# ceiling repairs



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

ive been getting lots of requests to repair ceilings of all different types of texture. half business question and half technical.

First on the business end what do you tell customers specifically before you attempt such repair? any verbal guarantees in term of what quality to expect?

Second for the guys who had their own company for some years should i add all texture repairs to my arsenal? i do know a good taper. in your experience does it take a while to have the confidence to blend popcorn, knockdown orange peel on any ceiling?


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

In my opinion, all texture repair is a serious, royal, potentially disastrous pain in the butt. It's time consuming, multiple visits, something doesn't quite work out and you've got more visits.... If you're gonna get into it, charge accordingly. Technically, after 14yrs, I never have the confidence that things are gonna look perfect. A bunch of times it does, but not always.

When I started out on my own, I put drywall repair on my business cards. Shortly thereafter I threw probably around 2900 of those business cards in the recycling bin and ordered a bunch more without that being mentioned.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

I normally turn them down too, unless Im really slow.

One thing to keep in mind though, is the one who does do the repair might snag all the paint work associated with it. Most people would rather just stick to one person. That repair you dont want to do might open some doors for future work. OR, when that established client calls you to do a repair and you turn it down, the one who does it might just take over ALL the painting for that client. 

Food for thought...


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## Gwarel (May 8, 2012)

I'm lucky to know a great drywall guy. He can patch anything and make it look like it never happened. He always makes me look good so I pay him whatever he wants......


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Gwarel said:


> I'm lucky to know a great drywall guy. He can patch anything and make it look like it never happened. He always makes me look good so I pay him whatever he wants......


Thats a good point. Instead of turning it down, sub it out, even if you dont profit. Keeps you in good standing with the client.


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

I'm not the greatest at texture matching but you always get calls from people who have that stress crack running down the ceiling between their living room and dining room. I've always told them I will do the best that I can to make it look good, but can't guarantee how long before it will open up again. I've used mesh tape, paper tape, and a product some of you oldies but goodies, may remember called tough-coat. There was never a guarantee how long it would last, because if the vibration or settlement of the building keeps happening, the only solution might be putting in an expansion joint, which is much more labor intensive.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*Kirk Giordano plastering*



Brushman4 said:


> I'm not the greatest at texture matching but you always get calls from people who have that stress crack running down the ceiling between their living room and dining room. I've always told them I will do the best that I can to make it look good, but can't guarantee how long before it will open up again. I've used mesh tape, paper tape, and a product some of you oldies but goodies, may remember called tough-coat. There was never a guarantee how long it would last, because if the vibration or settlement of the building keeps happening, the only solution might be putting in an expansion joint, which is much more labor intensive.


I recently came across this video by Kirk Giordano. For thin stress cracks in plaster, he just recommends 2 coats (smooshed in with your fingers) latex acrylic caulk because, as he says, the cracks are going to come back sooner or later and there is not much you can do to stop them:






I wonder if they use gold caulk in Japan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

futtyos


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## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

Caulk is a HO fix. If you reinforce the joint with screws so no movement takes place the joint will not crack again.


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## The Cutting Edge (May 25, 2014)

I do drywall cracks and repairs as much as I can. Always some of the best paying jobs I do. If its popcorn, knock down, orange peel, and most stomp textures I can do em. When I was younger we did all aspects of home building except electrical and concrete so I have a lot of time with tape and a mud knife in my hand. Most of the time I'm billing for a full day when I'm only there a couple hours to put a second or third coat on the joints. Most contractors and drywallers around here when they see popcorn ceilings with cracks all over they bid it to scrape all the ceilings, fix the cracks, and apply a new texture. I'm always able to come in and only scrape where the cracks are, tape them, blend in the texture, and paint the ceilings or walls. I can easily beat their price and make good money doing it. One of my proudest jobs this year was for an 86 yr old widow who had 9 cracks throughout her popcorn ceilings. She never left her home. Porter cable drywall sander hooked to my dust extractor and just wet sand the finish. Never had a call back for cracks I've fixed. I have on the other hand fixed all the cracks in a ceiling that I saw and its not until I'm painting the ceilings and when the drywall and texture gets wet from the paint I see one that I missed. Theres good money in it if you can pull it off. But like I said I've spent a lot of years taping and applying textures. I don't know that id want to just start doing it without some experience unless its a small crack on a flat wall.


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## The Cutting Edge (May 25, 2014)

Delta Painting said:


> Caulk is a HO fix. If you reinforce the joint with screws so no movement takes place the joint will not crack again.


Absolutely agree.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*Using screws*



Delta Painting said:


> Caulk is a HO fix. If you reinforce the joint with screws so no movement takes place the joint will not crack again.


I also use screws, both on plaster and drywall. I just thought it was interesting that since Kirk Giordano seems to be the king Tut of plastering on Youtube that he would recommend just caulk for hairline cracks in plaster. Perhaps his being in the San Francisco area, with all its earthquake movements and such, has led him to this practice.

futtyos


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

futtyos said:


> I also use screws, both on plaster and drywall. I just thought it was interesting that since Kirk Giordano seems to be the king Tut of plastering on Youtube that he would recommend just caulk for hairline cracks in plaster. Perhaps his being in the San Francisco area, with all its earthquake movements and such, has led him to this practice.
> 
> futtyos


If using caulk for that purpose why would he use Alex Plus and not an paintable elastomeric like bigstretch? That repair just seems wrong to me. A Bandaid solution.


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

for the guys that use screws where would you sink them? im guessing a few an inch or two off the crack on either side?


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## The Cutting Edge (May 25, 2014)

Vylum said:


> for the guys that use screws where would you sink them? im guessing a few an inch or two off the crack on either side?


An inch or so away from the crack is fine. Just make sure you're under a joist before you're on your 10th hole and you still haven't hit wood.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

If you haven't hit wood, you've done nothing.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*Plaster or drywall?*



Vylum said:


> ive been getting lots of requests to repair ceilings of all different types of texture. half business question and half technical.
> 
> First on the business end what do you tell customers specifically before you attempt such repair? any verbal guarantees in term of what quality to expect?
> 
> Second for the guys who had their own company for some years should i add all texture repairs to my arsenal? i do know a good taper. in your experience does it take a while to have the confidence to blend popcorn, knockdown orange peel on any ceiling?


How much plaster do you come across and how much drywall?

futtyos


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

i dont see much plaster at all


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Vylum said:


> i dont see much plaster at all



It's Vancouver. If you see anything past 1970, you're looking too hard.

Sometime's I miss Vancouver, don't tell my wife.

I'm never going back.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*Hitting wood*



Vylum said:


> i dont see much plaster at all


If you are mostly doing drywall, I would agree with The Cutting Edge. Get yourself a stud finder, then determine how obsessive/compulsive you need to be with how many screws you put within a reasonable proximity of the crack.

futtyos


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

Wildbill7145 said:


> It's Vancouver. If you see anything past 1970, you're looking too hard.
> 
> Sometime's I miss Vancouver, don't tell my wife.
> 
> I'm never going back.


not much plaster in the okanagan. where are you now


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Vylum said:


> not much plaster in the okanagan. where are you now


SW Ontario. For some reason I thought you were in Vancouver. Okanagan's a beautiful area! Incredible mountains. I have friends that live in the Peachland area.


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## The Cutting Edge (May 25, 2014)

Stud finders are for homeowners.
Just like roller pans
 :vs_laugh:


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

*Very well.*



The Cutting Edge said:


> Stud finders are for homeowners.
> Just like roller pans
> :vs_laugh:


As you say.






futtyos


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