As noted above, water damage will usually leave walls soft to the touch, or otherwise warped, buckled, and crumbled. It also tends to cause a musty smell and dark brown or yellow-tinted stains, lines, or rings in both ceilings and walls.
Soft or warping drywall can signal water damage.
Your drywall will show signs of water damage in the wall by warping, swelling, or sagging as it succumbs to the weight of the water it absorbs. Your walls or ceilings may puff out and look swollen, or they may sink or cave in.
We often save the best for last, but in this case, we saved the worst. A big question homeowners often ask is “does wet drywall always need to be replaced?” and the answer is almost always yes. Water stains, discoloration, bubbling, peeling paint,.
Once it gets wet, porous drywall quickly becomes a breeding ground for mold growth. The process can take as little as 24 hours, but you might not see the damage for a week or more.
As noted above, water damage will usually leave walls soft to the touch, or otherwise warped, buckled, and crumbled. It also tends to cause a musty smell and dark brown or yellow-tinted stains, lines, or rings in both ceilings and walls.
Do you always have to replace drywall once it gets wet? That depends on the amount of water involved. If it is only a small amount and you can get the wall completely dry (as in a moisture meter deems it safe) then it is possible to salvage drywall with a coat of spackle and paint.
If the water absorbs into the drywall, mold can start to grow within a few days. In that case, you'll need to reach out to a contractor to remove and replace it.
If you want to DIY, here's how to dry wet walls out:
Use fans to move air around the damp walls. Dehumidifiers can help remove moisture from the air, which indirectly removes it from the walls, too. To speed up evaporation, remove molding and baseboards to prevent moisture from entering behind them.
If your drywall is absorbing moisture, you might notice the dark, spotty stains that indicate mold growth. You may see some fuzzy growth, or irregular spots ranging in color from brown or black to green and even pink.
In some situations, you will be able to let the drywall dry out on its own, but you may wonder how long it will take. Generally speaking, wet drywall will take three days to dry out completely, but the actual answer varies from case to case and depends on numerous factors.
Once they do, they can quickly spread to other areas of your home, and they are incredibly hard to get rid of. Mold and dampness have unpleasant smells anyway, but wet drywall has a bad smell of its own, especially if it contains fiberglass. Wet fiberglass has a smell like rotten eggs.
Mold From Water Leaks
Leaking water doesn't just happen when something big like a pipe bursts. Something as simple as a dripping faucet going unnoticed for months can cause a leak. While the water damage won't always be apparent. It can still cause mold to grow inside walls or under flooring.
If moisture damage isn't addressed swiftly, the structural integrity of the drywall becomes compromised, causing it to become soft, weak and susceptible to mold growth. The amount of damage is directly linked to how long drywall is exposed to water. Depending on how wet it gets, you might still be able to save it.
Can you paint over these troublesome water stains? Yes, as long as the drywall is not sagging or weakened. There are a few things that need to be done first, however, before you can paint over water damage: Repair: The area that has the water damage is stained because water got in.
Use Borax To Scrub Away The Mold.
You'll want to use 1 cup of Borax for every gallon of water you use. Take a vacuum and remove as much freestanding mold as you can. Then scrub the mold with your Borax solution until the signs of it disappear from the drywall.
Regularly check the dehumidifier's collection well, and reposition the air movers as necessary throughout the process to be sure to get everything. Use your moisture meter to track your progress. It takes around 3-5 days to completely dry wet drywall, so patience is key, but you should be seeing consistent progress.
Moisture behind walls can be detected with a pinless moisture meter. Pinless moisture testing a drywall structure is not only recommended for locating moisture problems.
Within the first 24 hours of a leak or flood, mold development, damage to floors, walls, and electrics, and even structural issues can occur. This is why it's always best to quickly hire a water cleanup pro near you for a consultation and repair.
Aside from the damage it does to your house itself, serious health issues can occur when people and animals are exposed to the fungus. In the most severe cases, mold can infest and grow in your home's drywall, bedding, furniture, and clothing. So, it's good sense to be concerned about staying and sleeping in your home.
Unlike the look of water stains, look for areas that are white, blue, green, or black in color. Grout that has darkened is another sign that you might have mold growing. But if you don't see mold in your home, check the areas you're concerned about for a musty or pungent smell — including your heat or air conditioning.
Mold Behind The Walls
If you start experiencing allergy symptoms such as those listed above, it may be a sign that there is some mold growing out of sight in your home, especially if there has been recent flooding or heavy rain. In addition, mold, even behind the walls, still leaves a trademark odor.
Musty Smell
The smell of mold feels earthy, like rotting leaves or decaying wood in a dense, damp forest. If you think there's mold in your walls, get on your hands and knees and smell the electrical outlets. This might sound silly, but it may help you sense mold if it's growing within walls.