A homeowner will have many responsibilities for his or her property, such as getting repairs done for malfunctioning or worn out utilities. The pipes may leak, the air conditioning might wear out, or the roof might start leaking. One area of home repair that newer homeowners may not expect is fixing their drywall, and drywall power tools might be needed to fix a damaged patch of drywall. In fact, professional-grade drywall power tools may be used by highly skilled homeowners, but not everyone has access to professional-grade drywall power tools or the expertise to use them. Instead, drywall installation can be done with professional-grade drywall power tools when contractors are hired for the job. These professionals might even install an access panel right into the drywall, or they may simply remove a damaged section of the wall and put in a new one. Adhesives may be used to seal in the new section of wall seamlessly, finishing the job. Why might a homeowner need their drywall repaired, or have an access panel built into it? What could go wrong with a simple wall?

Drywall Issues

Newer homeowners are advised to learn about the hazards of drywall damage, or the maintenance issue that take place behind the wall. Water is one such hazard. For example, if a pipe behind the wall is leaking, or if the attic is leaking and rain water gets in, this can spell trouble for the drywall in the affected area. Water can quickly degrade drywall and cause it to sag, peel, and certainly look ugly. Once a drywall is suffering water damage, this will be immediately apparent to anyone who sees it, but repairs might be too advanced for some homeowners.

In other cases, the issue is what’s behind the wall. Often, insulation is the issue. A proper house will have enough insulation in its walls and attic (such as spray foam insulation) to keep in warm air during winter and trap cool air during summer. But if the home’s insulation is worn out or absent, this can disrupt climate control and overwork the heating and cooling system. After all, if a home keeps leaking cooled or warmed air, the HVAC system is overworked trying to compensate, and that drives up the electric bill the entire time. This can get expensive in a hurry. And as mentioned earlier, pipes behind the drywall might rust out or spring a leak, or electrical wires may get damaged. Sometimes, intruding rats, mice, or squirrels might chew those wires, and they need repairs.

Drywall Fixes

If someone’s drywall is damaged with water or termites, or if the insulation or utilities behind the drywall are damaged, it’s time to get to work right away. More skilled homeowners will know how to cut out the damaged section of drywall and replace it, while other homeowners can instead look up local drywall contractors and hire a small team to take care of this. Best of all, contractors have professional-grade drywall power tools and the skills to use them, and a good crew can handle any drywall problem.

It should be noted that water stains in drywall don’t mean tearing down the entire wall. Instead, contractors will cut out the affected area, such as making a square, and just removing that part. A new section of drywall can be fitted into place, and adhesive can be used to seal it seamlessly into place, good as new.

In other cases, access panels may be created. What does this mean? An access panel is a section of the drywall that is like a hatch, and it can be opened and closed at will. This gives the homeowner access to anything behind the drywall, and this may be helpful for reaching pipes, wires, or insulation. Contractors can install such panels for the homeowner to use at will, and this prevents the need to keep cutting out drywall and replacing it in order to reach the utilities behind it. Drywall can also be cut away so that spray foam can be applied, and then the access panel can be shut again. This is much more practical than sealing up the hole, then cutting a new one once a utility breaks down again.