Drywall Repair in Kamas, UT: Ramblers, Split-Levels, Paneling, Basements & Wood Stove Walls

Drywall Patching · Kamas, UT

Drywall in our home town

Kamas is where we're based, so we see a lot of its walls. Most of the older housing in town went up between the 1950s and the 1980s: brick and frame ramblers, split-levels with a half-buried lower floor, and homes that have been added onto two or three times. Around the edges of town and out toward Francis and Marion, newer subdivisions have filled in, and lots of families have finished a basement or turned the garage side of the house into living space over the years. Kamas sits around 6,500 feet, gets real winters, and most homes heat with a furnace, a wood stove or both. All of that shows up in the drywall.

When the paneling comes down

Dark wood paneling was everywhere in Kamas living rooms, basements and dens in the 1970s. Lots of owners are pulling it off now, and what's behind it varies a lot. Sometimes there's decent drywall underneath, just pocked with nail holes and glue blobs. Sometimes the paneling was nailed straight to the studs and there's nothing behind it. Sometimes it's a thin, unfinished layer that was never taped.

We look at what's there before recommending anything. Glue spots and small damage can be scraped, skimmed and primed. Wall that's badly torn up or missing gets new drywall, taped and finished to match the rest of the room. Where paneling stays in part of the room, we make a clean transition at a corner or with trim so it looks intentional. Because these walls are older, if you're planning to sand old joint compound or disturb textured ceilings from before the 1980s, have it tested for asbestos first. Old trim paint can contain lead, too.

Wood stoves: soot and heat cracks

Plenty of Kamas homes still run a wood stove through the winter, and the walls and ceiling around it tell the story. Fine soot drifts up and settles as gray shadows on the ceiling, above doorways and in lines where the framing sits behind the drywall. Heat cycling around the stove pipe and chimney chase opens cracks along tape seams and at the ceiling.

Soot: We remove loose soot with a dry soot sponge first. Washing it with water smears it into the paint. Then we prime with a stain-blocking primer so it doesn't bleed through the new paint.
Heat cracks: We re-tape and finish cracked seams and use the right materials so the repair can handle temperature swings.
Clearances: We don't change the clearance between a stove, pipe or chimney and the wall, and we don't add heat shields. That's work for a stove installer or chimney sweep. If heavy soot keeps coming back, have the stove, pipe and chimney checked before we repaint.

Split-level basements and lower floors

Kamas split-levels and ramblers often have a lower floor that sits partly below grade. Snowmelt piles up against the foundation every spring, and on the valley floor the water table can rise during runoff. If drywall at the bottom of a basement wall is stained, crumbling or smells musty, the water has to be dealt with first. That might be grading, a downspout extension, a window well cover or a waterproofing contractor. Any mold goes to a mold remediation company. Once it's dry, we cut out the damaged section, leave a small gap above the slab so it won't wick water again, patch, prime and reinstall baseboard. Our guide to basement moisture before finishing walks through what to check.

Mudrooms, entries and garage walls

In a town where people ski, hunt, fish and haul firewood, the back entry takes a beating. We patch holes from boot trays, ski edges and door handles, add corner guards and touch up the paint. On the wall between an attached garage and the house, the drywall is usually there for fire protection, often a thicker fire-rated board. We patch it with the same type of board and keep it continuous. We don't cut openings or leave holes in that wall.

Water stains after ice dams and frozen pipes

Older Kamas roofs with low slopes and limited attic insulation are prone to ice dams, and cabins up the canyon sometimes come back from a cold snap with a burst pipe. Once a roofer or plumber has fixed the source and the area is dry, we cut out damaged drywall, replace it, match the texture and prime stains so they don't come back.

Nearby

In Kamas we also do TV mounting, door repair and snow-season prep. For drywall elsewhere, see Heber City, Park City and Jeremy Ranch and Kimball Junction. We also work in Francis, Marion and Samak.

Book in Kamas

Call or text (435) 321-2591 with your neighborhood, a short description and a photo or two. You can also message us on Instagram at @kamasvalleyhandyman. Got other small jobs around the house? Send the whole list so we can plan one visit.

Call or text (435) 321-2591 Message us on Instagram

Drywall repair in Kamas: FAQ

What's behind the wood paneling in my Kamas home?

It varies. Sometimes there's usable drywall with nail holes and glue spots, sometimes bare studs, and sometimes thin untaped board. We look first, then skim and patch or hang new drywall to match the room.

Can you clean up wood stove soot on my walls and ceiling?

Yes. We remove loose soot with a dry soot sponge, then use a stain-blocking primer before painting. If soot keeps coming back, have the stove, pipe and chimney checked first.

Can you fix the crumbling drywall at the bottom of my basement wall?

Yes, once the water is dealt with and the wall is dry. We cut out the damaged section, leave a small gap above the slab, patch, prime and reinstall baseboard. Any mold goes to a remediation company.

Do I need to test my walls before you patch them?

In homes from before the 1980s, it is smart to test textured ceilings and old joint compound for asbestos before sanding or cutting large areas. Old trim paint may contain lead.

How do I book drywall repair in Kamas?

Call or text (435) 321-2591, or message @kamasvalleyhandyman on Instagram, with your street area, roughly when the home was built and photos of the damage.

We focus on general handyman work and are not a licensed electrical, plumbing or general contracting company. For jobs that need a licensed trade, we'll tell you upfront and point you in the right direction.

Drywall repair in Kamas