Being snowbound definitely has its perks. The winter that never ends has been a great opportunity to check things off my home improvement checklist. From improving the insulation in the basement (because it’s easier to feel the drafty spots when it’s 10 degrees) and reconfiguring my home’s heating zones, to reassessing my closet organization, I worked on many areas of the home that get ignored during the summer months.
Most of our water-damaged drywall was fixed when we painted the home, but we left our entryway unpainted at that time. The patch of damaged drywall in there was worse than anywhere else in the house.
Repair water damage on drywall.
The entryway is a cute space; it’s only about 30 square feet. I love its flagstone floors, and with two sidelights flanking the front door, it’s filled with natural daylight. There used to be a door to separate it from our main living space, but I removed it originally to paint the door trim, and realized that keeping it open would let all of that daylight extend into our living area.
I knew too that I needed to spend some time on drywall repairs before painting again, and here we are… the perfect winter project!
We can only assume that water damage is to blame, because I’m not sure what else might have left the paint in a bubbling and cracking condition. Fortunately, whatever issue caused it must have been corrected when the previous owners replaced the roof. The damage was within the realm of self-repair, so I got busy.
If you’re looking to repair your own drywall at home, follow these easy tips, and just remember, sandpaper can cure any errors.
You’ll need:
- paint scraper
- sandpaper (80-150 grit is good), unless you’re tackling a large area with a palm sander (180+ should be fine for that)
- joint compound
- joint putty knifes – one big mudding knife, and a smaller size, too
1. Remove Flaking Paint
Start by removing the loose and flaking paint. A paint scraper is ideal for this occasion. You want to focus on making the surface smooth so that no flakes are protruding, and so divots in the drywall are completely exposed.
Water damage on drywall.
2. Sand the Wall
Use a piece of sandpaper to even out any remaining irregularities in the damaged drywall. And because you’re going to have to re-paint the patched area (or maybe the entire room), use the sandpaper all over the walls as part of the preparation for painting. If you’re tackling a big area, consider using a palm sander with fine-grade sandpaper (180+). For small areas, sanding by hand will do.
3. Apply Joint Compound
Buy yourself a container of premixed joint compound, and one or two joint knives. I like using one with a smaller 3-5″ edge for small areas. A larger 10-12″ edge is better for large areas and sweeping movements because it’s easier to create a tapered edge with a wide knife.
Yes, spring for the pre-mixed compound to save yourself a mess; you can get a small container of premixed all-purpose joint compound for <$5.
Spread the joint compound across the affected area, smoothing edges with a wide putty knife.
Use the smaller knife to apply the compound to the gouges. Focus on covering the damaged areas, and then (if you aren’t already wielding it) bring in the big knife to take longer swipes to even out the surface of the compound. Feather the edges out.
You’ll find that extending the compound into a gradually thinner and thinner layer extending far away from your “problem area” will allow your new patchwork to be very subtle.
Allow the joint compound to dry for several hours (or overnight, if thick).
Focus on eliminating as many knife marks as possible, but as they say, avoid “overworking” the compound. If it’s not perfectly flat, you’ll have a chance to sand out raised areas when it dries.
4. Sand the Dry Compound
Once it is dry, go over the new surface with sandpaper to eliminate any raised areas. The goal is to make the overall transition from old drywall to new compound patch virtually undetectable. Smooth finish, no ridges.
If there are still detectable gouges to address, you can apply a new coat of joint compound and sand again.
Sand joint compound smooth, and then prime the wall.
5. Prime Before Painting
Once it’s finished, you’ll need to apply a new coat of primer before re-painting. With a final coat of paint, you’ll never know that there was any wall damage. Easy as that!
This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in March 2015.
4 Comments
Make sure not to neglect those ice dams, they can lead to bad leaks over time! Most often insufficient attic insulation is the culprit.
Love your blog! Keep up the great work!
Yes! We’ve not had any problems in that corner of the house since we moved in, and it looked like really old damage. We bought an roof rake last winter and use and recommend it often! Thank goodness for ranch homes with easy to reach roofs, right?
We had this large hole in our drywall, it was in the corner of our piano room. Come to find out, it was caused by water damage. It was getting really gross, finally ended up fixing it and getting to the root of the problem. Thank You!
Water damaged drywall is almost always a sign of a larger issue. Ours was a leaking seal on a picture window, but the water was running almost 3 feet away, making the water damage on the drywall difficult to see. We were able to fix the damaged drywall and, after finding the leaking window, solve the problem at its source. Great page, by the way!