Can I fix water damage in my bathroom ceiling by cutting out and recaulking the blue corner and repairing the green spot with drywall damage?
Asked by Zoryana Hodakovskiy 
3 months ago
Last Updated: August 20, 2024
I’m thinking about painting the bathroom in my new house, but I’m a bit concerned about the ceiling. Do you think we can just cut out and re-caulk the blue corner? Also, there’s a spot about a foot to the left that had a dime-sized circle, and when I touched it, the drywall caved in. Any suggestions on what to do? I’d really appreciate any advice!
If the caulk is applied now, you’ll need to clean it out and apply mud and tape. Moisture may be accumulating in the corners from the shower, so make sure the vent fan is functional.
Is there any chance of water leaking from above the ceiling? Is the vent fan functional? And if it is, is it powerful enough?
To be honest, it seems like this has been “fixed” previously. There might be something fishy going on.
There’s definitely water coming in causing the ceiling to rot.
We need to fix that before we do anything else.
You don’t typically caulk drywall. These patches were done poorly with mesh tape in the past. You can clearly see the mesh. The corner problem indicates there may be larger issues as it has caused the mesh to pull apart. Take a look beneath that spot in the basement (if you have one) to see what’s going on.
It’s definitely possible to caulk drywall. However, in this particular situation, it seems like there may be moisture seeping onto the ceiling and causing the drywall to rot.
I never said you can’t caulk drywall. What I meant is that typically, finished drywall is not caulked by professionals who do the job correctly. While it’s possible to caulk it, doing so is not standard practice and can indicate poor workmanship if done on a finished product.
There’s a vent fan in the small bathroom, but it tends to get very steamy. I’m not sure how often the previous owners used it. Since it’s a condo on the top floor, there’s a chance of leaks from the roof, right?
Head up to the attic and have a look for yourself. If you’re not comfortable doing so, consider hiring a professional inspector to take a look.
Before you do anything, grab a moisture meter (around $20 on Amazon) and use it to test the moisture level. If it’s dry, you can simply patch it up and paint over it. If it’s wet, there may be underlying issues.
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