At least mold won't grow...?
October 17, 2013 7:06 PM Subscribe
I just noticed what appeared to be a large water leak on the drywall of the ceiling. Upon further inspection, we discovered that somehow a large bottle of industrial strength bleach had leaked in the attic (please don't point out what a bad idea it is to store large bottles of industrial strength bleach in the attic... we had no idea it was up there and have never seen the bottle before tonight).
I know the usual procedure for wet drywall is to cut it out and replace it because mold will grow if there has been a significant leak. What are the chances we can just let this dry and be ok? There doesn't appear to be structural damage (yet) - the drywall isn't caved in around the screws, it's not bulging or drooping, except along the seam where the tape is bubbling. There is a little patch where the texture is off (we have smooth drywall, and this spot is bumpy now) but mostly it's just a huge yellowish wet patch. The drywall feels pretty firm when you touch it.
Do you think we can get away with letting it dry and just scraping and spackling the funky-textured part, or are we risking something terrible (mold invasion, ceiling collapse, spontaneous combustion) by not cutting out half the ceiling and replacing? The affected area is about 5 ft x 2 ft but the bubbly section is only about 8 in x 18 in.
I know the usual procedure for wet drywall is to cut it out and replace it because mold will grow if there has been a significant leak. What are the chances we can just let this dry and be ok? There doesn't appear to be structural damage (yet) - the drywall isn't caved in around the screws, it's not bulging or drooping, except along the seam where the tape is bubbling. There is a little patch where the texture is off (we have smooth drywall, and this spot is bumpy now) but mostly it's just a huge yellowish wet patch. The drywall feels pretty firm when you touch it.
Do you think we can get away with letting it dry and just scraping and spackling the funky-textured part, or are we risking something terrible (mold invasion, ceiling collapse, spontaneous combustion) by not cutting out half the ceiling and replacing? The affected area is about 5 ft x 2 ft but the bubbly section is only about 8 in x 18 in.
Seems like it might be a fire hazard, according to zippy's data sheet. Probably a good idea to don a paper suit, a mask and goggles, and gloves, and cut out the drywall, and then dispose of it safely.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:38 PM on October 17, 2013
posted by KokuRyu at 7:38 PM on October 17, 2013
I'd just keep an eye on it, checking for any odd growths over the next few days until it's thoroughly dry. I wouldn't rush to cut it out.
posted by jon1270 at 7:49 PM on October 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 7:49 PM on October 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
I would, like jon1270, take a wait and see approach. Wait a few days to see how it dries. The decision to cut or not can be made in a week or even in weeks.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:07 PM on October 17, 2013
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:07 PM on October 17, 2013
How old was the bleach? Does it still smell like bleach?
Bleach degrades into salt water fairly quickly. The stronger the bleach solution, is the faster it degrades. Higher temperatures also shorten the shelf life. The half life of 10% bleach is 220 days at room temperature.
posted by justkevin at 8:47 PM on October 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Bleach degrades into salt water fairly quickly. The stronger the bleach solution, is the faster it degrades. Higher temperatures also shorten the shelf life. The half life of 10% bleach is 220 days at room temperature.
posted by justkevin at 8:47 PM on October 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
I thought bleach didn't kill mold but just.... bleached it.
Make sure that dries out!
posted by jrobin276 at 10:39 PM on October 17, 2013
Make sure that dries out!
posted by jrobin276 at 10:39 PM on October 17, 2013
I'd put a few space heaters in the room to try to speed up the drying process.
Unless something warps between now and then, I would (eventually) roll on a new coat of paint and forget about it.
posted by kmennie at 2:53 AM on October 18, 2013
Unless something warps between now and then, I would (eventually) roll on a new coat of paint and forget about it.
posted by kmennie at 2:53 AM on October 18, 2013
I thought bleach didn't kill mold but just.... bleached it.
This is correct.
posted by dhartung at 4:36 AM on October 18, 2013
This is correct.
posted by dhartung at 4:36 AM on October 18, 2013
I thought bleach didn't kill mold but just.... bleached it.
This is correct.
And as an added feature, the salt deposits that bleach leaves behind will draw more moisture into the wood or drywall, thus making future mold growth even more likely. Bleach is not a good solution for getting rid of mold on porous surfaces, so even if what caused the moisture was bleach, that doesn't solve your potential mold problem.
are we risking something terrible (mold invasion, ceiling collapse, spontaneous combustion) by not cutting out half the ceiling and replacing?
Well, a wet ceiling isn't a good thing. The problem is that the wet area will potentially promote mold growth. If you don't actually have much growth yet, you can try to dry the area out thoroughly and hope to prevent mold invasion. Can you get a dehumidifier and some fans and run them in the attic near the area to help dry it? If you can't dry it out pretty well and pretty quickly (which I sort of doubt you can), I'd just replace that section of the drywall, honestly.
posted by aka burlap at 10:41 AM on October 18, 2013
This is correct.
And as an added feature, the salt deposits that bleach leaves behind will draw more moisture into the wood or drywall, thus making future mold growth even more likely. Bleach is not a good solution for getting rid of mold on porous surfaces, so even if what caused the moisture was bleach, that doesn't solve your potential mold problem.
are we risking something terrible (mold invasion, ceiling collapse, spontaneous combustion) by not cutting out half the ceiling and replacing?
Well, a wet ceiling isn't a good thing. The problem is that the wet area will potentially promote mold growth. If you don't actually have much growth yet, you can try to dry the area out thoroughly and hope to prevent mold invasion. Can you get a dehumidifier and some fans and run them in the attic near the area to help dry it? If you can't dry it out pretty well and pretty quickly (which I sort of doubt you can), I'd just replace that section of the drywall, honestly.
posted by aka burlap at 10:41 AM on October 18, 2013
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Here's one that might apply: MSDS: Advance-12 Chlorine Bleach
But search for the specific product's sheet.
posted by zippy at 7:25 PM on October 17, 2013