# Wet Drywall... Toast or Extra Strong?



## davitk (Oct 3, 2008)

Previous cutomer called me because of a water problem (not my doing). The toilet supply in the upstairs bathroom had been leaking and wasn't noticed until stains appeard on the bedroom ceiling below.

I took one look at the soggy carpet in three adjoinig rooms, peeling wallpaper, expanding door jambs etc. and recommended they call their insurance to get a moisture mitigation crew ASAP.

Well, that was last week, the place is dried out, and the company that did the work is saying the drywall is OK because it actually gets harder after wetting and drying. This is a new one on me - apparently mold was not an issue either.

Any thoughts? These are good customers in a quality neighborhood where I've done a ton of work, so don't say RUN.


----------



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Read this to help make a decision:

http://www.gypsum.org/pdf/ga-231-06.pdf


----------



## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Boy that's a lot of damage and for that company to says it's all good, I would tell your customer to get a writen Gurantee from them, cause if door jambs are warped that means there was a lot of water and if this company didn't get it dried out in the first 24 hours of the water showing up I'm sure Black mold has already set up shop.
I had a job back in 2004 and ServePro was called in to dry the house out well after 2.5 weeks of them setting up fans and dehumitifires and they told the HO that everything was dry and there was no Mold. They used their meters and all that crap, So we came in to remove the plaster that was falling off the wood lath, well we found so much mold on the wood lath and framing, I even found wet rock lath behind kitchen cabinets, So my take on those types of companies are they are full of SH*T:whistling
I love ServePro's commericals that say "We'll put it back like it never happened!" :laughing::no: Yeah and their azz sucks canal water too:whistling
I would rip all that sheetrock out or at least take a section out of the ceiling and look at the backside of the board. if it has Black mold on it you'll look like the guy who knew what the real deal was. It's still a tuff call, but if it was me I would remove some of the ceiling just to be sure. Good Luck:thumbsup:


----------



## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Yes, drywall can get wet and still be ok. As long as it is dried out . Just like Angus's link says.

Take your pocket knife and probe some of the areas and see if the blade easily pushes into the drywall. Get right down on the edge of the casing and base. If it is hard your ok, soft and you have issues.

If there are any doubts, cut some holes and look into walls/ceilings and take a look. 

Good luck.arty:

Water leaks caught right away are always better than undetected slow drippers!


----------



## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

IMPO, the problem is going to be mold. You said it was a slow leak? Mold begins to grow in a matter of days. Mold behind the drywall (and in it too) that has no more moisture to thrive on is not a structural problem. But it is also almost impossible to eliminate all moisture in today's climate conditioned environments.

The drywall will probably remain there just fine for another 70 years, but it is highly unlikely that no more mold spores will spawn. Still, if contained behind a well sealed and painted wall, you'll likely have no visible problems unless the place begins to smell.

Have a qualified company come to open the wall/ceiling and inspect for mold. (because your word will mean nothing to the insurance company)


----------

