Drywall repair and painting · Kelowna, BC
Drywall Repair and Painting in Kelowna
A drywall patch that shows through the paint is usually a hand-off problem: one trade fills the hole, another paints over it weeks later, and nobody owns the result. Pacific Painting Kelowna does both halves of the job, so the person who mixes the compound is also responsible for how the wall looks once the paint is dry. We have been repairing and repainting walls and ceilings in Okanagan homes for more than 15 years.
Our drywall repair work covers doorknob holes, popped nails and screws, settlement and truss cracks, lifting tape, dented corner bead and water-stained board left behind after a leak. Homeowners call us after a renovation, a move or a plumbing repair, and property managers call between tenants when a suite needs fixing and painting in one booking. General contractors also hand us their touch-up lists before a final walkthrough.
We match the existing texture, prime every repair and paint out to a natural break such as a corner, so there is no halo around the patch. Our crews are licensed, insured and covered by WorkSafeBC, and repairs we paint fall under our written 1-year labour warranty. Clear photos of the damage are often enough for a ballpark price before anyone visits.
Repairs We Handle
Most drywall damage falls into a handful of types, and each one needs a different fix. Treating a moving crack like a hole is why so many patches fail.
- Holes and dents. Doorknob holes get a backed patch or a new piece of board, and small dents and anchor holes are filled and sanded.
- Failed tape. Bubbled or lifting joint tape is cut out and re-bedded in fresh compound.
- Corner bead. Dented or cracked metal and paper-faced corner bead is replaced, which is common in busy hallways.
Nail Pops and Settlement Cracks
Framing lumber keeps drying for a year or two after a house is built, and as it shrinks, nails push out through the board. It is one of the most common calls we get from newer neighbourhoods such as Wilden, Kettle Valley and Shannon Lake.
We drive a drywall screw beside each pop to pull the board tight, set or remove the nail, then fill and prime. Cracks at door and window corners are opened up and re-taped rather than just filled.
Water-Damaged Drywall
The leak gets found and fixed first, by a plumber or roofer if needed. We check the board with a moisture meter, because painting a damp wall traps the problem behind fresh paint.
Soft or crumbling board is cut out and replaced, taped and finished. Stains on sound board are sealed with a shellac or oil-based primer before the finish coat.
Texture Matching
A smooth patch on a textured wall stands out as clearly as a hole. We match orange peel with a hopper gun or spray texture, and knock-down by spattering compound and flattening it with a knife.
Smooth walls get thin skim coats and fine sanding until the patch disappears in side light.
Why Patches Show Through Paint
Most visible patches were filled perfectly well. They show because of what happened between the compound drying and the final coat.
- Flashing. Bare compound soaks up paint differently from painted wall, so the patch dries duller or shinier. A coat of primer over every repair evens it out.
- Sanding halos. Sanding past the patch scuffs the surrounding paper and paint, leaving a fuzzy ring. We feather the compound wide and sand only the mud.
- Ridges and humps. A patch built too thick or too narrow casts a shadow when light hits the wall from the side. Wide, thin coats keep it flat.
- Faded touch-up paint. Paint on the wall has aged for years, so even the right colour from the old can looks slightly off.
That last point is why we paint the full wall, corner to corner, after a repair. Dabbing paint just over the patch nearly always leaves a visible square.
From Damaged Wall to Finished Coat
Most drywall repairs take two visits, because compound needs time to dry between coats. This is how a typical repair runs.
Protect and open up
Floors and furniture are covered, the damaged area is cut back to sound board and loose tape is removed.
Patch and tape
New board or a backed patch goes in, joints are taped, and the first coat goes on, often in a setting compound such as Sheetrock Easy Sand.
Fill and feather
Second and third coats are spread wider and thinner, then sanded smooth with a sanding sponge or pole sander.
Texture and prime
Texture is matched to the wall, and the repair is primed with a drywall primer or a stain blocker.
Paint to a break
The wall or ceiling is painted to the nearest corner or edge so the repair blends in completely.
If the room is due for a refresh anyway, adding the repair to an interior painting job costs less than booking it on its own.
Pre-1990 Homes: Drywall Compound and Hazmat Surveys
Plenty of Kelowna homes in Rutland, Glenmore and the Lower Mission were built before 1990. That date matters before anyone sands a wall.
Drywall joint compound, sprayed ceiling textures and some plaster made before 1990 can contain asbestos. Cutting or sanding them puts fibres in the air, and you cannot tell by looking.
WorkSafeBC requires a hazardous materials survey before renovation work that could disturb these materials in buildings built before 1990. If the survey finds asbestos, a licensed abatement contractor has to remove or contain it before we start.
For a small repair, we will tell you up front whether testing is needed and help you arrange it. Our guide to pre-1990 homes and hazardous materials covers testing, costs and lead paint in more detail, and WorkSafeBC's asbestos page sets out the rules.
Drywall Repair Pricing
Drywall repairs are priced by the job after we see the damage, in person or in photos. Paint, compound, tape and primer are included.
| Type of job | Typical range | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Small patch added to a painting job | $75 to $250 each | Fill, sand, texture and prime, painted with the room |
| Standalone repair visit | $350 to $900 | Repairs, drying time, return visit and repaint to a break |
| Water damage or large sections | Quoted after inspection | Board replacement, stain blocking and painting |
Even a single doorknob hole needs at least two trips, drying time between coats, and paint for the whole wall. That is why a standalone visit has a minimum, and why several small repairs cost less per patch when they are done together.
Gathering every ding and crack in the house into one booking, or adding them to a repaint, is the best value. See our painting costs in Kelowna for room-by-room painting prices.
Drywall Repair FAQs
Can you repair drywall and paint the same day?
Sometimes, for small dents and nail holes, using quick-setting compound and a fast-drying primer. Larger patches need two or three coats of compound, and premixed compound can take a day per coat in cool weather. Most repairs therefore take two visits, with painting on the second.
Do you fix ceiling cracks?
Yes. A crack where the ceiling meets an interior wall that appears every winter is usually truss uplift, and it needs a flexible caulk rather than more tape. Cracks across the middle of a ceiling are re-taped, and our ceiling painting service finishes the whole surface.
Do you repair drywall for landlords between tenants?
Yes. Turnover repairs such as anchor holes, door-stop dents and scuffed corners are a big part of our drywall work, and we usually patch and repaint the suite in one booking.
Will I be able to see the patch?
Not if it is primed, textured to match and painted to a corner. A small touch-up painted only over the patch can show, especially on older paint or in strong side light. We will tell you honestly if a full-wall repaint is needed to hide it.
Do you fix the leak behind water damage?
No, we are painters, not plumbers or roofers. Once the leak is fixed and the area has dried out, we replace the damaged board, seal the stain and repaint.
Keep exploring
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Read moreInterior Painting
Repairs blend best when the whole room is repainted afterwards.
Read morePre-1990 Homes and Asbestos
Why older joint compound must be tested before anyone sands it.
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Walls torn up by old wallpaper get skim coated and repaired the same way.
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Every home painting service we offer, from interior walls and cabinets to stucco, decks and garage floors.
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15+ years · WCB coverage · 1-year labour warranty
Book a Drywall Repair
Email photos of the damage to info@pacificpaintingbc.com, call 778-946-5725 or use the form below. We will tell you what the repair needs and send a written, itemised quote, usually within one business day.
- 15+ years experience
- Licensed & insured
- WCB coverage
- 1-year labour warranty
Mon to Fri 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. · Sat 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. · Sun 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Or call 778-946-5725 or email info@pacificpaintingbc.com.