Drywall & Taping

Drywall is the stage where a renovation starts to look like rooms again, and it is also where small shortcuts become permanent: a ridge over a joint, a corner that wanders, a screw head that shadows through the paint. We hang, tape and finish board for homeowners, landlords turning over units, property managers and general contractors across Toronto and the GTA, on anything from an entire basement to a single ceiling opened up for a plumbing repair.

Which board goes where

Standard gypsum board suits most walls and ceilings. Moisture-resistant board belongs in bathrooms, laundry rooms and other humid spaces, but we don't rely on it as the backing inside a tiled shower: there, tile goes over cement board or a board covered with a waterproof membrane, which is part of our tile installation work rather than drywall. Fire-rated board is used where the building code or the permit drawings call for a fire separation, for example between a secondary suite and the rest of the house. On ceilings, a sag-resistant or thicker board is often the better choice, depending on joist spacing and what will sit above it.

How a wall goes from bare studs to paint-ready

1. Check what we are covering. We look for bowed studs and missing blocking before hanging anything. On permit jobs, no board goes up until the insulation inspection has passed.
2. Hang the board. Sheets are laid out to keep joints to a minimum, with butt ends staggered and kept away from the corners of doors and windows, where cracks tend to start. Screws are set just below the surface without tearing the paper face.
3. Tape and bed. Flat joints and inside corners are taped and bedded in compound; outside corners get metal or paper-faced corner bead.
4. Fill and feather. Successive coats are spread wider each time, and each one dries fully before the next goes on. Temperature and humidity decide how long that takes, which is why a cold basement in January moves more slowly than a heated room in May.
5. Sand and inspect. We sand with the work area sealed off, then check each surface with a work light held low and to the side, which exposes ridges that overhead light hides.

After that the walls are ready for primer and painting. Primer matters more than most people expect: paper and compound absorb paint differently, and skipping it leaves dull stripes over every joint.

Choosing a finish level

Not every wall needs the same treatment. A standard finish, with taped joints and several sanded coats of compound, is right for most rooms painted in flat or matte. Where a long hallway or a wall beside a big window catches strong side light, or you plan an eggshell or glossier sheen, a thin skim coat over the whole surface evens out the difference between paper and compound. It adds labour, so we suggest it where it will visibly pay off rather than everywhere. Utility rooms, storage areas and commercial walls hidden above a drop ceiling can often take a simpler finish, with the joints still taped.

Patches, plaster and older houses

Patching is a different skill from new work. A good patch is cut back to sound material, backed where needed and feathered wide enough to vanish once it is painted. Many older Toronto houses have plaster on wood lath, which is usually thicker than modern drywall, so when we open or replace part of a plaster wall we shim the new board flush with the old surface before blending the joint. A handful of patches can also be folded into a repairs and maintenance visit alongside other small fixes.

Square footage is only the start

A drywall quote begins with the area of board, then adjusts for ceiling height, the number of corners, bulkheads and openings, the finish level you choose, and how the sheets get in: narrow stairs, a third-floor walk-up or a condo loading dock all add handling. Repairs are priced on access and blending, since a patch in the middle of a flat wall is simpler than one that wraps a corner or meets old plaster. Drying conditions and any inspection before boarding set the pace, and we keep you updated if either one shifts the plan.

For a patch, a couple of photos with something in the frame for scale usually lets us describe the repair. For a basement or a full floor, we measure on site and agree the finish level room by room. Tell us what needs hanging, taping or patching; the free written estimate lists each room and repair separately.