What do you do when drywall gets wet?

Question

There are cracks outside on the stucco wall, above the windows. The rain has been coming through for some time and the plaster inside has come down. Once the plaster was scraped down, you could see inside to the drywall, about a 6 inch square. Do you just plaster over this or is it advisable to change the drywall?

Also, what kind of caulking do you recommend to seal the cracks outside on the stucco?

Answer 1

it would probably be best to re-do the drywall, it could lead to extended wall problems and possibly mold. For the outside window i would porbably choose an extreame weather outdoor caulking or possibly some form of weather stripping.

Answer 2

Use a sharp utility knife or saw and very carefully, cut away any drywall that is deteriorated (damaged by water) Try to make this as square as possible and be sure to go to the vertical 2x4 of the frame. you will want to go about 1 inch over the 2x4 on each side. measure and cut the drywall sheet to fit, use 'fiber tape' (a self-adhesive fiberglass drywall tape) on the seams. apply the drywall compound in 3 coats. about 3 inches, 5 inches and 8 inches to taper the seam so it will not be seen, but still give the most amount of strength. let each application dry throughly (should take 3 days for 3 layers) sand between coats. You can also use a damp sponge. be careful not to over sand/sponge.
Prime with a latex (waterbased) primer/sealer which may be 1/2 tinted to the color of paint on the wall. The paint store will know how to do this. just ask for the color in half tint.
paint the wall probally 2 more coats of paint, and be sure to spread a very light coat onto the old wall, to blend in the new paint to the old. *note... you may or may not have to remove the window trim to do the repair, do so carefully so you dont break it*
As to the outside, I suggest patching the cracks with stucco. OR, filling them with a silicon caulking. Any caulking will actually do if rated indoor/outdoor but silicon is most water resistant.

Answer 3

You better patch the holes on the outside and inside,tuff stuff the foam works pretty good,then re-stucco w/stucco patch.as for the drywall inside,you dont have to replace the whole sheet,you can cut part of it re-tape and mud it .If you have a texture there are spray cans available at HomeDepot,Lowes any hardware store that you can match relatively easy.After that seal the new drywall w/PVA primer and re-paint.usually if you have water damage you better use some kilz,after you let things dry out first.Oh 1 more thing, after you stucco patch the outside caulk the tops of the windows with DAP exterior .They have it in clear,white ,tan etc.

Answer 4

Ok, I would use silicon caulking for the cracks, so that it doesnt leak into the drywall again.

Now, if it was "me", I would take the entire sheet of drywall down. What you are NOT seeing maybe more than you have want or need for, like MOLD!!

Mold can cause respiratory problems, as well as heart problems and other things associated with it, including "death".... (yea, it sure can).

So, I would tear it out, or get a mirror and look down all the way with a flashlight that is thin, and will snake around in the hole...or, just make it "safe" and tear it out and replace it.

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 5

I agree with the people who say replace the damaged dry wall. A good trick for cutting the replacement piece is to screw it on top of the section to be removed, then use a drywall saw to cut through both pieces so that you are cutting down the new piece as you cut out the old piece. Once you've cut out the damaged part, unscrew the pieces and place the new one in the wall. You can patch the screw holes with drywall compound.

Answer 6

Drywall: cut out a square and replace it. If it has been wet, it will probably get moldy.
Caulk: Not sure about the stucco, it depends on what kind of cracks you mean. Are they in the wall itself, or next to the window trim? Trim should probably be a latex or silicone (test to see if it sticks), but up to you if you need paint to stick to it or if it needs flexibility.

Answer 7

Home Depot carries a stucco repair kit. Unless the drywall is in danger of falling down or breaking apart or molding, it should dry just fine.

Answer 8

I would definately replace the drywall. Of course that is after you find out how it got wet and fix the problem. If you try to patch it or seal it, it may still cause mold to grow. Which can result in major problems down the road.

Answer 9

Seal the stucco w/ indoor outdoor silicon sealant. Remove all water damaged drywall and replace. If your house is still under the builders warranties,make them repair it free of charge !

Answer 10

If the drywall got wet, it needs to be replaced, but not necessarily the entire piece. You can use a knife and cut out the wet spot up to the support where its nailed. Then replace with new drywall. Tape and spackle, sand and paint. It's really very simple.