Calgary Drywall Doctor is a drywall contractor serving Dalhousie in NW Calgary. Dalhousie wraps around its own LRT station between Crowchild Trail and Shaganappi Trail, a short ride from the University of Calgary. We have patched, boarded and finished homes here for more than 20 years.
Dalhousie is a neighbourhood of 1970s houses, many of which now hold a second generation of owners or a basement renter. The drywall work follows that pattern: ceilings that are overdue for a refresh, repipes that leave holes, and basements being turned into proper suites.
Dalhousie Station, the shops along Shaganappi Trail and the university make it a neighbourhood where houses change hands and get renovated often, and where a lot of basements earn their keep.
What We Tend to Find in Dalhousie Homes
Dalhousie was built mostly in the 1970s, with some early 1980s phases. The usual house is a two-storey or a bungalow, with split-levels and bi-levels on some streets and a number of townhouse and condo complexes closer to the station.
Popcorn ceilings are standard issue here. Most were sprayed when the house was built, and any texture applied before about 1990 should be lab-tested for asbestos before it is sanded or scraped. If the sample is clean, we remove the texture and finish the ceiling flat. If it is not, a licensed abatement contractor removes it first and we finish afterward.
Late-1970s and 1980s Dalhousie homes fall inside the Poly-B window, which ran from about 1978 to 1995. A repipe means access holes in walls and ceilings on every level. We patch, tape and texture-match all of them so the walls look like the plumber was never there.
Basement suites are a big part of Dalhousie life because of the university and the LRT. A legal secondary suite in Calgary needs permits, fire separation, interconnected smoke alarms and proper egress. We handle the drywall side: 5/8" Type X fire-rated board where it is required, mould-resistant board on foundation walls, and a Level 4 finish throughout. We check moisture on every foundation wall before we board.
We also see a lot of walls that have been patched badly over the years. Old anchors, picture hooks, repaired doorknob holes and a few generations of paint add up. A skim coat over the whole wall is often the cleanest fix before a repaint.
Dalhousie two-storeys from the late 1970s often have a sunken living room, a vaulted family room, or a bedroom added over the garage later on. The joints between those framed areas and the main house are where tape cracks and ceilings show lines. We float those corners so the structures can move without tearing the tape.
The townhouse complexes near the station have shared walls that are meant to be fire-rated. When a unit is renovated, that shared wall must keep its 5/8" Type X board and sealed joints. We see plenty where a previous owner cut into it for a TV or a sound system and never closed it up properly.
Drywall Services in Dalhousie
We offer our full range of services in Dalhousie:
- Ceiling Repair — popcorn removal, cracks, stains and sagging board.
- Drywall Repair — Poly-B patches, holes, cracks and old repairs that show.
- Basement Drywall — developments and suites with the right board in the right place.
- Drywall Installation — new walls and ceilings for renovations and additions.
- Drywall Finishing — taping, mudding, sanding and skim coats.
For Dalhousie the most useful pages are Popcorn Ceiling Removal, Poly-B Drywall Repair and Legal Suite Drywall. If your walls have decades of patches under the paint, Skim Coating explains how we get them flat again.
Landlords also call us between tenants for the routine stuff: doorknob holes, cracked corners, a stained ceiling under an upstairs tub. We can usually turn a unit around in a few short visits.
Before you paint, ask us about a raking-light check. We bring the light, walk each wall, and tell you which ones need a skim coat and which are fine as they are.
We also serve Varsity and Brentwood to the south and Edgemont to the north. The NW Calgary drywall contractor page lists every NW community we cover.
How a Dalhousie Drywall Job Goes
Call or email and we will book a visit. On a suite we walk the basement with you, check moisture on the concrete, and confirm where fire-rated board is needed. On a ceiling job we ask about the test results before we quote removal. You get a written, itemized scope before anything starts.
Most jobs are booked within two to three days of approval. We cover floors, hang plastic or zip walls, and sand with a HEPA vacuum so dust stays in the work area. Ceiling removal and patching take two or three visits because mud has to dry between coats. Suites are scheduled around framing and electrical inspections.
We check every wall and ceiling under raking light, match any texture, clean up, and walk you through the work before we go.
On a suite ceiling we hang 5/8" Type X board, tape with paper, set the first coat with setting compound, and finish with two coats of all-purpose mud. Joints at the shared walls and around penetrations are sealed so the fire separation stays continuous. Then the ceiling gets a Level 4 finish like the rest of the suite.
Why Dalhousie Homeowners Call Calgary Drywall Doctor
More than 20 years in Calgary, more than 500 projects, licensed, WCB-covered and insured, and a written workmanship warranty on every job. We quote in writing and we keep to the schedule.
We also tell you when a job is not a drywall job. If a basement wall is wet, fix the water first. If the ceiling stain is fresh, fix the leak first. We will come back when the house is ready.
Dalhousie owners and landlords want work that passes inspection and looks right afterward. That is what we do. Call 587-417-5252 to book a visit.
Dalhousie is part of our NW Calgary drywall contractor service area. The quadrant page lists every NW community we cover.