Learning About Luxury Real Estate

Water damage on drywall can be a real pain. If you leave it alone, you run the risk of mold formation. The difficulty of restoring water-damaged drywall depends on how severe it is. If the drywall is actually swollen or warped, it is probably easiest if you just replace the entire piece. However, if there is no deterioration or warping, you can probably preserve your drywall. This article explains how to quickly save your existing drywall so you don't need to replace it.

Dry It Out as Quickly as Possible

The key is to get your drywall dry as soon as possible. You will probably need to rent some industrial strength dryers or space heaters to do this. These are easy to find at most hardware stores that do equipment rental. Make sure you get an electric powered unit for convenience sake. Usually, you will need to let it blow directly on your wet drywall overnight to dry it out.

Clean the Wall with TSP

Next, you want to clean your walls with TSP (trisodium phosphate). This heavy duty cleaner will remove any water spots, mold, or dirt that dried on your walls. It will also prevent any further mold formation. TSP is definitely the most effective cleaning product for prepping walls before painting them.

Prime and Paint Your Walls

Priming your walls is another vital step that you should not skip. Some people try to skip this, especially if they are just going to repaint their drywall the same color that it was before. However, this is not a good idea if you are trying to restore your walls after water damage. The primer will protect the wall more than the paint will. It is not a perfectly waterproof seal, but it will solidify the porous surface of drywall. It will also make it easier to paint over any discoloration that might have been created by the water damage.

Primer should dry for a full day before painting over it. Most paint jobs will require at least two coats. Thicker paint on your walls will certainly add a little protection that could be vital if you ever have any more water damage in the future.

Restoring water-damaged drywall is simple if you are able to dry, clean and paint it before there is any serious decay. You can save time and money if you are able to fix the problem on your own. Contact a company like Spotless Carpet Cleaners & Janitorial Services Inc to learn more.