Walls & ceilings
Sheetrock and ceiling contractor in Suffolk County
New sheetrock, smooth walls, patched holes, fresh paint and drop ceilings. The walls are the room, so this is where we spend our time.
- Fully insured
Why walls and ceilings give a job away
You can put in expensive floors and trim, but if the walls are wavy, that's what people see.
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Seams you can see
Taped joints that show through the paint, especially when the light hits the wall from the side.
We tape, mud and sand three coats before primer, and check each wall with a light.
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Patches that don't match
A repaired spot that's smooth while the rest of the wall has texture, or the other way around.
We blend the patch into the wall around it, then skim the area if it needs it.
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Stains that come back
A water stain painted over with regular paint bleeds right back through.
We find out if the leak is fixed, seal the stain, then paint.
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Ceilings that look like an office
A drop ceiling with a crooked grid, slivers of tile along the wall and lights wherever they landed.
We lay the ceiling out first, so the edges match and the lights line up.
How we do walls and ceilings
One crew from the first sheet to the last coat of paint. You know the price and the start date before we begin.
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Look and measure
We check the walls and ceilings in good light, find what's causing cracks or stains, and measure the room.
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Written price
Itemized: sheetrock, patching, skim coat, paint and ceiling, with a start date and how long the job will take.
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Protect the house
Floors covered, work area closed off, furniture moved or wrapped.
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Build and finish
Hang, tape, mud, sand, skim where needed, prime and paint. Each coat dries before the next one goes on.
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Clean up and walk through
We clean up daily, then walk the room with you in good light and fix anything you point out.
Walls and ceilings services
Five services that usually work together. Most rooms need at least two of them.
Sheetrock, smooth walls and clean ceilings
We’re a sheetrock and ceiling contractor in Suffolk County, and walls are where we spend most of our time. That’s on purpose. You can put in new floors and new trim, but if the walls have wavy seams, bumpy patches or a stain on the ceiling, that’s what your eye goes to. Smooth walls, sharp corners and a clean ceiling are what make a room look finished.
This page covers the five services that deal with walls and ceilings: sheetrock walls and repairs, wall smoothing (skim coat), patching holes and cracks, interior painting and drop ceilings. They almost always work together, and our crew does all of them.
How the five services fit together
Think of walls and ceilings as layers. Each one depends on the one under it.
Sheetrock is the base
Sheetrock (drywall) is the gypsum board that makes up most walls and ceilings. We hang it on new walls, in basements, in rooms that were opened up, and anywhere the old wall is too damaged to save. Hanging it is the quick part. Taping and finishing the seams is where the time goes. We tape, mud and sand three coats before primer, so the joints disappear under paint.
Skim coat fixes the surface
Wall smoothing, or skim coating, means spreading a thin layer of joint compound over the whole wall and sanding it smooth. It’s how you fix walls that are rough, have old texture, show years of patches, or had wallpaper glued straight to the sheetrock. A lot of older capes and colonials around here have walls like that. We explain it more in what skim coating is and when you need it.
Patching handles the damage
Patching is for holes, cracks, nail pops and dents. A doorknob hole, a crack running up from the corner of a door, a spot where a TV mount came off. Done right, you can’t find the patch after it’s painted. Done wrong, you see a shiny square every time the sun comes in the window.
Paint finishes it
Paint is the last layer, and it shows everything underneath. Good prep is most of a good paint job. We fill, sand, caulk and prime before the first color coat. For how many coats a room needs, see how many coats of paint a room needs.
Drop ceilings are the other option overhead
Not every ceiling should be sheetrock. In basements, laundry rooms and pool houses, a drop ceiling covers the pipes, ducts and wires but still lets you get to them by lifting a tile. We lay it out on purpose, so the tiles at the walls come out even and the lights line up. Out east, we put in drop ceilings all the way out to the Hamptons.
Planning walls and ceilings work
The biggest planning question is how far to go. Here’s how we think about it.
- A few problems on a good wall: patch the spots, prime them, and paint the wall corner to corner so the color matches.
- A wall that’s rough all over: skim coat the whole wall, then prime and paint. Patching every spot would take longer and still show.
- Soft, wet or crumbling sheetrock: cut it out and replace it. No amount of compound fixes board that’s falling apart.
- A stained ceiling: find out if the leak is fixed first. Then seal the stain, or replace the section if it’s sagging. Our answer on how to fix a water-stained ceiling goes step by step.
- A ceiling with pipes and shutoffs above: a drop ceiling is often the smarter choice. See drop ceiling vs. sheetrock ceiling for a basement.
It also helps to do walls and ceilings as one job. If you patch the walls this year and paint next year, you pay for prep twice. And if the ceiling is going to be skimmed or replaced, it should happen before the walls get their final coat, since ceiling work drips and scuffs the walls below it.
Wallpaper, paneling and damp rooms
A few situations come up all the time in older Long Island houses, and each one changes the plan.
Wallpaper. Sometimes it peels off clean. Sometimes it was hung right over unprimed sheetrock and takes the paper face of the board with it. We test a spot before we decide whether to strip it, seal it, or skim over it. Our answer on whether you can skim coat over wallpaper or damaged walls covers the options.
Wood paneling. Common in dens and basements from the 1960s and 1970s. It can be painted, but the grooves still show. Taking it down and hanging sheetrock gives you a flat wall, and it lets us see what’s behind it.
Bathrooms and laundry rooms. These rooms get steam and humidity, so the board, the compound and the paint all need to handle moisture. The same goes for ceilings. We talk about that in can you put a drop ceiling in a bathroom or laundry room.
Dust. Sanding joint compound makes a fine dust that travels. We close off the room, cover the floors, and clean up at the end of every day, so you can keep living in the rest of the house.
What to have ready for the walk-through
- Which rooms, and which walls and ceilings in each one
- Any stains, and whether the leak that caused them has been fixed
- Whether there’s wallpaper, paneling or old texture under the paint
- Paint colors, if you’ve picked them, or a photo of a room you like
- For a drop ceiling: where your shutoffs, cleanouts and electrical panel are, and how many lights you want
What drives the price
Wall and ceiling work is mostly labor, and most of that labor is finishing. The things that move the price:
- The size of the room and the height of the ceilings
- Patching a few spots, skimming whole walls, or hanging all-new sheetrock
- How much damage there is, and whether a leak has soaked the board
- Stairwells, cathedral ceilings and tight closets, which slow everything down
- Paint: how many colors, whether ceilings and trim are included, and how many coats
- For drop ceilings: the tile and grid you pick, the wall trim, and how many lights go in
You get a written, itemized price that lists each of these, so you can see what you’re paying for.
How to choose someone for walls and ceilings
Almost anyone can hang sheetrock. The difference is in the finish. When you talk to contractors, ask:
- How many coats do you put on the seams? One heavy coat and a quick sand usually shows.
- How do you check the finish? We hold a light against the wall so every ridge and low spot shows before primer.
- Who paints? If it’s a different company, you’re back to coordinating trades, and nobody owns the final look.
- Is the price written and itemized? You should know if skim coating or primer is included before work starts.
Also check the Suffolk County home improvement license. Ours is HI-73429.
Walls and ceilings as part of a bigger job
Most of our wall work is part of something larger: a basement finish, a room remodel, or new trim and doors. Since our crew does the carpentry too, the walls and trim come together the way they should: tight corners, clean caulk lines and no gaps where the baseboard meets the wall.
We’re based in Medford and do walls and ceilings up to about 45 minutes away, and drop ceilings out to the Hamptons. Call 631-745-9982, or use the form below and send a few photos.
Walls and ceilings questions
Should I patch my walls or skim coat the whole room?
If there are a few holes or cracks and the rest of the wall is in good shape, patching is enough. If the walls are rough, have old texture, or there are so many patches they'd show under paint, skim coating the whole wall usually looks better.
Do you say sheetrock or drywall?
Same thing. On Long Island most people say sheetrock. Drywall is the general name for the gypsum panels that make up most interior walls and ceilings.
Can you fix a water-stained ceiling?
Yes. First we make sure the leak has been fixed. Then we either seal and paint the stain, or cut out and replace the damaged section if the sheetrock is soft or sagging.
Drop ceiling or sheetrock ceiling in a basement?
A drop ceiling lets you lift a tile to reach pipes, shutoffs and wiring. Sheetrock gives a smooth, one-piece look but needs access panels. We do both and will tell you which fits your basement.
How much does wall and ceiling work cost?
It depends on the size of the room, how much damage there is, whether we're patching, skimming or hanging new sheetrock, and how many coats of paint are needed. You get a written, itemized price before we start.
Do you paint after the sheetrock work?
Yes. We handle the sheetrock, the finishing and the paint, so the room is done when we leave instead of waiting on a painter.
Get a price on your walls and ceilings.
Tell us which rooms and what's wrong with them. Photos of the cracks, stains or ceiling help a lot.
631-745-9982- Price in writing before any work starts.
- One crew from start to finish.
- Fully insured