New Hope, Bucks County
Drywall installation & repair in New Hope, PA.
The Delaware passed major flood stage at New Hope three years running, 2004 to 2006, and again in 2011. For river-level houses, drywall is what comes out first; away from the water, the work is the ordinary kind.
Drywall installation & repair for New Hope homes
The river gauge at New Hope puts major flood stage at 16 feet. The Delaware passed it in September 2004, April 2005 and June 2006, crested above it again in September 2011, and still holds its record from August 1955, a little over 24 feet. For houses near the river and along Ingham Creek, drywall work often begins with taking soaked board out.
The land climbs steeply from the water, and flood work belongs to the houses at its foot. Elsewhere the walls are what any house of their age would have. The 1970s and 1990s together account for about half the borough's homes, in drywall, while the older stone, brick and frame houses of the village carry plaster that new board has to meet.
New Hope
River-level walls and the houses above them
Water climbs drywall above the line it leaves on the surface, wicking up through the gypsum and the paper, so a flood cut is made past the highest wet point, not at the tide mark. Then the house has to dry: cavities open, air moving, framing and masonry checked with a moisture meter rather than judged by the calendar. Board closed over wet studs grows mold from the inside, out of sight, and the work has to be done twice.
Stone houses near the water are a case of their own. About three in ten of the borough's buildings were stone when they were surveyed in 1984, and stone walls hold moisture long after the river has gone down. Plaster on them that stayed sound is often kept and repaired, and any new board on an outside wall goes onto furring, held off the masonry, and only once the stone has dried out.
Worth knowing
A day or two to dry
Wet board and framing need to dry within a day or two to keep mold from starting; board that stayed wet longer, or smells musty, comes out rather than being sealed and painted.
Plaster often outlasts the water
Sound plaster on lath or stone tends to come through high water better than drywall, which loses strength when soaked, so it is dried and repaired where drywall would be cut out.
Facades need a certificate, interiors don't
The borough's review board covers exterior features seen from a public street; a new door, window or addition on a historic-district facade needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, while inside work does not.
The work
How the work goes
The same care on every job, in every town. The full guide to drywall installation & repair.
Look at the cause
Randy looks at the damage with you and explains what it will take. Where water is involved, the leak has to be fixed and the framing dry before anything is closed up. The walkthrough and written estimate are complimentary.
Cut back to sound material
Damaged board is cut out to clean, square edges, often back to the framing, so the new piece has something solid to fasten to. Damaged studs are replaced while the wall is open.
Hang it tight and flush
New board is cut to fit and screwed to the framing with its edges level with the old, because a high edge leaves no room for tape and compound. Wide gaps are filled with setting-type compound before taping.
Tape and coat
Joints are taped and built up in thin coats, feathered wide. Torn paper is sealed with an oil- or shellac-based primer first, since water in the compound would raise it into bubbles.
Blend, prime, paint
Texture is matched where the wall has it. The repair is primed so it won’t show as a dull patch, and the wall is painted corner to corner so the sheen reads evenly.
Questions
Drywall installation & repair, New Hope.
How high should flood-soaked drywall be cut?
Above the highest point the water wicked to, which is often well above the line it left on the wall; moisture readings set the cut, not the stain. A single level cut around the room also makes the new board simpler to hang and finish cleanly.
Our house is on the hill well above the river. Does any of this apply to us?
Mostly not. The land rises steeply from the Delaware, and flood damage belongs to houses near the water and along Ingham Creek. Higher up, drywall work is the ordinary kind: leaks from baths and roofs, cracks over doors, new rooms, and old walls opened for wiring.
How long after a flood can new drywall go up?
When the framing and masonry test dry, not on a set date. Drying depends on the weather, the airflow and the material, and stone walls hold water far longer than studs. Board hung over damp framing traps the moisture behind it, so the readings decide.
More in New Hope
Other services here.
- Level 5 drywall finishA skim coat over the entire surface, for walls that hold up under raking light and dark paint.
- Skim coatingRough, patched or uneven walls resurfaced smooth, often after wallpaper comes down.
- Plaster repairCracked, loose and failing plaster in older homes, repaired and made sound.
- Interior paintingWalls, ceilings, trim, doors and millwork, prepared properly and finished clean.
- Exterior paintingSiding, trim, porches, stucco and brick, prepared to stand up to Pennsylvania weather.
- Drywall texture matching & removalTexture matched so repairs disappear, applied where you want it, or taken off for a smooth wall.
- Popcorn ceiling removalOld acoustic texture taken down and the ceiling finished smooth.
- Wallpaper removalOld wallpaper and wall linings stripped without tearing up the wall beneath.
- Wood stainingDecks, porch floors, doors and trim, inside and out, stained by hand.
Nearby
Drywall installation & repair nearby.
Consultation
Request a private consultation.
Private walkthrough & written estimate, complimentary. Tell us a little about the house and the rooms, and Randy will be in touch to arrange a time.
- Hours
- Monday – Friday8:30 AM – 5:30 PMSaturday10 AM – 3 PMSundayClosed
- Service area
- Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and the greater Lehigh Valley; Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Fully insured — proof on request. Residential and commercial.