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Drywall Drying After Flood

How to save walls after a flood:

When you come to an event where a massive flood strikes your home. Obviously you will want to do whatever you can to save your home at the most affordable measure, especially if your insurance does not cover such an incident.

First you must remember, walls need to be able to dry from the inside out. Sometimes this can take weeks, to months depending on your home. You will need to remove top and bottom strips of siding on the outside of your home, drilling several holes along the floor line to release trapped water and mud which could lead to many mold and health issues if not addressed.

When it comes to the insulation within the wall, this is not such a bright concept. Any kind of insulation will be ruined when drenched in water. Just drying insulation will not repair it. Any insulation which has been soaked in water will need to be fully removed and replaced with new insulation.

Some of the examples of what water can do to different types of insulation are:

Vermiculite, or loose fill insulation - As the water builds up the insulation will warp and move towards the bottom of the walls. If not removed after it has dried within a short period of time it will create foul odors and begin to decay the studding on your home.

Rock Wool Batting Insulation - Alike to vermiculite Rock Wool will also collect at the base of the walls after contact with a decent amount of moisture. Leading to the same conflicts as vermiculite if not removed and replaced.

Fiberglass Batting - Also sinks, but will not create strange odors. This is still not good to leave within the walls because the effectiveness of the insulation will greatly decrease.

Reflective Surfacing such as aluminum foil - will lose there reflective ability thus the insulation will become less effective and inevitably useless. But the material itself will not be damaged.

Wall finishes and coverings - Plaster can survive water damage, although it could take weeks to months to dry. Although if the plaster is significantly aged, it will most likely disintegrate after being left wet for a long period of time.

Dry Wall - Is beyond help once confronted with large amounts of water. It disintegrates and warps after water exposure. It cannot be dried and re-used. It must be replaced.