Ceiling Repair - Recommendations for Repair Person

I take it you are not able to afford a professional(?). I think your best bet would be to purchase a DIY book at the hardware store. Can you hire a handy man?

If not, you can probably do this yourself. We were alone without Dad in the house for the majority of my childhood and we did a lot of repairs ourselves.

You don't mention if it was due to water damage. If so, you will need to remove any mildew rotted wood that may have been caused by sitting water. If this is the case, I really think you will need a professional.

Remove the old insulation and take the numbers off the old insulation and talk to the hardware store about new insulation. Chances are, it is now updated. You should tell the hardware store the size of your home, the location of the insulation, and the outside hi/low temperature in your area.

You will need a utility knife, it is a razor blade with a handle. The knife should be a hardware knife and not a craft knife or you will cut yourself! Cut the dry wall (DW) into a square where it is broken. You will need to cut the DW down to the 2x4 so that you can nail the edge of the DW to the 2x4. Don't forget to remove all of the old nails or they will poke through the DW in time. Insert the insulation and with the help of others, hold the DW in place and nail it to the 2x4, which should be 16" apart. So you will want nails on the edges and in the centers at each beam.

Then you will need drywall tape (really it looks like calculator tape) and puddy along with a puddy knife. Apply the puddy at the seams and scrape ALL of the remaining puddy off with your puddy knife (which comes in different sizes). Sort of like icing a cake and making it smooth. Apply the tape to the seams and puddy again, scraping all of the excess off.

You can sand the dry puddy until it is all one even smooth surface. Prime & Paint!

Call Damien D. with Springbok Painting at ###-###-####. He does lots of work in the Frisco area. This is my husband's company so I won't go on and on about the quality of his work. He can give you several referrals and he also does work with several designers.

If you have home owners insurance, you could phone them and ask for a referral, that is what I did with a water leak. If hiring someone directly, ask for and contact at least two-three references from the contractor.

BryJo Roofing and Remodeling also specializes in remodeling and restoration of damage due to water, fire, and structural damage. They are in Richardson, but I am sure would go to Frisco. We had them repair our roof and skylight in our last house a few years back, and have since met the family that owns/runs the business. They are good, honest people. And we are bargain hunters, but not to the point of hiring low quality work - I had several roofers come out and look at our job at the old house and chose Michael Harris at BryJo not only based on a fair, competitive price but also based on my impression of his knowledge, confidence and ethics.

BryJo Roofing and Remodeling
http://bryjo.com/

Give Tim Poff a call...his phone number is ###-###-####. He does outstanding work, lives in Carrollton but goes everywhere.....Tell him S. Cartmill referred you to him.... Good Luck!

Drew Martin, ###-###-####, great all around handyman for any job you have. Very knowledgeble, trustworthy, and always cleans up the job site. Can provide references regarding the quality of his work and his integrity.