That time a homeowner asked me to 'just fix one little hole' and it turned into a 3-day job

Last Tuesday I walked into a house in Phoenix to patch a quarter-sized hole in a bedroom wall. Turns out that hole was connected to a fist-sized hole behind the dresser, and that led to a section of water-damaged mud running all the way down to the baseboard. By day three, I had ripped out a 4x8 sheet and was matching the original knockdown texture from 1987. Has anyone else had a 'quick fix' spiral into a full room redo?

2 comments

2 Comments

alices1623d ago

That homeowner probably thought you were just making up extra work, but 1987 texture is a total nightmare to match. The water damage likely started from a slow leak years ago, which is why it spread so far. At least now that wall is solid for another 30 years, even if it took way longer than planned.

harperwright23d ago

Holy crap, a hole from 1987?! That's insane. I can't believe you had to match texture that old, that's some serious dedication right there. Water damage always hides way more than you think, especially in Phoenix with all that drywall sweat over the years. Man, I would've been so ticked off walking into that, knowing my quick patch turned into a full sheet replacement. Good on you for sticking with it though, that knockdown match is no joke.