01Before & after

Before, and after.

The Drywall Repair Co.'s gallery shows real before-and-after drywall repairs from homes around the Portland metro. It covers holes, cracks, water-damaged ceilings, and texture matching. Each repair was taped, skimmed, textured to match, and painted until you can't see it. The photos show each wall before and after, so you can judge the work yourself.

Every pair here is a real job from the Portland area. We photograph the finished work because we're proud of it. Try to find the patch in each after photo. If you can't, the repair was done right.

02 The format

How to read these pairs

Each before-and-after pair has three short notes:

What was wrongThe damage as we found it.
What we didThe repair, in one plain line.
What you can't see nowWhere the patch is in the finished wall, and why you can't find it.

We note the neighborhood or quadrant where we have it. We never show addresses or names.

03 Proof

Drywall repair

Holes, cracks, nail pops, and old patches that never blended in, repaired so the wall looks like one even surface again. This is most of our everyday work, and it's what we're named for. See the full drywall repair service for how the five-pass process works.

The same window wall closed up, textured, and painted

Wall above a wide window opened up to the header and framing

What was wrong: The wall above a large window was cut open down to the framing.
What we did: We hung new drywall, taped it, matched the wall texture, and painted.
What you can’t see now: The seam between the new drywall and the old wall.

Drag the seam to compare.

The same wall and soffit hung, taped, and finished

Wall and soffit beside an office window cut open to the studs and insulation

What was wrong: The wall and soffit beside an office window were cut open to the studs.
What we did: We hung new drywall and blended it into the existing wall and the soffit corner.
What you can’t see now: Where the opening was. The corner and soffit edge look like they were never cut.

Drag the seam to compare.

04 Proof

Ceiling repair

Ceiling cracks, sags, and stains repaired so the ceiling is flat and even again. Read more on ceiling repair, including when a spot repair is enough and when it isn't.

The same ceiling patched and textured to match

Rectangular section of ceiling cut out, with joists and insulation showing above

What was wrong: A section of the ceiling was cut out, leaving the joists and insulation exposed.
What we did: We patched the opening, taped it, and matched the ceiling texture.
What you can’t see now: The outline of the patch. There is no ridge at the edges.

Drag the seam to compare.

05 Proof

Water damage

Once the leak is fixed, we cut out the stained or soft drywall, make sure the area is dry, put in new board, and refinish it. This is the finish work in water damage repair, the part that makes the room look the way it did before the leak.

The ceiling around the vent retextured and painted, with no stain left

Peeling paint and stained texture around a bathroom ceiling vent

What was wrong: Moisture around a bathroom vent stained the ceiling and made the paint peel.
What we did: We scraped off the loose texture, primed, retextured, and painted.
What you can’t see now: The stain and the peeling paint. The new texture meets the vent cleanly.

Drag the seam to compare.

06 Proof

Texture matching

A new patch only disappears if its texture matches the wall around it. We blend each patch into the orange peel, knockdown, or hand-troweled texture that's already there. This is what texture matching looks like up close.

The closet wall closed up and textured to match, shelving back in place

Closet wall opened behind wire shelving to reach the plumbing

What was wrong: A closet wall behind the wire shelves was cut open to get to the plumbing.
What we did: We closed the wall, matched the closet texture, and put the shelves back.
What you can’t see now: The patch. The wall behind the shelves matches the rest of the closet.

Drag the seam to compare.

The ceiling patch textured to match, shown before paint

Hole in a textured ceiling with loose-fill insulation showing

What was wrong: A hole in a textured ceiling, with insulation showing through.
What we did: We patched the hole and matched the ceiling texture. This photo was taken before paint.
What you can’t see now: The edge of the patch. The texture already runs across it, and paint comes next.

Drag the seam to compare.

07 Proof

Drywall installation

New walls and ceilings hung, taped, and finished for remodels and additions. Our drywall installation work takes a room from bare framing to walls that are ready for paint.

The same corridor with walls hung, finished, and painted white

Commercial corridor with plywood on the walls before drywall

What was wrong: A commercial hallway had its ceiling in, but the walls were still bare plywood.
What we did: We hung, taped, finished, and painted the walls the full length of the hallway.
What you can’t see now: Seams along the long walls, even under recessed lights that show every flaw.

Drag the seam to compare.

A finished bedroom with smooth walls and ceiling, ready for paint

Room in an older house open to the studs, sheathing, and ceiling insulation

What was wrong: A room in an older house was stripped down to the studs.
What we did: We hung drywall on the walls and ceiling, taped it, and finished it smooth.
What you can’t see now: The joints between sheets, on the walls or the ceiling.

Drag the seam to compare.

08 Proof

Garage and basement

Garages and basements taken from bare studs to finished drywall, with the fire separation code requires where the garage meets the house. See garage and basement drywall for what code requires.

The same garage with new drywall on the walls and ceiling

Garage wall and ceiling open to the framing and joists

What was wrong: The garage had no drywall. The ceiling joists and wall studs were bare.
What we did: We hung drywall on the walls and ceiling, then taped and coated it.
What you can’t see now: The bare framing. The garage looks like a finished room now.

Drag the seam to compare.

09 Proof

Plaster repair

Damaged sections of older plaster walls rebuilt and finished flush with the plaster around them. More on plaster repair.

The same wall rebuilt and painted around the window

Plaster wall around a window broken out down to the wood lath

What was wrong: The plaster around a window had broken away down to the wood lath.
What we did: We rebuilt the wall, finished it to match the original plaster, and painted.
What you can’t see now: Where the old plaster ends and the new wall starts.

Drag the seam to compare.

10 Proof

Popcorn ceilings

Old popcorn ceilings covered with a smooth overlay instead of scraped off. See how popcorn ceiling encapsulation gives a room a flat ceiling without disturbing the old texture.

The same ceiling made smooth and painted white

Living room ceiling covered in yellowed popcorn texture

What was wrong: The living room ceiling had old popcorn texture, yellowed with age.
What we did: The texture tested negative for asbestos. We skim-coated over it, sanded it flat, primed, and painted.
What you can’t see now: The popcorn. The ceiling is flat and smooth from wall to wall.

Drag the seam to compare.

11 Free estimate

Want your wall in the after column?

Send photos of the damage with your ZIP code and get a written estimate within one business day. Prefer to talk? Call (503) 565-9255.

Get a free estimate