My upstairs neighbor had a leak and in trickled down to my wall and cause a stain on the top of my drywall. The wall bubbled at the top. Is this just a simple resurfacing or do I need to get a new piece of drywall?
Beatrice ~ Ft. Washington, Maryland
Wet drywall does not always need to be replaced, but in the case of a leak I would cut the damaged piece out and replace it. The main concern here is mold growing on and behind the drywall. You may have just noticed this leak but that does not mean that it just started leaking.
A leak can be leaking for a long time before it ever presents itself on the inside of your home, which can lead to a serious mold problem inside your walls. For the purpose of inspecting your walls, I would suggest replacing the piece of sheetrock. I would also suggest that you make sure that the leak has been fixed before you do any interior repairs.
I’d make your upstairs neighbor pay for the damage!
Would suggest replacing drywall completely in that area since usually the drywall becomes powdery and some times mildews after awhile repairing may not be adviseable.