Holes
Nail and anchor holes, dents, and the holes left when something came off the wall: patched and sanded smooth.
Drywall repair in Memphis.
Dario’s Painting repairs the walls before it paints them: holes, cracks, water stains and old patchwork, patched and blended, then primed and painted as part of your interior job. Dario, the owner, writes every estimate and is on every job, and the crews speak English and Spanish.
- Free written estimates
- Licensed & insured
- Crews speak English & Spanish
Short answer
Dario’s Painting fixes holes, cracks, water stains and old patchwork as part of an interior painting job: patch, blend, prime, then two coats of paint. A water stain needs its leak repaired first, because a stain-blocking primer covers a stain but does not stop water. Every repair is written into the free estimate, so you see it before you agree to anything. Estimate visits are on weekdays from 11:30 to 1:30 and on Saturdays from 7am to 6pm.
What’s included
Holes, cracks, stains and old patches, fixed before the paint.
Holes, cracks, water stains and old patchwork are fixed and blended before a drop of paint goes on, and the repair is written into the estimate.
Cracks
Hairline cracks from settling and seasonal movement, filled and blended. If a crack looks like more than a patch can fix, Dario tells you at the visit.
Water stains
Once the leak is fixed and the area is dry, the stain is sealed with a stain-blocking primer so it does not bleed through the paint.
Old patchwork
Earlier repairs that show through the paint: ridges, flat spots and patches with a different texture, blended into the wall around them.
Texture
Where the wall has a texture, such as orange peel or knockdown, the repair is blended into it.
Primed and painted
Every patch is primed, then the wall gets two coats of premium paint. Floors are covered, furniture moved and wrapped, and the room put back each evening.
How it goes
From the first visit to the final walkthrough.
The visit
Dario walks the rooms with you, measures them, and checks the walls for cracks, stains and old patches. Anything that will cost more later if it is skipped now, he tells you about.
The estimate
A written quote: surfaces, prep, coats, paint and days, line by line, with a start day and an end day. Each repair is written into it. It is free, it carries no obligation, and it is yours to keep.
Patch
Furniture moved and wrapped, floors covered, edges masked. Holes and cracks are filled or patched, then sanded smooth.
Blend and prime
Where the wall has a texture, the repair is blended into it. Patches are primed so they do not show through the finish.
Paint
Two coats of Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore, over primer where the surface needs it. Tools are packed out and the room is put back each evening, not on the last day.
The walkthrough
You walk the finished rooms with Dario and point at anything that is not right. It is fixed before the job is called done.
Patch → blend → prime → two coats. USG’s instructions for patching holes, cracks and popped nails all end the same way: sand and prime when dry. Want the whole room done? See interior painting or trim, door and baseboard painting, and how a job goes.
Water stains
Water stains: fix the leak first, then block the stain.
A stain is a record of water that got in. Paint does not stop water.
Sherwin-Williams’ steps for a water stain begin before any primer: find and repair the source of the water, repair any excessively damaged wood, plaster or drywall, and remove peeling paint. Only then is the stained area sealed with a primer designed to “hold out” water stains.
Fix the leak → dry the area → repair the damage → stain-blocking primer → two coats.
- Seal before you paint. Sherwin-Williams says stains must be sealed before topcoating. USG, which makes Sheetrock joint compound, says old stains can photograph through when an area is retextured, and recommends a stain blocker, primer and sealer to prevent it.
- Act fast on wet drywall. EPA says materials dried within 24 to 48 hours of a leak or spill usually do not grow mold.
- Never paint over mold. EPA says to clean up the mold and dry the surface first, because paint over moldy surfaces is likely to peel.
- Damage beyond a patch. Sherwin-Williams says excessively damaged drywall may need to be replaced. Dario tells you what he finds at the visit. Tell him if a stain has grown or come back.
Drywall types
Which drywall goes where.
Most repairs patch the board that is already on the wall. When a damaged section has to be cut out and replaced, the new piece should suit the room.
- Standard boardMost walls and ceilings in dry rooms: bedrooms, living rooms and hallways.
- Moisture-resistantBathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens, where the air gets humid. It is not made for walls that get sprayed with water.
- Cement boardBehind tile in showers and tub surrounds, where water hits the wall.
- Fire-resistant (Type X)Garage walls and ceilings that border the living space, where building codes call for fire-rated board.
- SoundproofBedrooms, home offices and media rooms, to cut the noise between rooms.
- Abuse-resistantHallways, stairwells, kids’ rooms and garages, where walls take knocks.
Price
What moves the price of drywall repair.
Your price is written after Dario has walked the rooms and measured them. These are the things that change it.
How many repairs
A few nail holes are a different job from a wall of patches. Every repair is written into the estimate.
How big each one is
Small holes and cracks need a fill and some sanding. Larger damage takes more steps and more drying time.
Texture
A smooth wall is easier to blend than one with orange peel, knockdown or another texture. This Old House says orange peel takes specialized equipment and practice, and that knockdown is hard to repair.
Walls or ceilings
Stairwells and tall ceilings take more ladder work and more time.
Water damage
A stain with a repaired leak behind it is a prep job. Damage beyond a patch, or a leak that is still active, needs fixing first.
Which surfaces get painted
Drywall repair is part of the paint job. The estimate lists walls, ceilings, trim and doors separately, so you decide what is repainted.
Want the numbers for a whole job? Our house painting cost guide shows what moves a price. Getting ready for the crew? See how to prepare your home for painters.
Drywall in a Memphis house
What the weather and the houses here mean for the repair.
Humid air, slower drying
Paint dries slower in damp air, and Memphis is humid for much of the year. Joint compound does too: USG says it dries in about 24 hours at 70°F and 70 percent humidity, and that higher humidity slows it. Each coat must be completely dry before the next.
Older homes
Older Memphis houses often have plaster walls and hairline cracks. Hairline cracks are the most common drywall cracks and can come from settling and changes in temperature and humidity, says a National Association of Realtors guide. Dario checks the walls at the visit.
Cracks that signal movement
A patch fills a crack; it does not stop a wall from moving. The same guide says cracks wider than 5 millimeters, about a fifth of an inch, are a cause for concern, especially diagonal or horizontal ones or those above a door frame, because they can point to foundation movement.
Storms and ceiling stains
Memphis storms roll in fast. A stain that shows up after heavy weather can start at the roof, so get the roof or flashing checked before anyone paints. Sherwin-Williams says to find and repair the source of the water first.
Newer homes, flat paint
In newer subdivisions the first repaint is often over builder-grade flat paint, which scuffs easily and does not wipe clean. A patch painted on its own can show as a different sheen. Sherwin-Williams calls this flashing, lists coating over a porous surface as a cause, and says to spot-prime patched areas.
Old texture in older houses
Asbestos may be in textured paint and in patching compounds used on wall and ceiling joints, and their use was banned in 1977, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It says not to saw, sand, scrape or drill into asbestos materials and, if in doubt, to treat a material as if it contains asbestos or have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional.
We repair drywall and paint across Memphis, East Memphis and the rest of Shelby County. Town by town, see what to know before painting in Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova, Arlington and Lakeland, or see all the areas we paint.
Do you do drywall repair in Memphis?
Yes, as part of an interior painting job. Holes, cracks, water stains and old patchwork are fixed and blended before a drop of paint goes on, and the repair is written into the estimate.
Do you do sheetrock repair?
Yes. Sheetrock is USG’s brand name for drywall, and people often use it for any drywall. The work is the same: holes, cracks, water stains and old patchwork fixed and blended before painting, as part of an interior job.
Can you fix a water stain on my ceiling?
The leak comes first. A stain-blocking primer covers a stain; it does not stop water. Once the source is repaired and the area is dry, the stain is sealed with a primer made to hold out water stains, then painted. Dario checks for stains at the visit.
Will the repair show after painting?
Each repair is patched, blended into the wall around it, primed and covered with two coats. One thing can still give a patch away: painted on its own, it can show as a different sheen, which Sherwin-Williams calls flashing. Ask Dario at the visit whether a spot is enough or the wall should be repainted.
Do you hang new drywall?
Dario’s Painting repairs walls as part of painting them: patching, blending, priming and painting. For a wall that has to be rebuilt, ask Dario at the free walkthrough what your house needs.
How long does drywall repair take?
It depends on how many repairs there are and on drying time, which is slower in humid air: USG says joint compound dries in about 24 hours at 70°F and 70 percent humidity, and higher humidity slows it. Your written quote carries a start day and an end day.
Sources
Where the facts come from.
- Sherwin-Williams: how to fix water, smoke and paint stains — find and repair the source of water; seal with a primer that holds out water stains
- Sherwin-Williams: staining, water, smoke, etc. — stains must be sealed before topcoating; badly damaged drywall may need replacing
- Sherwin-Williams: how to fix paint flashing — spot-prime patched areas to level off porosity
- USG: Sheetrock All Purpose Joint Compound — about 24 hours to dry at 70°F and 70% humidity; humidity slows drying; stain blocker under retexturing
- USG: Sheetrock Patch and Repair Pack application tips (PDF) — each patching method ends with sand and prime when dry
- U.S. EPA: mold cleanup in your home — do not paint over moldy surfaces
- U.S. EPA: a brief guide to mold, moisture and your home — dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours
- This Old House: wall texture techniques — orange peel and knockdown textures are hard to match and repair
- National Association of Realtors: when you shouldn’t ignore the cracks in the wall (guest article by Hippo, June 2024) — hairline cracks are common; cracks wider than 5 mm, diagonal or horizontal need a professional
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: asbestos in the home — asbestos in textured paint and patching compounds banned in 1977; do not sand or scrape
Checked September 2026. Prices and product details change; your written estimate has the numbers for your house.
More from Dario’s Painting
All servicesThe rest of what we do.
Interior painting
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors, repaired first, then two coats.
Learn more
Trim, doors and baseboards
Baseboards, crown, casings, doors and exterior trim, caulked and primed, then two coats.
Learn more
How to paint a room
Prep, primer, cutting in, two coats and drying times, step by step.
House painting cost
National price ranges for interior, exterior, cabinets and decks, and what moves them in Memphis.
Prepare your home for painters
A checklist for the walkthrough, the week before, the day of and the weeks after.
Free estimate
Get a free drywall repair and painting estimate.
Answer a few short questions and Dario calls you back to book the walkthrough, usually within the hour between 7am and 7pm. Or call now and talk to him directly.
Rather pick the time yourself? Book the free estimate visit online (weekdays 11:30 to 1:30, Saturdays 7am to 6pm). dario@dariospainting.com · 7am to 7pm, seven days