In a water damage event, it’s essential to swiftly eliminate the water and dry your own property. That way, you may reduce further damage to your home’s structure and contents, such as floors, furniture, ceiling, and drywall (gypsum board). Based on the sort of flooding and where water has intruded, the drywall must be entirely or partly replaced. Read below to learn how to fix water damaged drywall. 

What you have to know before learning how to fix water damaged drywall

If moist drywall is brought on by overhead flooding, the ceiling may collapse. In cases like this, have your house’s structure assessed by a professional restoration firm.

Additionally, in the event the drywall water damage was a result of sewage backup, consult certified professionals for repairs. This type of job involves security issues and biohazard cleaning services that are often beyond the capacity of average homeowners.

Before repairing water damaged drywall, locate and resolve the water supply. Extract the standing water and dry the region. The longer the water stays, the larger the harm to your own shingles will be.

The best way to repair water damaged drywall

First, clear the area. Eliminate water-soaked furniture and construction materials. Also, remove wet carpeting and padding, or pull it back to enable the floor to air out.

Take safety precautions

When removing drywall, wear respiratory protection as some old asphalt joint compound includes asbestos. Additionally, remove non-affected electric outlets before tearing out wall material. Switch off the circuit breakers. If the sockets are flooded, remove and discard them.

Remove damaged substances

Start by determining how much drywall to cut away. This helps when reinstalling full sheets of drywall. If the water level has been greater than two-and-a-half feet, eliminate the wall material to a height of eight feet or the ceiling, whichever is higher.

If you do not understand the water level, inspect the drywall. Remove any cracked, crumbling, or cracked drywall. But if it’s only moist and also the water supply was sterile (e.g., A burst pipe in your house), you can likely dry it. Based on the amount of water damage, you may also need to remove damaged wall studs, cabinets, flooring, and ceilings. Next, it is time to cut the damaged portions of the drywall.

How to cut drywall

1. Mark a straight line along the wall — over the point at which water stopped wicking — with a chalk line.
2. Cut across the chalk line one-half or three-quarters of the way throughout the thickness of the drywall. To make that easier, knock on a little hole at the damaged drywall using a hammer. Use the hole as a handle to pull back the drywall.
3. Once you cut out and remove the gutters, take out all of the insulation (fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, wood fiberboard, etc.). Even if it doesn’t appear wet, it likely is. When it’s foam plastic insulation, it is possible to leave it in place and let it dry.

Dry the water damaged walls

Once the damaged drywall is eliminated, start drying the area around and inside the wall. Utilize high-efficiency blowers and dehumidifiers and open the doors and windows. Use fans to improve airflow behind walls and then leave them running for at least 2 days so the studs and flooring can completely dry.

Note: prevent punching holes in walls. This practice will not help the wall dry quicker. Plus, it makes it harder to repair your own shingles.

Sanitize and deodorize

Use a chemical sanitizer to prevent mold and bacteria from forming between partitions. Avoid bleach as it will not prevent mold from growing. Vacate the area while the ozone system is running. If you’re looking for mold removal services, check this out for more information.

How to replace water damaged drywall

Now it’s time to hang fresh drywall. First, measure the size of this hole that will help you understand how much to cut from a brand new sheet of drywall. Put four drywall clips around the pit and secure every one using a drywall screw.

Then, insert the drywall bits and fasten them to drywall clips. Finally, sand the place several times to get a smooth wall surface.

Paint the revived drywall

This is the last step in restoring water damaged drywall. First, make sure the joint chemical is completely dry as it might contain a lot of moisture. Then, paint the wall using a primer to help seal the region. Following that, paint the whole wall to ensure the color is uniform throughout.

For professional drywall water damage repair, phone PuroClean!

As you’ve noticed, the procedures of how to repair water damaged gutters are complicated and time-consuming. Everything has to be done quickly using the right methods and tools. Click here to find out more.

Don’t risk further harm by taking on the job of flooding water damage repair yourself. We use professional equipment, such as heavy-duty air movers, industrial dehumidifiers, moisture meters, and high-volume water extractors, to quickly and efficiently dry and repair your gutters as well as the surrounding moist areas.

To recap, this is how to repair water damaged drywall:

1. Locate and resolve the water supply that caused the harm.
2. Take safety precautions — wear a dust mask, rubber gloves, switch off the circuit breaker.
3. Eliminate the damaged portions of the drywall. Cut them using a utility knife.
4. Further arid the water damaged walls with fans and dehumidifiers.
5. Sanitize and deodorize the area to get rid of musty smells and bacteria.
6. Replace the cut-out portions of the drywall.
7. Paint the restored shingles using mold-resistant paint.
8. Telephone a restoration company to do these tasks for you quickly and efficiently.