Drywall Repair

Drywall repair is a common request and accounts for a significant portion of our business at Elktone Interiors Ltd. As drywall repair is generally performed on a much smaller scale than our commercial drywall or even our residential drywall operations; we operate a separate division dedicated ONLY to drywall repair.

Our drywall repair services are generally priced by the hour as opposed to the square footage pricing matrix employed in our regular drywall installation services. The size of the drywall repair ‘patch’ will be taken into consideration, in addition to the size of the wall that the drywall repair patch is located. The correct way to perform a drywall repair is to “re-skim” the entire wall where the drywall repair patch is located in order to completely eliminate any noticeable ‘join’. For this reason, we also need to price this requirement when estimating any drywall repair work.

If you have drywall repair needs and are looking for a knowledgeable drywall repair specialist, contact Elktone Interiors Ltd today. We usually require a simple photo of the affected area requiring drywall repair and in most case (not all however), we are able to perform a drywall repair estimate via phone/email.

Elktone Interiors Ltd are industry leaders for quality residential drywall and commercial drywall installation, and we take our drywall repair equally as seriously. Our average turnaround time from initial contact to drywall repair completion has been known to be in as little as 24 hours. Call today and let us know how we can help you.

Taping Drywall

Taping drywall is one of the most crucial elements to any successful drywall installation. However, this is one of the most common areas where mistakes are often made. At Elktone Interiors Ltd, we have a preferred process for successful drywall taping which relies on a number of basic factors; All of which, when employed correctly can vastly improve the quality and the performance of a drywall installation.

First and foremost, it is important to install all corner bead prior to taping drywall, and to check that all screws are countersunk (just enough so as NOT to tear the paper however). This is normally achieved by simply running a knife over the surface. At Elktone Interiors Ltd we ensure that all of our drywall is hung and secured with absolute precision in mind. A solid installation is crucial to a quality finish.

"Mud" should be mixed with a sufficient amount of water used to create a "pudding like" texture, which is easy to apply and spread. Enough mud should be used to ensure that no air bubbles are left behind, as these will cause headaches further down the line. Air bubbles are almost always the result of a shortage of compound and "wiping tight". We spread at least 6" of mud across a joint to guarantee successful drywall taping.

When taping drywall, the "butts" should be taped before the recessed joints; this way when taping the recessed joints, you will be covering up the ends of all butt joints. "Detail" work should be taken care of after taping the butts and the recessed joints. Detail work should be described as any areas around electrical outlets, pipes or other or other "cut-outs".

Taping drywall should be completed with an adequate number of coats as it will continue to shrink for months after it is painted – often displaying a well defined valley as a result! Taping drywall should be performed in at LEAST 3 coats, utilizing and 8-10" broad knife for the first two coats, and a 12" for the third. For our level 5 finish, a FOURTH coat of joint compound is applied in TOTALITY, in order to promote the highest level of quality and performance. Please visit our Drywall Level Finishes page for further details.

If you would like further information on taping drywall, please do not hesitate to contact one of our technicians today. We will be only too pleased to discuss our methods of taping drywall, and why Elktone Interiors Ltd is so highly rated within the drywall industry.

Fire rated gypsum drywall

Gypsum is approximately 21 percent by weight chemically combined water which greatly contributes to its effectiveness as a fire resistive barrier. When gypsum drywall is exposed to fire, the water is slowly released as steam, effectively retarding heat transmission.

Fire rated gypsum drywall is more fire resistant because it contains glass fiber reinforcement and other additives within its specially formulated gypsum core to help it hold up longer to a fire exposure.

Fire rated drywall is referred to as “Type X” and must be third-party certified by an independent testing and listing agency such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) to meet the fire performance requirements prescribed in the ASTM C 1396 standard specification for gypsum board products.

Type “X” fire rated gypsum drywall that is 5/8 -inch thick and installed on each side of nominal 2-inch x 4-inch wood studs spaced 16-inch o.c. or 3-5/8 inch steel studs spaced 24” o.c. has a minimum fire rating for the assembly of 1 hour, which is a typical requirement for most building codes.

Type “C” fire rated drywall is similar in composition to Type X, except that it has more glass fiber reinforcement and other ingredients in the gypsum core that makes its fire resistive properties superior to Type X. Type C gypsum board is available in 1/2-inch and 5/8-inch thicknesses.
In residential homes, installation of fire rated drywall is required by state and local building codes on interior and exterior walls near furnaces and utility rooms. Fire rated drywall can also be installed in a basement or other places where a wood stove might be used or around the opening of a fireplace. Fire rated drywall is typically found on garage walls and ceilings that are adjacent to the main living area of the home.
For commercial buildings, fire rated gypsum drywall is specified for most of the building walls and ceilings to meet building code requirements for fire partitions and assemblies. These fire rated partitions and assemblies provide life safety for the buildings occupants.