Walls and drywall
Water in walls and wet drywall in Kyle, Texas
Water inside a wall is hard to see and slow to dry. The surface may look nearly normal while the cavity behind it is wet.
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How water gets into a wall
Water enters a wall from above, below or behind. A supply line or drain in the wall can leak. A roof or window leak can run down inside the cavity. Flooding can wick up from the floor, since drywall pulls water upward like a wick.
A condensate line or an air handler near the wall can also drip into it. The list below shows the patterns.
- Dark line or swelling at the bottom of the baseboard: water from below or from the floor.
- Stain or bubbling high on a wall, near the ceiling: water from the roof, the attic or a line above.
- Stain that tracks down from a window: a window leak or failed seal.
- Cool, damp patch on an interior wall near a bathroom or kitchen: a supply or drain line in the wall.
- Wall that feels soft or crumbly when pressed: long exposure to moisture.
Signs to look for
The signs vary with how long the water has been there. Early on, the paint may bubble. Later, the paper face of the drywall softens and the wall may sag.
- Paint that blisters, cracks or peels.
- Wallpaper edges that lift.
- A musty smell, even faint.
- Baseboards that pull away or swell.
- Screws or nails that rust through the wall surface.
- A reading on a moisture meter that is higher than the dry wall next to it.
What to do while you wait
Find the cause before touching the wall. If a pipe is leaking inside it, closing the main stops the water. If the cause is outside, the wall will keep getting wet until the source is fixed.
- Do not drill into a wall that might contain wiring. Treat any wet wall near outlets or switches as an electrical hazard and turn off that circuit from a dry location.
- Move furniture away from the wall and pull it several inches out for air.
- Open doors and run the air conditioner or a fan to move air through the room.
- Photograph the wall, the baseboard and the floor. Keep a note of when you saw it.
- Do not paint, caulk or cover the wall. That seals moisture in.
What a contractor usually does
A contractor reads moisture at several heights along the wall and records the numbers. A wall that is wet at the bottom but dry at four feet shows how far up the water went.
Baseboards come off first. Small holes may be drilled, or a strip of drywall cut near the floor, so air can reach the cavity. Wet insulation is removed. Drywall that stayed wet or has softened is cut out above the water line and replaced after drying.
The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold, so the first day matters more than the schedule on paper.
How insurance tends to read a wall leak
The Texas Department of Insurance says sudden and accidental water damage is the type most policies cover and continuous seepage is not. A pipe that split last night is the first kind. A wall that has been damp for months is the second.
TDI also says to take photos before repairs and keep damaged materials until the adjuster has seen them. For a wall, that can mean keeping the cut-out piece of drywall.
After the repair
Before the wall is closed, ask for the final moisture readings in writing. After it is closed, watch for a return of the stain, a smell or bubbling paint.
Replacing drywall is straightforward. Finding the source is the harder part. If the cause was a plumbing line, a plumber licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners should make the repair.
Water is still moving. Call now.
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