Wet Drywall-Replace All or Patch & Paint?

Question

The roof in my apartment recently sprung a leak, resulting
in stained and dripping areas on the ceiling around the fireplace and also wet & weeping areas on the walls around the fireplace My landlord says the ceiling and walls don't need to have the drywall replaced just wait till it drys then patched and repainted. At what point do i say repairing just won't cut it.
The ceiling and wall have gotten wet before and is still dripping/
weeping after 3 days.

Answer 1

How much say do you really have? That is always a problem with rentals.

If it is still leaking, either the leak is not fixed and it is still raining, or there is a ton of water held in the ceiling and walls. Personally, I would put a small hole in both to see how much comes out.

Drywall does not respond well to being soaked. Plaster does better, but it doesn't like it either.

First, the leak needs to be fixed. Then the damage needs to dry. Then it is possible to see how strong the remaining drywall is. If it is disintegrating, it needs to be replaced, not patched.

There is also a possibility of mold forming. Some types of mold poison the air. This is not urban legend, you can research it on the Internet. Not all mold is toxic, but all mold is bad, inside a house. If anyone has lung issues, it is very bad.

Since this is still weeping after 3 days, it was/is a major problem. That means it needs more than chewing gum and bailing wire to fix. Based on that statement, I would open up the wall and ceiling to let it dry out. I would put in dehumidifiers to speed the process.

Any insulation that you remove must be thrown away, not reused. Also, insulation holds water, like a sponge, but not as bad. Any that is even wet really should be replaced as it's insulation value is lowered.

The dehumidifier is not simply because I'm in a hurry. The longer it takes to dry, the more mold is likely. After it is 110% dry, I would replace the drywall that I removed.

Most landlords want to do the minimum that they have to. Some want to do even less than that.

Any stains must be sealed with a special primer or coating made specifically to seal stains. If you don't, it will bleed through. Matching the texture, if any is extremely difficult. Matching the paint might be possible, or not. It depends on many factors, such as the age of the paint and how well they mixed it when it was tinted.

Since it is around a fireplace, I hope they fixed it correctly. It is probably more than simply putting tar into a crack. Many brick chimneys are built with inadequate water diversion at the roof.

A quick fix is tar. A correct fix can mean adding some wood to create a water flow path that directed away from the chimney, not toward it. Urethane based calk is also much better than tar, but it costs more and fewer people know about it.

Answer 2

Wet drywall will never dry properly. The paper holding the board together is probably bad already.
1. Make the landlord repair the leak
2. Replace walls and ceiling with paperless drywall (new product and is 100% mold resistant)
3. Make sure you document everything! Have everything notarized.
If you land lord is too cheap or too lazy move out. If you love this place get a lawyer. There are laws protecting tenants from slum lords.

Answer 3

Now is when you say something. First, he has to address the leak. With the drywall being wet, you are subject to mold, which can make people sick. Tell him he has to replace it, not just cover it up or you will report it or take it as a lease breaker and you will move. Any landlord knowingly putting his tentants in harms way with health code violations is someone you should consider getting away from. I would also take pictures now to have the ammunition when you confront him.

Answer 4

it will flake and be soft to the touch after about a week if it needs replacing. most wall board will dry but it takes a LONG time and often will no longer be good and stable...in other words easy to break and crumble if the outside cardboard will not dry. unfortunately - many landlords take the easy way out and patch and paint everything...substantial or not. watch it for mold 1st and foremost. if moldy - spray it will a mix of water and bleach to stop the mold then see if it dries solid.

Answer 5

well lanlords are notorius for not wanting to fix a damn thing. take pictures, video if you have it, document it. at some point it may come in handy.

The next problem you will face is mildew. this can be a health risk to you. i would tell em fix it, fix it now, or you take them to court. usually a call the local building inspectors office will suffice, if in fact you can get him out there. they will force him to fix it, and the leaking roof too. course, where you live...i dont know how they are about such things, they may side with landlords at all costs, since they are usually bribing them.

Answer 6

I'd patch and paint--after it's all dry, pull out anything that comes out readily. Then you can patch any large holes with a piece of drywall, or you can use the handy mesh backing and use regular plaster...both will work fine, and if it's finished well, you'll never know the fiference. If it's still dripping, though, the leak is probably not fixed...different problem

Answer 7

the superb restore is to interchange the broken part of your ceiling. verify the area of the ceiling joists surrounding the broken section and get rid of the broken drywall as much as the joists. decrease a sparkling piece of drywall to in high quality condition the bumped off bit and screw in place. be conscious joint tape over joints and be conscious base coat. permit dry then be conscious 2d coat, enable to dry then be conscious 0.33 coat feathering it out around the prevailing drywall so as that no bumps would be considered. Wait 24hrs then sand it back with a open weave (mesh) pad. Then be conscious paint.

Answer 8

Wet and walls together equals MOLD and dangerous mold. I would give notice to your landlord and get the heck out of dodge while your health is still good. You can get a new apartment, but once you get infested with black mold...well...you'll just never be the same.

Check out this website:
http://www.toxic-black-mold-info.com/moldsigns.htm

Answer 9

Find another apt , your landlord is an idiot . you're looking at major mold damage as well as it's never going to look or be right unless it is replaced .This can be a major health issue .

Answer 10

its not your house let him worry about it. If he nickles and dimes it and ends up paying an arm and leg to fix it its not your problem.