Water Damage Walls Plaster

Drill into the plaster photo by david carmack.

Water damage walls plaster.

Bubbling plaster bubbling plaster. First technicians determine the extent of the water using a range of water damage restoration tools. Take away all material that is bubbling flaking or peeling using a putty knife. Over time water can be wicked up from foundation masonry or inward from exterior stone walls and damage any plaster applied to it.

The second step in this guide on how to repair water damaged plaster walls is to remove the damaged plaster. Water damage effects may be minor isolated to the surface layer of the wall or it may penetrate the whole 3 coat structure causing crumbling brown and scratch coats that fall off the lath. One choice is a non invasive moisture meter. Call a water damage remediation specialist and leverage their expertise experience and equipment.

Once the water damage becomes severe then the plaster will begin bubbling and bulging. If the patch has a depth of around 12mm 1 2 you should be able to plaster it in one go if it is deeper you may have to make two applications otherwise the weight of the wet plaster will drag itself away from the wall. In some cases the lath may also be damaged showing rotted wood or rusted metal under the plaster coats. Dry the wall surface with a fan heater then tape some kitchen foil tightly over the affected.

Using a 3 16 inch masonry bit drill a hole in the plaster about 2 inches from the crack. When salts from the masonry substrate come in contact with water they migrate to the surface of the plaster appearing as dry bubbles or efflorescence. Wait a couple of minutes for the water to soak into the wall. Try to be as gentle as possible but if the damage is deep you ll need to get the blade in to dig out any soft material.

Plaster applied to a masonry wall is vulnerable to water damage if the wall is constantly wet. To make plaster walls plaster is applied wet to a wooden lath wall structure and allowed to harden. Patch plaster to repair the damaged sections. You may reach this stage without any noticeable water stains but when this happens a portion of the plaster will have to be removed and patched.

Next remove the damaged plaster. Use the steps in my post how to. When you hit lath stop the bit won t go through wood pull out the bit and drill another hole about 3 inches from the first and about 2 inches from the crack. If you re not sure of the cause of a damp patch on a wall try the foil test.

The damage that water causes to plaster walls depends largely on the. Flaking paint paint and water are insoluble and an easy way to identify if plaster is water damaged is looking for flaking paint or air bubbles that burst and flake. How restoration professionals dry damp walls after water damage. This meter uses radio waves to.

As such water is a plaster wall s enemy. The plaster can now be applied to the wall.