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Repair Water Stains on Walls and Ceilings

By
Real Estate Agent with EXP REALTY

Water stains on ceilings and walls are ugly, but they're also instant red flags to potential home buyers. Don't risk losing a sale due to unsightly stains that can cause undo concern about water lines and the integrity of your home.

 

---Properly repairPaint Roller, prepare and paint over stains for a fresh appeal. If you have purchased an investment property or a fixer-upper home of your own, these very basic steps will add value and aesthetics with very little work.

 

---Identify and Repair the Source

 

---Every water stain has an origin. Identify the source of leaky water and stop it before attempting to make any repairs to the surface. Common sources are leaky roofs, leaking water pipes, and sometimes condensation or leaks from evaporative coolers. Other sources will be fairly (and woefully obvious) such is the case when a water pipe bursts or your home is subjected to a flood.

 

---Assess the Damage

 

---Carefully assess the extent of damage water has caused to the surfaces and structure of your home. This will largely depend on: the amount of water causing the damage the amount of time the water remained on the stained surface the type of surface subjected to excess water

 

---Replace wallboard that has lost integrity due to prolonged or excessive exposure to water. Take a small blade and scrape away a portion of wallboard to see how deep the damage is. Large areas may require you to remove and replace wallboard. If damage had occurred behind the wallboard, create a source of ventilation to allow air to move through the wet area and dry it. Even if your walls or ceilings are dry, leaving wet materials it is an invitation for mold and bacteria to grow in the dark, damp area.

 

---If you're concerned about electrical damage, hire a professional electrician to test the integrity of your electrical system where water damage occurred.

 

---Allow all stained areas to completely dry before attempting to repair or paint them.

 

----Repair

 

---Small damaged areas can easily be repaired with wall plaster and a putty knife. The method of repair will, again, depend on the extent of the water damage.

 

---Prepare

 

---Proper preparation is absolutely necessary if you want to cover water stains and keep them covered. Although you can paint over a water stain, it's more likely than not the stain will eventually seep through.

 

---Sand the surface lightly with 100- to 150-grit sandpaper. Clean the area to be painted thoroughly. Remove any debris with a dry cloth or large brush and thoroughly vacuum the surrounding area. Wipe the area you want to repair again with a dry cloth.

 

---Paint over the stain with a pigmented white oil or latex-based primer. This is key to stopping the stain from showing through the paint. Allow it to dry according to the paint manufacturer's instructions.

 

---Sand the area lightly before applying paint.

Comments (8)

Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Raoul, for old leaks where the source of the leak has been repaired(disclose of course!) if you mix bleach with water half and half you can lightly dab that on the water stains and they will disappear!  It works!

Mar 30, 2015 01:47 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Raoul Loustaunau - nice tips on 'how to' of repairing water stains on walls (and yes, it's difficult for ceilings I am sure...)

Mar 30, 2015 01:51 PM
Raoul Loustaunau
EXP REALTY - Phoenix, AZ
urhomefinder.com myvaluetoday.com

thanks Bruce Walter for your comment,have a great evening

Mar 30, 2015 01:56 PM
Raoul Loustaunau
EXP REALTY - Phoenix, AZ
urhomefinder.com myvaluetoday.com

thanks Praful Thakkar for your input have a super april

Mar 30, 2015 01:57 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Absolutely!  Find the source of the problem, fix that, and then repair any resulting damage.  Water stains, old or not, are always cause for concern.

Mar 30, 2015 08:01 PM
Raoul Loustaunau
EXP REALTY - Phoenix, AZ
urhomefinder.com myvaluetoday.com

thanks Kat for your comment have a great day

Mar 30, 2015 08:02 PM
Joe Jackson
Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty - Columbus, OH
Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert

Great tips for repairing water stains. As you mention, indentifying the source of the problem is very important.

Mar 31, 2015 03:39 AM
Raoul Loustaunau
EXP REALTY - Phoenix, AZ
urhomefinder.com myvaluetoday.com

thank you Joe for  your comment have a super april

Mar 31, 2015 03:42 AM