Today the walls of most houses are made of wallboard, which is compressed gypsum covered with a paper facing. And that paper facing can be fragile and easily damaged even though it appears solid on the outside. Two high-risk areas for damage are the wall behind a door without a doorstop and the wall in a kitchen or dining area behind an often used chair when it’s pushed back from the table.
The damage is an eyesore that needs repair, which can be a nuisance because it’s a process that requires several steps: cleaning out the hole, applying patching compound and sanding it smooth. After the first application dries more coats are needed to build up the repaired area to be as smooth as the surface surrounding it. For a contractor the drying time needed means a return trip to the job site, which translates to travel time for a small job.
