Water-Damaged Drywall Repair

Water damage can turn a small drywall repair into a much larger project, and what you see from inside the room doesn’t always show the full extent of the damage. Patch Pros provides professional water-damaged drywall and ceiling repair after the source of the leak has been identified and corrected. With more than 20 years of professional drywall finishing experience, we evaluate the condition of the affected material, remove damaged drywall when necessary, rebuild the area, and finish and texture the repair to blend with the surrounding surface as closely as possible. We repair drywall damage caused by: • Plumbing leaks and burst pipes • Roof leaks • Bathtubs and showers • Toilet leaks • HVAC and air-conditioning issues • Failed caulking around wet areas • Other accidental water damage The first priority is fixing the source of the water. Installing new drywall while a pipe, roof, shower, toilet, or other source is still leaking will only damage the new material again. In many cases, a plumber, roofer, HVAC professional, or other appropriate contractor has already corrected the problem before we arrive. If the source hasn’t been located yet, damaged drywall can sometimes be opened to provide access and help expose the area where the water is entering. The underlying problem should then be corrected before the finished drywall repair is closed. Does water-damaged drywall always need to be replaced? Not necessarily. A stain or damaged surface doesn’t automatically mean an entire section of drywall needs to come out. If the drywall is dry and structurally sound, some surface damage may be scraped, prepared, recoated, and refinished. If the drywall is still wet or damp, soft, sagging, deteriorated, or significantly damaged, removing and replacing the affected material is generally the better approach. Removing damaged drywall also allows us to see what’s happening behind the finished surface. That’s important because water can travel farther than the visible stain. We’ve encountered water-damage projects where what initially appeared to be approximately a 5” × 5” ceiling repair ultimately became closer to a 5’ × 5’ repair once the area was opened and the actual extent of the damage became visible. That’s why the scope of a water-damage repair can sometimes change after work begins. We can estimate what we can see, but we can’t know exactly what’s behind a closed wall or ceiling until the affected area is opened. If additional damaged material is discovered, we’ll explain what we found and why the repair may need to extend farther. What if the framing behind the drywall is still damp? If wet drywall has been removed and the wood framing behind it is still damp, we don’t want to immediately cover it with new drywall. The cavity may need to remain open so the framing has time to dry before the wall or ceiling is closed. Depending on the situation, that may mean leaving the area open overnight or longer before returning to install and finish the new drywall. What happens if mold is discovered? Mold can change the scope of a drywall project. Affected drywall may need to be removed rather than covered or refinished, and more extensive suspected mold may require evaluation or remediation by a qualified mold professional before drywall installation continues. Patch Pros specializes in drywall repair and finishing, not professional mold remediation. If we open an area and discover conditions that should be handled by a remediation specialist, we’ll let you know rather than simply covering the problem with new drywall. Once the affected material has been removed, the source of the moisture has been corrected, and the area is ready to be closed, we can rebuild the drywall and complete the finishing process. That can include installing replacement drywall, taping, applying joint compound, finishing the repair, skim coating when necessary, and matching the existing wall or ceiling texture as closely as possible. Patch Pros provides professional water-damaged drywall and ceiling repair throughout Denver and the surrounding metro area. Have water-damaged drywall? Send us a close-up photo of the damaged area, a wider photo showing the entire wall or ceiling, and approximate measurements. Let us know whether the source of the leak has already been repaired as well. Many projects can be initially evaluated from photos, and free on-site estimates are available when the damage is larger or we need to inspect the project in person.