It’s a common enough sight in most modern homes and the cause of much frustration. Drywall is inexpensive, easy to insulate, and easy to repair, which is why it’s so popular. However, it’s also a relatively weak type of wall, meaning that it can get damaged pretty easily. If you’re new to a drywall home or you’ve damaged those walls before and want to make sure it doesn’t happen again, here are a few tips to bear in mind.
Avoid Letting Things Bump Into the Wall Too Hard
Drywall is relatively brittle, enough so that bumping anything into it with enough force can be all you need to knock a hole in it, or kick it. Try to be more aware of not bumping into it and, with doors, make sure you’re using the right door stoppers as shown at Home Designing to prevent them from being opened right into the wall, causing the handle to leave a hole.
Be Aware of Where You Place Your Furniture
Just as a lot of force in one impact can damage the wall, so too can a little force over and over again. This can include, for instance, furniture bumping repeatedly against the wall. You want to prevent this by making sure that all furniture in the room is spaced out a little bit from the walls with rubber stops to keep them from moving back.
Be Mindful of How You Hang Things On Drywall
You can hang objects, even heavy ones, correctly from drywall without them having to cause any damage. However, you must make sure you have the appropriate wall anchor. As you see from the photo above, even if you use wall anchors, if they are not strong enough to hold up the object, it can still cause damage. For that reason, check out this wall anchor advice from The Art of Doing Stuff. It looks at molly threads and other better anchors to use to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Keep An Eye Out for Any Signs of Leaks
Drywall is particularly susceptible to water damage. As such, if there is any water coming in from a leaky roof or due to damaged pipes, it can start to cause expensive damage very quickly. Look at these tips for spotting leaks from Plumbing Supply and act on any as soon as you can. Any water damage can quickly get expensive, not to mention increase the risk of unhealthy mold in the home.
Watch Out for Termites and Other Pests
Lastly, termites are attracted to drywall and will chew away at it to destroy the underlying structure in no time. Drywall can also serve as a good home for small pests, especially if you have a moisture or damp problem you haven’t solved. Look out for the signs of pests in the drywall. If you spot pinpoint holes in the wall, knock on it. If it sounds hollow in comparison to other parts of the wall, pests are likely the issue.
The tips above will help you avoid the most common causes drywall damage, be they not securing an object properly, water damage, or even things like bumping into the wall too hard.
