Steps to repair water damage Clean the area. Before starting a project like this, thoroughly clean the area damaged by water. Eliminate and scrape off any peeling in the area. You should also scan the area you're repairing to see if there are any damaged, broken, or very saggy pieces of drywall that need to be replaced.
Sometimes, water creates “bubbles” in paint when it gets under the drywall paper, he says. If this is the case, you'll first need to remove the loose, peeled paint with a scraper. Then sand the damaged drywall with medium grit sandpaper and place patches on the area if necessary. Finally, you'll be ready to apply a coat of primer and follow up with the paint, he says.
Paint the damaged area with two coats of oil or alcohol-based primer. Use a brush or roller and allow the stain to dry between coats. This seals in any residual moisture and prevents the stain from penetrating. If the wall is damp, moldy, or moldy, clean it with a dilute mixture of chlorine bleach and water.
If either is present, thoroughly clean the surface with a dilute mixture of water and chlorine bleach to remove it. Be very careful when painting over any baseboard or piece of ceiling molding that shows signs of water damage, as some of them may be made of wood composites; they may need to be replaced rather than repainted. No matter how meticulous you are in maintaining your home, it's inevitable that you'll discover at one time or another that a leak in the pipe or roof has left signs of water damage to the ceiling or walls. According to Christian Lacroix, owner of the Texas-based Handyman Connection of McKinney, the main difference between covering water damage and a traditional project is that the former involves preparatory work: if you've had a leak or found a damp stain, expect more.
This will help prevent water from damaging the wall again and will allow the paint to adhere better to the wall. However, Bob Vila recommends finding and repairing water leaks first, or you'll find that the water stain on the roof keeps reappearing and the repairs will be short-lived. Painting the surfaces in your home after they have been damaged by water is much different from a standard job. Painting directly on water stains doesn't usually work, as the stain will seep through the new paint.
Water damage is the worst because it means that two things need to be fixed: what's leaking and what's damaged.
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