help with this step or the repair itself, hire a licensed interior painting contractor that also offers repair services.
Drywall damage is bound to happen, and when it does, repairs are often easy to do on your own. That said, All American Painting Plus is happy to help you every step of the way. To learn more about all that we can do for our clients in Northern Virginia, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!
