Drywall water damage can be caused by many things, such as leaking roofs and pipes, floods and condensation build-up. No matter what the cause of water damage is, make sure to properly repair the damage to prevent future issues and mold growth. Vancouver water damage experts guide people in fixing and repairing damaged drywall. Read to learn how to prevent future incidents or water damage on your property.
Explore the Major Causes of Water Damage to Drywall
Before performing preventive measurements for water damage to your property’s drywall, you need to know the causes of water damage. So, before stepping up to fix water-damaged drywall, you need to examine the causes of this damage.
Drywall water damage may be due to internal and external factors. Some causes are:
Plumbing leaks:
Burst pipes, leaks and damaged fixtures may lead to water entry into walls and ceilings.
Roof leaks:
Poorly installed roofs may allow water entry into walls and attics.
Flooding:
Sometimes, natural issues such as heavy rain and floods may lead to water damage to drywall.
Condensation:
Bad ventilation and high moisture may cause condensation in the interior of walls and cause property damage.
Start Assessing Water Damage – What to Notice First?
Before you start repairing your water damage issues, make sure to determine the severity of the damage. So rather than fixing drywall water damage, you need to first assess the water damage or call a professional to quickly perform a water damage inspection. For this, you need to start inspecting the affected area:
Make sure to inspect the walls, floors and ceiling for any water stains, bubbling and sagging.
Checking for mold growth:
Mold loves to grow in wet environments, so it grows in water-damaged areas. Make sure to check for mold growth on surfaces and hidden areas.
Determining the source of water intrusion:
Make sure to determine the source of water intrusion to avoid any damage. After assessing the severity of water damage, categorize it as minor, moderate or severe. Then make a plan to avoid such issue as possible.
How to Repair or Fix Drywall Water Damage?
Whether you notice water damaged drywall due to burst pipes or leaked roofs, it is better to call for professional help. You may also take some steps to fix minor issues with the help of DIY methods. Some methods that every homeowner must take to repair and replace water damaged drywall.
- Repair the Leak:
Among all other methods, the best is to stop the root cause of the damaged drywall. Though you may easily notice major leaks but you should never put minor leaks to down. Obviously you want to fix the damage and move on. Whether your leak is major or minor, make sure to repair it first otherwise all efforts will be in vain.
Make sure to cut a hole of 6 inches in drywall water damaged spot to note any leaked section. Then, you have to turn the water off and cut the damaged section to repair the leak. After that, make sure to install the new pipes using the right method.
- Replace Sagging Drywall:
Drywall is porous and more exposure to water may lead to structural damage. Though you may replace cracked drywall. But you should also know that you can’t salvage blistered drywall. Make sure to take a level tool to know any section of drywall which is cracked or need replacement.
Before placing the new drywall, make sure to completely insulate the cut pieces and make them dry. Though you have checked the leaky sections but if you replace it with a new one without removing water then it will damage. So make sure to dry the inner wall before installing the new wall.
- Get Rid of Mold:
Due to porous nature of drywall, moisture can easily move into it and cause mold growth. Though you may notice that the wall is structurally perfect but if it has mold then you need to kill the mold first. For this you can take diluted bleach solution that will kill mold without damaging drywall.
Using the chlorine bleach, you may easily kill the traces of mold in two days and it will also remove minor stains. However if you note any visible major stain, make sure to sand and paint the wall.
- Cover Water Stains:
When you notice major stain in drywall, make sure to use a paint scraper for the removal and peeling of paint. After that you have to sand the wall using the medium sandpaper. However the small grit paper can smooth the surface. In the end use the primer and paint the surface of drywall to remove any imperfection.
Repairing of minor water damaged drywall is not a challenging process but to do this project, you need little research and patience.
What Will be the Required Professional Prevention Strategies?
To maintain the integrity of your structure and property, you need to prevent water damage. Some preventive steps are:
- Regular maintenance:
Make sure to check the plumbing system, drainage system and roofs for any leaks.
- Proper ventilation:
Make sure proper ventilation is maintained in the kitchen, basement, and bathrooms to decrease moisture build-up.
- Sealants and waterproofing:
Make sure to apply waterproof sealant to exposed areas such as the exterior, windows and bathroom walls.
- Insulation:
Insulate the exterior of walls to avoid any condensation and moisture presence.
- Gutters and downspouts:
Make sure to maintain gutters and other downspouts to keep water away from the base.
Conclusion:
To repair your damaged water drywall, you need to carefully asses, prepare and execute the damage. Once you know the main causes of water damage, make sure to check the severity of the damage and apply some better methods to restore drywall to its original condition, which then prevents further incidents.
Moreover, make sure to follow some preventive steps such as regular maintenance, proper ventilation and waterproofing. Commonly, minor repairs may be fixed with the DIY method, but for extra damage, call for professional help. However, you should always prefer preventive actions to protect your home and costly repairs!
