Had a slow leak from the bathroom above that I just discovered. Theres a soft spot in the ceiling about 2 feet across and some brown staining around it. The drywall is still attached but feels kinda spongy when I press on it. Plumber already fixed the pipe. Now trying to figure out if I can just cut out the damaged section or if I need to replace the whole 4x8 sheet. Never done ceiling work before and honestly not looking forward to it.
8 Comments
If its spongy you definitely need to cut it out - that drywall is compromised. But you dont need to do the whole sheet. Cut out a square or rectangle thats slightly bigger than the damaged area, making sure you cut back to the center of the nearest joists so you have something to screw the new piece to.
How do I find the joists? Just poke around with a stud finder?
yeah stud finder works. Or you can use the screws that are already there as a guide - they should line up with the joists. Theyre usually 16 or 24 inches apart.
Make sure its COMPLETELY dry before you patch. Like give it a week with a fan on it. You dont want to trap moisture behind the new drywall or youll be dealing with mold. Ask me how I know...
oh man thats a good point. how long did it take to notice the mold issue?
seriously listen to this advice. had the same situation and thought 3 days was enough drying time. Nope. had to tear it all out again 6 months later when the musty smell started. get a moisture meter from amazon for like $25 and dont patch until it reads below 15%
Pro tip - get 1/2 inch drywall for the patch even if the existing stuff is 1/2 inch. Ceiling drywall has a tendency to sag over time if you use the lighter weight stuff. Also wear safety glasses, ceiling dust is no joke.
You might want to check for mold before you close it up. Spray some concrobium up there and let it dry. Its not worth the risk honestly.