Repairing sheetrock ceiling water damage
geoffhazel
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
We had a small water leak in the roof that dampened a section of the sheetrock ceiling about 20″ in diameter, including where sheets meet at a joist, and of course the paper tape is detached.
The rock itself has bowed down about 1/4-1/2″ and it’s weaker, so when I try to suck it back up flat, the screws pull through.
Is there anything I might try to get the rock secured back up and flat before re-taping it, or am I better off cutting it out and replacing it?
Replies
If has softened and won't pull back up then it is cut and patch time.
Make sure you cut several inches outside of what appears to be the damaged area to ensure you remove all the softened material.
It's hopeless -- tear the house down and start over from scratch.
Or you could try plaster washers -- basically thin fender washers with a bit of a curl to them, intended to secure loose plaster (in cooperation with drywall screws). Or plain old fender washers might work.
But removing the old and patching isn't that difficult, and is what you should do if the section is pretty rotten.
better off cutting it out and replacing it - cut out the bad area, center of joist to center of joist, replace, tape, and texture to match.
CaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com
It seems to me that it's no harder to fix a big hole than a little one. It might even be easier.
Make your patch quite a bit larger than the damaged area - at least a hands' span all around ... and make one dimension of the patch a multiple of your joist spacing ... so that two edges will be resting on the joists.
Actually, 'making the hole' is NOT the first thing to do, though. First, find the joists! Then, cut your patch. Finally, with a helper holding the patch in place over the damaged area, trace around the patch onto the ceiling. NOW cut the hole to match the patch.
Cut it out and replace it. Trying to re-secure it will probably just consume more time in the long run.
To make things easier, I cut the patch before I cut out the damaged section. I hold the patch up where it will go, trace around it and cut out the damaged area for a perfect fit. I don't find it particularly easy to remove drywall halfway across a joist so I usually use a backer where the new meets old.
If you want a truly invisible patch, remove 1" of the paper layer around the perimeter of the patch and 1" from the old drywall. Prime this channel to help secure any loose bits. After the primer dries, lay the new joint tape in place and you should have a nice flat butt joint.
If it's a one time thing. Strap it with some 1x to bring it back flat and let it dry out.