Are you a homeowner? If so, there is one problem that you may not have considered: water damage. Oh yes, and it can happen faster than you think. All you need is one leaky pipe, a broken or clogged toilet, or even simply neglecting to fix your leaky faucet. Whatever the cause of the damage, you will need to quickly attend to the issue and prevent further harm from being done.
This article will cover how to repair water-damaged bathroom walls and other such problems such as cracks in the drywall (also known as “sheetrock”) which happen when moisture causes it to expand and then contract again. You must address water damage immediately before it worsens and becomes costly.
Water damage can cause several symptoms to show up on the surface of the wall. These include discoloration, swelling, and blistering. If you have any of these symptoms in your bathroom, your bathroom wall may already be severely damaged. But you do not want to wait just because it looks like this. No matter what stage it’s in, you need to act FAST!
Safety Equipment Needed
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Mask
- Clothes that you don’t mind getting ruined
- Hard hat for falling debris.
Finding the Water Damaged Area
Remember, you need to take care of your drywall right away after water damage. First, you are going to want to remove the trimming around the damaged area. Next, find the nearest stud that appears to have no damage and cut the drywall. Pry the drywall back and check behind it for water damage. From here, you will draw a rectangular shape around the damaged area. Be sure you get some undamaged wall and stud in the rectangle, so you are sure to remove all of the damage.
Using a utility knife, carefully cut along the square you’ve drawn.
Remove the Water Damaged Section
If any studs have rotted, you must replace them. Be warned; this is NOT a simple task. Cutting away a larger section of drywall may be required. This is essential to fix your wall correctly.
Before closing the wall, you may need to check that the floor has not been damaged as well. If it has, then you will need to take measures to fix the floor at this time. Let us know if you would like a blog explaining how to fix your flooring as well.
Closing the Hole
To cover up a hole in your wall from water damage, you will need to close it with new drywall. You will need to measure and cut the drywall pieces to fit the hole. You can choose to use drywall screws or drywall nails to secure it, whichever you feel is more appropriate. Now it’s time for drywall tape and mud. Be sure to mud over the drywall screws or nails. Allow the mud to dry.
Once the mud has dried, you will need to sand it down to make it even and smooth.
How to Prevent Future Damage
One of the best ways to protect your home from water damage is to hire a plumber to fix water leaks and check for any water clogs that may be making it difficult for water to flow freely through pipes.
You will want to make sure that you have a well-fitted shower door or an adequate shower curtain when it comes to shower areas. It would be best if you also were confident that your shower area is well ventilated. Steam can cause water damage!
The main thing is to make sure you look where water might be escaping protected areas and address the problem quickly.
You also want to check for water leaks. Water leaks can be difficult to notice, but water will usually drip down the wall or floor somewhere. There are a few ways to tell if water is getting to an area where it shouldn’t be.
The first way is by checking the drywall for water damage. Water can cause discoloration, swelling, and blistering of the drywall, so if you have this, then water may have already caused some significant damage to your home.
Another way water may cause water damage is by swelling your carpet or rug – the padding underneath your carpet will eventually soak up water until it becomes damp or starts to smell bad.
Remember, it’s essential to act quickly when water damage occurs in your bathroom. The first step is finding the water-damaged area, which can be done by removing, trimming around the damaged section, and locating a stud that isn’t water-damaged. Once you’ve discovered this, create lines on either side of it before measuring out an even square with a utility knife. Next, remove any remaining screws or nails from exposed studs using a putty knife. You’ll then want to cut away larger sections of drywall if necessary for repairs ensuring there are no rotted studs present so they can be replaced, as well as checking the floor for water damage too! Lastly, apply drywall tape followed by drywall compound to close up holes in walls before sanding and finally allowing it to dry.
We also found this video to be very helpful in completing the task.
If you have found this helpful, let us know in the comments below. And if you need assistance with your bathroom, be sure to contact us. What better time to get a full bathroom remodel than this?