Sheetrock Repair: Fixing a Hole

Darn it! No vacation this year. With the housing market in a slump, gas prices driving up and a market that's busier than an elevator it's no wonder the annual family getaway is in limbo. Instead of bobbing about on the ocean or sightseeing in an exotic city my wife wasted no time in bridging the downtime with a honey-do list that propelled my resume from writer, to electrician, plumber, builder, landscaper, car mechanic and interior decorator. I have a disdain for these lists because they never have a chance of being completed. I think she overpopulates the chores in the hope that if I complete 50% of the tasks she'll be satisfied.

The hole in the family room ceiling is high on the list. The problem occurred about a year ago when I was trying to fix a shower faucet in the master-bedroom. I thought my plumbing expertise had improved until a water bubble the size of a cows' udder threatened to drown us all. Water had leaked from a tiny pipe hidden behind the wall. I popped the bubble and cut away the sheet rock and told my wife I can fix this. "No way," she said. "We'll get an expert." My sheet rock proficiency was less than my plumbing ability according to her. With quotes of around $300.00 to $400.00 the 2 foot by 2 foot orifice became part of the furnishings for the next year. She was waiting for me to gain confidence.

So when I got the honey do list and the ceiling crater was at the number one spot I realized my wife had had a leap of faith, and if I was to do a great job then it would take the rest of my vacation to complete it. I hurriedly hit the Internet, read books, contacted friends and neighbors in an attempt to prove myself worthy of the title; amateur sheet-rocker.

I love the Home Depot; such nice things to look at. My wife and I were sitting on chairs belonging to a patio set on display. Hey I was on vacation - I had to keep reminding myself - and the chairs were very comfortable. I looked into my wife's eye and suggested we head down by the 2 X 4's for a little recreational bliss. "Get out of here," she said, and I followed her to gather supplies for the project.

Cutting and installing the sheet-rock to fill the hole was the easy part; it's the finishing that's the most important. It's the finishing that people see and in past jobs my finishing prowess looked like a bumpy road. According to experts finishing requires patience; lots of patience. A good job takes four steps requiring four days.

1) Tape Coat: This process embeds the joint tape into the seams on wall and corners.

2) Fill Coat: The true start of getting a smooth finish. Designed to cover up the tape and nail impressions so they become invisible.

3) Finish Coat: The most important of coat of all. Feathering the edges and applying the final skim coat.

4) Sanding & Priming: Clean and prepare for painting.

I found the instructions on the Hometime website were the easiest to follow and my job received the WSOA (Wife's Seal of Approval) designation. Not a bump or a hollow to be seen.

Next on the honey-do list! Unclog the waste-disposal. I called a plumber.