The historic February 2021 storm has left residents all over Texas with burst pipes, skyrocketing energy costs, and wall damages from water issues. When you experience a home emergency after a natural disaster, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but the Pros are here to let you know that there’s no reason to panic about drywall water damage repair. Especially when our team has the experience, equipment, and insurance documentation needed to help you get your home back in tip-top shape right away!
Is Drywall Ruined if it Gets Wet?
In short?yes. Just because it’s out of sight doesn’t mean you should put it out of your mind. Leaving wet drywall unattended and unrepaired for too long can cause serious health issues for you, your family, and your pets.
If it gets too wet and stays that way for too long, drywall will lose its structural integrity and begin to develop mold spores in the space between the insulation and drywall. This loss of structural integrity and mold growth occurs after the insulation has had time to absorb the water like a sponge, allowing it to be soaked up by your 2×4 studs and potentially damage your electrical wiring.
How Do You Remove Water Damage from Drywall?
There’s not a simple way to remove the damage the water has done to your drywall, but there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk of developing mold spores:
- Find the focal point of the water damage and assess the severity of damage by using a tool called a moisture meter. If it shows a reading over 1%, then it’s time to replace your drywall.
- Rent a professional dehumidifier and some high-volume fans from your local hardware store or equipment rental business to begin removing some of the water from the room. This process usually takes around three days.
- If the wall’s initial moisture content was in the green zone you can begin cosmetic repairs once the water-stained wall feels completely dry and shows a reading less than 1%.
If you are unable to perform a full water damage restoration, then a coat of primer and paint will not be enough. It might be time to consider reaching out to a trusted team of professionals to help you with your drywall replacement if you feel out of your depths performing the fix yourself.
Do I Have to Replace Drywall That Got Wet?
Not all water-damaged drywall will need to be replaced. There are a few factors contributing to the tipping point between repair and replacement, including the amount of water that saturated the drywall and how quickly you address the problem.
If your moisture meter showed an initial reading above 1%, it’s probably your best bet to consider replacement. Not only can water-logged and sagging drywall and sheetrock create the potential for mold growth; if you sustained ceiling damages from water pipes bursting, it can also lead to collapsed ceilings for a much bigger fix than simply taping and floating a few sections of your wall at the start.
Drywall Water Damage Repair and Replacement in Houston
We know that you have a lot on your plate right now as the city of Houston begins to recover from this winter’s historic ice storm and that it can feel overwhelming to face the renovations that follow a storm of this magnitude, but the Pros are here to help!
Whether you’re facing a small leak or staring at a wall full of holes after a sewage backup or a burst waterline called for a full home repipe and the plumbers left your home a mess, the Pro Painters team has experience helping Houstonians recover. We were there for you and your family after Hurricane Harvey left thousands with drywall water damage, and we’re here for you now. Contact us today if you need drywall water damage repair – we’re here to help.
