Repairing Walls After Water Damage

8/1/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Jacksonville Beach/Ponte Vedra Provides Tips for Repairing Water Damaged Walls.

You may have had a broken pipe or a leaky roof that has caused water damage to the walls and ceilings in your home.  In some cases of minor damage, you may want to repair the drywall yourself, but if you have serious damage to walls or ceilings, you’ll likely need professional help to get those repairs done quickly and correctly.

The first step in restoring your walls and ceilings is to stop the problem that caused the damage in the first place. If you don’t take care of the source, you’ll constantly be dealing with water damage. This is obvious for large leaks, but don’t let small leaks fool you.

Drywall is very porous and excess moisture can cause it to lose its structural integrity very quickly. While you can repair some drywall, you can’t salvage drywall that’s blistered or sagging. In these cases, you may need to replace large portions of the drywall. When you remove damaged drywall, it’s important to make sure that the insulation and studs behind the drywall are dry. You may need to let the inside of the wall dry out for a few days before replacing the drywall.

When you start to tackle water damaged drywall, you need to watch out for mold. If the drywall is structurally sound but mold is present, you’ll need to kill the mold by scrubbing it off.  A diluted bleach solution will kill the mold, but it won’t damage the drywall.

If you plan to cover water stains in the drywall, again, you need to make sure the water leak has been identified and corrected.  Then you can begin the process of covering the stains. Start by scraping off any loose paint, then sanding the area until it’s smooth and free of imperfections. You can then cover the stain with paint.

Making minor repairs to drywall can be a simple do it yourself project and will give you a feeling of pride in your handiwork. Major repairs are another matter altogether.  When the water damage that you’ve suffered has affected large sections of walls or ceilings, you need to contact a professional.

SERVPRO of Jacksonville Beach/Ponte Vedra is dedicated to restoring your property to “Like it never even happened” condition. As a locally owned and operated company, providing the best possible customer service is our business.  We provide 24-hour emergency service to the Jacksonville and St. Johns County beaches are and have the training and expertise to handle your restoration and cleaning needs.

For additional information about our company, visit our website or call us at 904-246-6118.