There are plenty of ways that drywall can be affected by water. It may be that a water pipe has sprung a leak. Perhaps water is running down from the attic recess and a damaged roof. Or you may have a sprinkler that is soaking the wall from the outside because it’s been wrongly positioned.

One of the first signs that drywall is being damaged is blistering. Here we look at how to repair water damaged wall and why it blisters.

Drywall blistering explained

When you spill water on a piece of paper, it bubbles and blisters; maybe wrinkling as it dries. The same thing happens to the paper backing on drywall when it gets wet. If the damage is too bad, you’ll need to replace at least the damaged section of your drywall.

Tips on diagnosing how to repair water damaged wall sections

If the wall is sagging by more than 3/8 of an inch from level, you’ll need to cut out the affected section and replace it. If the drywall isn’t sagging by this much, try pushing an awl though it. If you can’t punch through, then your drywall doesn’t need to be replaced, but if the drywall is soft and you can get the awl through, say, ¼ of an inch, you’ll need to follow these step-by-step instructions on how to repair water damaged wall:

• Cut out the damaged area in a square or rectangle
• Investigate the studs behind, and find the source of the water
• Stop the water leak, by repair or other remedial means
• Use a fan to dry the area thoroughly
• Cut a new piece of drywall to fit tightly into the hole you have made
• Attach the drywall, using drywall tape over the seams
• Prime and paint the new drywall

How to repair water damaged wall that doesn’t need replacing?

If you’ve caught the damage in time and only need to affect a minor repair, this can be done in 4 steps:

1. Dry thoroughly
2. Sand down to smooth
3. Prime
4. Paint

A good primer to use is KILZ – you’ll find that this will stop any stain coming through.

Remember, too, that wet walls often lead to mold. If this is the case, then you’re into a whole different ball game and must make sure that you don’t make mistakes when cleaning mold from drywall.

For more information, contact us today – we’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will be happy to help.

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