How to Handle Wet Walls After a Leak or Flood
If your home has serious damage due to fire, wind, or water, call us immediately at 919-467-1991. We will show up soon and work fast to stop any further damage and begin the restoration process. We can work with your insurance company to make sure you pay as little as possible. We’re available around the clock, 7 days a week.
Water damage to your walls, whether from faulty plumbing or mother nature, needs to be addressed quickly and properly. Movable items like furniture and appliances can be moved out of harms way, but not much can be done to protect your walls in the event of a serious water event. Once the water has soaked in, you have a very small window to act. Walls that have been wet for less than a day, two at most, can be dried out with little to no long term risk. A steady supply of fresh dry air is important. An open window may not be enough, though. A few industrial box fans pointed directly at the wet wall for at least 48 hours should dry it sufficiently. All that’s left to do then is to paint over the stains.
For walls that have been wet for 3 days or longer, you’re best, and only safe option is to rip everything out down to the wood studs and rebuild with new drywall. Understand though, that if you have any DIY experience with patching holes in drywall, this is a bit more complicated. It’s easy to cut out drywall that feels wet to the touch with a box knife or drywall saw, but knowing how far the damage has spread beyond that requires training and experience. Drywall doesn’t need to be completely saturated to still have enough moisture inside to support mold and mildew. If any water damaged wood is left behind, all your hard work may be for nothing.
It’s recommended that you contact a professional. We’re available 24/7 through our emergency hot-line at 919-467-1991. Our trained and certified professionals will be able to determine the severity of the damage, and work with your insurance company to keep your out of pocket costs to a minimum. As licensed contractors, we’ll not only be able to rip out all of the damaged drywall, and any other affected structure, we can rebuild your home as good as new.
