Newer homes around Fargo get nail pops and corner cracks as the framing dries through its first heating seasons. Older homes have cracked plaster and stains from ice dam leaks. We repair the surface, match the texture, prime the patches and paint the whole wall so the repair does not show.
Two kinds of wall damage come up again and again around Fargo. In newer houses to the south and in West Fargo, the framing lumber dries out over its first winters of furnace heat, and screws pop and corner joints crack. In older houses, snow on the roof can melt and refreeze at the eaves, and the backed up water stains ceilings and softens the board below. Then there are the everyday ones: door handle holes, old anchor holes and dents from moving day.
Small holes are filled and sanded. Larger ones are cut square, backed, patched with new board, taped and coated with joint compound in several thin layers, each one wider than the last so the edge disappears. Popped screws are reset and covered. Cracks are taped so they do not open again. Then we match the texture, whether it is smooth, orange peel or knockdown. Every patch is primed, because bare compound soaks up paint and shows as a dull spot.
For a repair that does not show, expect us to paint the whole wall or ceiling from corner to corner. Touching up only the patch rarely matches aged paint. With a water stain, the leak has to be fixed first or the mark returns, and the stain gets a blocking primer. One local rule: the City of Fargo lists sheetrock work among projects that need a permit, so for larger jobs ask the Inspections department. Painted surfaces from before 1978 are handled with lead in mind.
Drywall repair in Fargo: common questions
Why do nail pops keep appearing in my new house?
New framing dries and shrinks during its first heating seasons, and the fasteners push out. It usually slows once the lumber has dried. We reset them, cover them and repaint.
Can you match my wall texture?
In most cases, yes. We test the match on the patch before painting. Very old or hand applied textures are harder, and we tell you if a whole wall should be redone.
There is a brown stain on my ceiling. Can you just paint over it?
Not with wall paint alone. The source of the water has to be fixed, the board checked, and the stain sealed with a stain blocking primer first.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.