Carleton Prime Painting 613-640-0800 Free estimate

Drywall repair and patching before painting

Paint shows every flaw underneath it. Fix the wall first.

Get a free estimate 613-640-0800
5.0Google rating
Finished basement with deep purple walls below a white chair rail and light walls above

Fresh paint makes a wall look new, but it also makes every dent, crack and bad patch stand out more. If the wall underneath isn't right, the new colour just highlights the problem.

Carleton Prime Painting repairs and patches walls and ceilings as part of getting them ready for paint: the small repairs every job needs, and the bigger ones that come from moving, renovating or years of living in a house.

  • Free in-home consultation
  • 2-year warranty on painting
  • Liability insurance
  • WSIB coverage
  • Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore paints
  • Our own painters, family owned
  • BBB Accredited Business

What we repair

  • Nail and screw holes, from pictures, shelves and TV mounts
  • Dents and gouges from furniture and doors
  • Hairline cracks at corners, above doors and around windows
  • Nail pops, where a drywall fastener pushes out through the paint
  • Larger holes from removed fixtures, wiring or plumbing work
  • Old patches that show through the paint
  • Plaster cracks in older homes
Finished basement with purple lower walls, white trim and a wood feature wall by the stairs

Why patches show through paint

A patch that isn't sanded flush, feathered out wide enough or primed will show as a bump or a dull spot once it's painted, especially in light from a window or on a flat ceiling. Filler also soaks up paint differently from the wall around it, which is why patched spots get primed before the finish coats.

Basement laundry room with deep purple walls, white trim and a patterned wallpaper wall

Bigger drywall work

For new walls, renovations or water-damaged drywall that has to be cut out and replaced, Carleton Prime Construction does full drywall installation and finishing. See drywall at carletonprime.com. If a stain or soft spot points to a leak, the leak has to be fixed first, or the damage comes back.

Entryway with light painted walls, white doors and trim, and a glass back door

In writing

What your written estimate spells out

Two painting quotes only compare fairly when they cover the same work. Ours lists the job in plain words, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

How to compare painting quotes

  • Which rooms and surfaces are included, and which aren't
  • The prep for each area: repairs, cleaning, sanding and primer
  • How many coats
  • Who supplies the paint
  • The schedule, and what you need to move or clear
  • The 2-year warranty on painting

What a painting customer said

I asked them to re-paint some rooms in my house, and the painter did an excellent job. The mistakes from years ago were erased. He even painted behind the toilets.

Eric Clara, interior painting, several rooms, on Google

Read our reviews · See them on Google

Our process

How your drywall repair and patching job works

  1. Free in-home consultation

    We come to you, walk the rooms or the outside of the house with you, and listen to what you want the finished result to look like.

  2. A written estimate

    You get the scope in writing: which surfaces, what prep, what's included and what isn't, so there are no surprises later.

  3. A schedule that fits your life

    We book the work around how you use your home, and tell you ahead of time what needs moving and when we'll be there.

  4. Prep, then paint

    Prep comes first and gets the time it needs. Then the painting, done carefully, and a clean site at the end of each day.

  5. Walkthrough together

    We go over every room or wall with you before we call it finished, and fix anything you're not happy with. The leftover paint stays with you for touch-ups.

More about how we work

Questions people ask

Is drywall repair included in a painting job?

Filling small holes, dents and hairline cracks is part of the prep on every job. Bigger repairs are listed in your estimate so you can see what's involved.

Why do cracks keep coming back above my doors?

Houses move with the seasons, and corners above doors and windows are where that movement shows. Cracks that keep reopening may need to be taped, not just filled, before painting.

What is a nail pop?

A small round bump or crack where a drywall nail or screw has worked loose and pushed through the surface. It needs to be reset and filled before painting, or it shows through again.

Do you repair plaster walls?

Yes. Older Ottawa homes often have plaster, and its cracks need to be repaired properly before painting.

Related services

Living room with fresh light walls around a dark floor-to-ceiling fireplace wall, paint cans still on the floorInterior paintingWalls, ceilings, trim and doors, prepped properly and painted with care.Finished basement with deep purple walls below a white chair rail and light walls abovePopcorn ceiling removalFrom dated texture to a smooth, painted ceiling.Basement laundry room with deep purple walls, white trim and a patterned wallpaper wallWallpaper removalOff with the paper, the glue and the damage, then a clean painted wall.Entryway with light painted walls, white doors and trim, and a glass back doorTrim, door and stair paintingFresh trim and doors make a whole house look cleaner.

Tell us what you'd like painted

Start with a free in-home consultation. We'll look at the job with you and follow up with a written estimate.

Get a free estimate 613-640-0800