Drywall Repair & Surface Prep in Knoxville, TN
The most beautiful paint in the world looks terrible on a bad surface. Nail pops, hairline cracks, patched holes, water stains, peeling paint, and uneven texture — these problems do not disappear under a coat of paint. They get worse. Every flaw telegraphs through the finish, and within months, the paint job looks years old.
At Cutting Edge Painting, surface preparation is not a line item we rush through to get to the painting. It is the foundation of every project. Jesse inspects every surface before quoting and builds prep into the scope from the start. The result is walls and ceilings that are smooth, uniform, and ready to hold paint for years — not months.
Drywall Repairs We Handle
We handle all drywall repairs in-house as part of our painting process. Common repairs include:
- Nail Pops: The most common drywall issue in Knoxville homes, especially newer construction where framing lumber shrinks as it dries. We reset the fastener, dimple the drywall, apply joint compound, sand smooth, and prime.
- Hairline Cracks: Stress cracks at corners, seams, and around door and window frames. We open the crack slightly, apply flexible joint compound or mesh tape, and feather the repair into the surrounding wall.
- Small Holes: Holes from anchors, screws, and picture hangers. We fill with lightweight spackle, sand flush, and prime for a seamless repair.
- Medium Patches (up to 12 inches): Holes from doorknobs, plumbing access, electrical work, or accidental damage. We cut a clean opening, install a drywall patch with mesh or California patch technique, tape, mud, sand, and texture-match.
- Large Patches & Sheet Replacement: For water-damaged areas, mold remediation cutouts, or renovation demo. We install new drywall, tape all seams, apply three coats of joint compound, sand, prime, and match the existing wall texture.
- Ceiling Repairs: Sagging tape joints, water stain rings, popcorn texture damage, and cracking. Ceiling repairs are especially visible and require careful feathering to blend invisibly.
Surface Prep Before Painting
Beyond drywall repair, proper surface preparation includes:
- Cleaning: Walls are wiped down or washed to remove dust, cobwebs, grease, and nicotine film. Kitchen and bathroom walls often have a residue buildup that prevents adhesion if not addressed.
- Sanding: Glossy surfaces, previous drips, and rough patches are sanded smooth. We sand with 150–220 grit depending on the surface and existing coating.
- Scraping: Peeling and flaking paint is scraped back to a sound edge, then feathered with sandpaper so the transition is invisible under the new coat.
- Caulking: Gaps between trim and walls, around window casings, and at ceiling lines are caulked with paintable, flexible caulk. This single step makes the biggest visual difference in most rooms.
- Priming: We prime all repairs, bare surfaces, stains, and problem areas. The right primer depends on the issue: shellac-based for water stains and tannin bleed, bonding primer for glossy surfaces, PVA primer for new drywall, and stain-blocking primer for smoke and nicotine damage.
Texture Matching
Knoxville homes have a wide range of wall textures — smooth, orange peel, knockdown, skip trowel, and popcorn (on ceilings). When we repair drywall, we do not just patch and paint. We match the existing texture so the repair is invisible. This requires skill, the right tools, and patience — spraying test patches on cardboard, adjusting nozzle settings, and sometimes hand-applying texture for the most accurate match.
Water Damage & Stain Blocking
Water stains are one of the most common issues we address in Knoxville homes. Roof leaks, plumbing failures, condensation, and ice dam damage all leave yellow-brown rings on ceilings and walls. Painting over a water stain with regular primer will not block it — the stain bleeds through within days. We use shellac-based primers like Zinsser BIN or Kilz Original to permanently seal water stains, smoke damage, and tannin bleed before applying topcoats.
Products We Use for Prep & Repair
- Zinsser BIN Shellac Primer: The gold standard for sealing water stains, smoke damage, and tannin bleed. Dries in minutes, blocks virtually any stain, and provides an excellent base for topcoats.
- Sherwin-Williams PVA Primer: For new drywall and patched areas. Seals the porous surface uniformly so the topcoat looks even.
- Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond Primer: For glossy surfaces, tile, laminate, and other hard-to-adhere substrates.
- DAP DryDex / USG All Purpose Joint Compound: For filling, taping, and finishing drywall seams and repairs.
- DAP Alex Flex Caulk: Paintable, flexible, and durable caulk for all interior trim-to-wall joints.
