I’ve done a bit of drywall repair, but I’m facing a situation which I haven’t dealt with before. Due to water damage, a 4′ by 6′ section of the ceiling has developed a significant droop. It might be about 1/2″ (maybe a little more) in the middle. Other than that, the drywall seems sound. Since I work alone, I would like to screw it back up rather than replace it, but I’m not sure if this would work.
The HO trusts me to do whatever it takes to fix and will pay accordingly. It certainly can’t hurt to try screws and fall back to plan B if it doesn’t work. I just like to go in mentally prepared.
-Don
Replies
Use drywall nails first as you can feel the rock being drawn up. Start from the outside of the damage and work inwards. The screw gun does not have a "feel" and will draw the screw in too far and it will pop. Using nails, you can slowly bring the board up to level and then add screws to securely fasten the board.
That too. You should be able to tell fairly quickly if the stuff got too wet to salvage or not. If it did, your clue will be that it's so crumbly that you can't GET a screw to hold it. It keeps punching through. If that's the case, tear out a hunk and replace it. Most of the time I prefer to replace, though I understand on a ceiling, maybe a small area, textured, if you can fix it with a few screws, that is a time saver.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
use "plaster washers " thin spring steel washers you use with a dw screw
they"re thin with aconcave shape. If you use a batt drill to drive the screws you should have enough feel with the washer to stitch it back up.
I order them from Charles Street Supply in Boston .Don't have a web address but if you google em probaly fine it
Insurance companys will tell you that if drywall gets wet, they want it cut out and replaced to prevent a mold claim in the future. I've seen some nasty stuff on the back side of damp drywall, and would decline to try and salvage it.
I work alone as well, but replacing a piece that size isn't a big deal (easy for me to say since I haven't seen it, right?) You can either rent a DW lift (about $35-50/day) or make one/two drywall T-supports to hold it up while you screw it off.
The washers are a good idea for a long term fix. When you are trying to pull it back to the ceiling joists, run long screws thjrough sections of lath or 1x2 or plywood strips or even paint stirrers. That will spread the force over a larger area and lessen the chance of tear-through. Of course you should remove the lath once the ceiling is flat again :)
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Thanks for all the replies. This forum truly is an invaluable resource.
I particulary like the idea of using a temporary "batten" to spread the force while attempting to re-secure the drywall.
And I appreciate the comments about ptential latent mold issues.
Now, I'm mentally prepared.
-Don
I say replace it.....peice of mind if nothing else.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Why did it get wet? Is it an ongoing situation? How much water leaked? Replace it. Wet drywall will never be right.
Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the Handyman
Vancouver, Canada
General rule about drywall-wet more than 48 hours-replace it.If you had a long term leak,replace it.If it got wet and dried quickly,no problem.The 48 hour rule comes from industry standards and applies whether it is installed or sitting in a stack waiting for the rockers.I understand that in your own house it is a personal call and if it seems dry and solid it could be saved,but with all those screws/nails aren't you going to be doing some finishing anyways?Mike
You and I totally agree
Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada
If it got that wet, mold is definitely going to be a problem, unless the air is so dry it can't live. I had to jack up my ceiling(rocklath and bad plaster) and replace some joists because the lath separated from the bowed joists, which should have been removed when they saw that they were warped. Because it was just one room, I made a T out of 2x4 and used my floor jack. It worked great and I didn't need to rent anything. I put it on a piece of plywood to distribute the load.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
someone said to use '"plaster washers " thin spring steel washers you use with a dw screw' they are great, used them on a job last week and it save a ton of time and mess -- mold is a different issue -- might not be an issue if the leak has been cured -- get my washers from McFeeley's