Happy Monday, friends! I have been a little absent here lately, mainly because of all of the massive projects we have going on at both houses. Recently, I’ve been painting, painting and more painting! Come see how to fix water damage on sheetrock the easy way!
Well, I say easy. It’s not difficult, just a back and neck breaker! My husband, Brad, has been doing a major front porch renovation at our lake house, aka Happy Hill since the beginning of the year. He tore off the original flat, rotted roof. (shown below) The plan was to remove the old roof, decking and rip out the flower beds all of which had become an eye sore, not to mention dangerous. We wanted to rebuild the roof and add a gable for more curb appeal and run the porch the length of the house.
Long story short, during the removal of the old roof, and cutting into the joists to put on the new roof, a terrible storm ripped through, knocking down huge tree limbs and causing all sorts of wind-related damage. And while the wind and rain swept through, it blew rain water into the exposed ceiling. We’d covered it with plastic, but the wind and rain were so fierce, we ended up with water inside. The water seeped into the insulation and sheetrock all along the front of the house. So, there were water stains in the foyer, and the two front bedrooms. I know.
It looked terrible. This is the foyer right when you walk in the front door. The ceilings are only about 8 feet high so you can’t help but look up when you step inside. I wanted to cry every time I saw it.
We assessed the damage and set up fans to help dry the sheetrock. After the stains were dry, the real work began. Of course by then, the new roof was in place so there was no threat of further water infiltration. This is my older son’s room on the front right end of the house. We had to remove part of the window trim too to make sure there was no further water damage. (You can see the guys through the window putting up the new gutters. This was a few weeks after the storm, so everything was nice and dry by then.)
I consulted with the paint lady at Lowe’s and she recommended this Cover Stain Primer by Zinsser to cover the water stains. It’s an oil based primer so it’s very pungent. I ended up opening the windows despite the awful heat outside and set up fans while I was working, but the smell was still really strong. But, it worked like a charm! I brushed the areas closest to the moulding and then used a roller brush with an extension to cover the rest.
If you look closely you can barely see the shadow of the former ceiling stains after one coat of primer.
The following day I started painting the ceilings. For this I used a paint specifically for ceilings by Valspar. It’s just a basic paint in White and is quite thick. Thankfully it covered well with just one coat. Again I used the roller brush with the extension to save myself from climbing up and down the ladder a million times. Just be sure to cover everything including any furniture and floors because it WILL dribble down on you and everything else. Trust me when I say I was covered in tiny specks of white paint when all was said and done. It took me 4 days to complete all of the painting plus one day to clean and put it all back together.
Ta-Da! Here is Chase and Brie’s room, with freshly painted walls and ceiling! As I said these rooms are tiny, but we still managed to squeeze in a queen size bed in both of the boy’s rooms for comfort. After all, you only sleep in the beds at night at the lake. The rest of the time is spent outdoors.
And the after picture of the foyer. MUCH better, right? I must say the fresh coat of white paint on the ceiling really perked up the space! We’ve had the house for nearly 8 years now and the fresh paint is well, refreshing!
And a comparison. Yikes! Aren’t water stains the worst?
So, all’s well that ends well! The damaged ceilings have been repaired and we are nearing completion of the porch! While Brad and I were painting, Lacey was busy keeping an eye on the yard and lake. She guards our property like a boss! If any ducks, geese, deer or herons dare come near, she’s on it! She loves this spot where she can see everything from a bird’s eye view and rest her head at the same time! Such a good girl!
Have you ever tackled painting a ceiling before? If so, you can empathize. Happily it’s over and the lake house is looking better than ever! It has truly been a labor of love! Thank you for stopping by and supporting my little blog! I appreciate you! I hope you have a wonderful day! Until next time…xoxo Dell
