Drywall Installation and Repair in Taylorsville, Utah

Why so many Taylorsville homes date from the 1970s and 1980s

Taylorsville grew up as part of unincorporated Salt Lake County. A 2019 housing study for the city says it was mostly established in the early 1960s and 1970s, and that it incorporated in the mid-1990s to stay a smaller, community-minded city. Incorporation took effect on July 1, 1996. The city's general plan adds that home building has slowed steadily since 2000 as vacant land became scarce.

Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 show the pattern clearly. Of Taylorsville's 20,913 homes, about 32 percent were built in the 1970s and 27 percent in the 1980s, so close to six in ten come from those two decades. The median build year is 1982, and only about 5 percent of homes were built in 2010 or later.

For drywall, that means houses old enough for the original board to show its age. Board hung with nails can push the nail heads out as the framing dries and settles. Paper tape lets go at inside corners and over seams that have moved. Ceilings from those decades were often sprayed with a heavy texture that is hard to patch and should be tested before it is removed.

Asbestos testing for Taylorsville popcorn ceilings

The EPA names textured paint and wall and ceiling patching compounds as household products where asbestos may be found. The agency's advice: leave material that is in good shape alone, and have a trained, accredited professional take any samples, since disturbing it can put fibers in the air.

Utah's asbestos rule, R307-801, puts this in writing for hired work. A contractor renovating a home has to have an asbestos inspection done first, by an inspector and company holding Utah asbestos certification, and sprayed-on or painted-on ceiling treatment is one of the materials that inspection has to look for. Owners doing work in the home they live in are exempt from the rule, though the health risk from the dust is the same.

Taylorsville's building department also notes that the Health Department and the Department of Air Quality have to be notified for demolition permits. If the test comes back clear, the ceiling is misted and scraped, the surface is repaired and skimmed where needed, then primed and painted flat or given a lighter texture. If it finds asbestos, removal goes to an asbestos abatement company before any drywall work starts.

Which Taylorsville projects need a building permit

Taylorsville's building department says plenty of everyday jobs need a permit, and finishing a room in your basement is one of them. Cosmetic items like paint, tile, flooring and landscaping need none. The city builds to the 2021 International Codes, with the 2020 National Electrical Code.

Plans are reviewed in the order they arrive, with a goal of getting them back within 10 business days, and the department says it can't move any project ahead in the queue. Depending on the permit, the fee is set by square footage, by the project's value or as a flat amount. Build that review time into a basement plan before lining up the work.

Inspections in Taylorsville come before the drywall goes up

The city's rule of thumb is to call for an inspection before work gets concealed, covered or buried. In a basement finish, that usually means the framing, wiring, plumbing, ducts and insulation are looked at while the walls are still open, and the board goes up once they pass.

Inspections are booked online through the city's portal, at least 24 hours ahead, and are done between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. An adult needs to be there to let the inspector in, because inspectors can't enter an occupied home on their own or with only minors present.

Insulation is the last thing checked before the board goes on. After that the drywall hides everything, so a missed inspection can mean cutting finished walls back open.

The Taylorsville fault in the middle of the valley

Taylorsville shares its name with a fault. The West Valley fault zone, in the center of the Salt Lake Valley, has two main strands, the Granger fault to the west and the Taylorsville fault to the east. The USGS notes that their most recent earthquakes are similar in age to the last two on the Salt Lake City section of the Wasatch fault, and the Utah Geological Survey has trenched the Taylorsville fault to learn whether it breaks on its own or together with the Wasatch.

After the magnitude 5.7 Magna earthquake in March 2020, the UGS found that many aftershocks clustered near the West Valley fault zone. If a crack showed up after that spring and hasn't grown since, it is repaired like any other: the loose tape is cut out, the board is refastened to the framing, and the seam is retaped and textured to match.

How to ask for a drywall estimate in Taylorsville

Ring (801) 735-8491, or send the estimate form, which takes your name, phone, email, the service and a message. Useful things to mention: which rooms are involved, whether a ceiling texture has already been tested, whether a basement permit is in hand, and anything you know about when the house was built.

The estimate looks at what drives the cost of the job: how much board and finishing there is, the ceiling heights, the texture to match, and whether test results have to come back before work starts. There's no fee for it, and no obligation to go ahead.

Drywall questions from Taylorsville homeowners

Does finishing a basement in Taylorsville need a permit?

Yes. The city lists finishing a room in your basement among the jobs that need one. Inspections then happen before the walls are covered, so the drywall goes up after the rough work passes.

Do I have to test my popcorn ceiling before it is removed?

If you hire someone to remove it, yes. Utah's asbestos rule has contractors get an asbestos inspection first, and sprayed-on ceiling treatment is on the list of materials it covers. Owners working in their own home are exempt, but the EPA still advises having samples taken by a trained professional.

Why do nail heads keep popping through my ceiling?

Framing shrinks and shifts over the decades, and nails slowly back out of it. The fix is a drywall screw driven just beside each pop, the nail set back below the surface, then filling, sanding and touching up the texture and paint.

How long does a Taylorsville plan review take?

The building department aims to return plans within 10 business days. It reviews them in the order received and has no expedited option.

Is a drywall estimate in Taylorsville free?

Yes, and it comes with no obligation. Call (801) 735-8491, or write a short description of the job in the estimate form's message box.