Old House Renovations

Plaster or drywall water damage can be a disaster. Ceilings can fall in, walls can crack and mold and mildew can go wild, both inside and outside the walls. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to have a wall with an ugly water stain that doesn’t have mold problems. Once the leak that caused the problem is repaired and there is no more damage being caused, it is time to cover up that unsightly stain.

I always begin by spraying the wall with a bleach solution to keep mildew from growing and then wiping the solution back off with a damp rag. (I’ve heard that leaving the bleach on the walls could lead to the walls eventually being eaten through by the bleach.) Then, I let it dry out thoroughly. This also works for mildew removal. (I’ve used Lysol wipes on a piece of furniture and left it in the sun for a few days. It hasn’t had any more mildew issues since. I still like bleach for the walls, though.)

Once I’m sure mildew won’t be growing wildly through the fresh paint, I apply a coat of Kilz primer. This stuff is a great stain blocker and keeps the stain from showing through your new coat of paint. Let the Kilz dry and then apply a coat of fresh paint. Your stain is gone, never to return. (Unless you didn’t fix the leak after all…)

By the way, this photo I took while I was house hunting shows how not to repair damage…Someone tried to tape a crack back together with masking tape.

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