There are a number of reasons for having water damaged plasterboard. It could be from floods, a leaky or burst pipe, or even after firefighters put out a fire. Whatever your reason for having wet plasterboard, it is important that the moisture is dealt with quickly. Sometimes water damaged gyprock can be dried and repaired, while at other times the plasterboard has to be replaced. Here’s what you need to know about water damaged plasterboard.
Repairing Wet Drywall and Water Damaged Plasterboard
How you go about dealing with or repairing wet drywall is going to greatly depend on how much water caused the damage. The approaches to take are completely different for a couple of centimetres of water compared to a meter of water or more. It also depends on the nature of the water damage. Did the water come from a flood or from a leaky pipe? We’re going to tackle these different wet drywall situations and explain how to deal with water damaged gyprock.
A Word About Dirty Water
Let’s start by discussing the source of the water damage. If the water was clean, for example from a leaky pipe going to your kitchen tap, then it may be possible to repair the wet drywall. If the water is wastewater from a sewage pipe, then you will need to replace the drywall. This is because of pathogens and other dangerous contaminates that are in wastewater. This means that your first consideration when fixing wet drywall is to look into what kind of water caused the damage. That will tell you a lot about how the drywall needs to be repaired or replaced.
A Couple of Centimetres of Water Around the Floorboards
This is the best-case scenario. Just a little bit of water around the floorboards will probably not have soaked deeply into the wall or the structural support beams. This is potentially an easy fix that you might be able to do yourself, but if you’re not confident then call a professional. The trick to repairing wet drywall in this situation is to let it completely dry. This will involve removing the floorboards and waiting for the plasterboard to completely dry out. You might have to wait several days to make sure it is totally dry, after which you should apply a sealant on the plasterboard. Repaint the walls, reattach the floorboards, and the repair is complete.
More Than a Couple of Centimetres of Water
If the water damage to your plasterboard is extensive and caused by tens of centimetres of water or more then it is likely that the inside of your walls are saturated. This is a more involved fix, and it is important that it is done quickly and correctly otherwise toxic mould could start growing in the walls. It is advisable that you call a specialist who deals with water damage restoration. What they are likely to do is cut holes in the walls and bring in an industrial grade dehumidifier to aid in drying out the room. The holes will allow for the inside of the walls to also dry. This could take several days depending on the how much water was involved in the water damage. After that, the repairperson will patch the holes and repaint your walls. The key point to this repair is to make sure everything is dry, otherwise this could lead to a health risk from mould for you and your entire family.
Replacing the Water Damaged Plasterboard
The safest way to make sure the walls are completely dry is to replace the water damaged gyprock. This could also be your only repair option if the damage is excessive or if mould is already starting to grow. In that case, a sheetrock specialist will be able to make short work of taking out the damaged drywall and installing new plasterboards. This is the safest route, and it will make you home look like new again.
Where to Get the Best Deals on Plasterboard?
If you do need to replace your plasterboard, then the best place to get wholesale plasterboard is from BetaBoard. We are the plasterboard suppliers Brisbane trusts for all of their drywall needs. To organise a quote or to browse our available materials you can contact us online or visit one of our 5 store locations around Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, and North Lakes.
