I recently had a leak in my roof. Now my closets and lower bath smells like wet paint. what would cause that?

Question

I had a roofer out here and he said that I have missing shingles and some minor hail damage, BUT, I have a noticible leak in my laundry room and you can see the outline of a piece of sheet rock in my livingroom ceiling. Now the paint smell wont go away. I have not painted the closets or bathroom in years (it is a half bath that has no shower or tub in it). Help.

Answer 1

You're probably smelling mildew.

Answer 2

First, the leak is probably making the paint wet as many paints today are water soluable.

You need to get someone to cover the roof up, wash away any paint that may have dribbled in any places bad, by checking everything through; then it should dry off and then smell should go after about 2-3 days.

NOTE - Ensure against fungal rot, this can occur after leaks and floods.

Answer 3

dampness!The leak may have caused the drywall to become damp or wet.This WILL lead to mold and mildew.First - fix the leak.Then get some ventilation to the walls.This might include cutting some holes in the drywall to allow air to get into the spaces to get them dry!If you leave it - it will get worse ,smell worse possibly start rotting the stud walls and the mold spores will grow.Use an electric fan to get the air moving to get that moisture dried up.Good Luck !

Answer 4

It's mold.

It might be necessary to rip out the sheet rock and insulation, allow the wood to dry, then replace with new insulation and sheet rock.

Answer 5

wet sheet rock..sounds like it is beginning to mold...you need to get in there and take the wall apart and find it...you can use some cleaners to stop the mold but you need to let it air dry first so that you arent just moving it around..

Answer 6

Your probably smelling mildew not paint, and there is some cleaning products that you can use to get rid of it, before it makes you sick.