Water Damaged Drywall

September 17, 2002

Question from Pam in Sherwood Park -----

Dear Shell,

Recently, we had a flood in our basement which we found when we returned home from a weeks vacation. We are not sure when the flood occurred, but it did happen as a result of a sump pump failure.

We noticed some mold (black colour) on our drywall (2 feet high on one wall) and on some of the baseboards.

Should we have the drywall replaced or what are our options?

We threw out the carpet underlay (it was soaked). We are having the berber carpets cleaned (it took 4 days to dry out with professional fans.

Should we have the carpets replaced as well?

We have also rented a dehumidifier to remove the moisture from the air.


Pam

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Dear Pam,

Sorry to hear about your mishap.

If the water was indeed, two feet up the walls, I would remove and replace the drywall. As well, the insulation behind the drywall should be replaced. As far as the carpet goes, you'll have to wait to see what it looks like after it's been cleaned. You may want to call your insurance adjuster or a carpet professional to get an opinion from someone that can actually see what you're trying to deal with.

If the drywall wasn't beyond repair and you wanted to get rid of the mould caused by the water damage, consider washing the walls with Shell Busey's Home Cleaning formula, rinse well and repaint starting with a no bleed primer and then a best quality acrylic latex.

For future venting of your basement, consider installing a Humidex ventilation system. Call 1-800-416-9111 to locate a dealer near you.


It's Just That Easy!

Shell Busey