Salt creep and drywall repair question

[afboundguy]

May be actually starting the tank swap and I'd want to repair the drywall behind the tank and I was curious what everybodies thoughts would be between sanding down damage then mudding and repainting vs just cutting out a square and replacing with new drywall and taping and mudding and so forth?

 

[kgstei]

Tank swap. Is the tank in same place?. If so I would just knock off the loose stuff with a putty knife, smooth it out with the skim coat of joint compound and paint

 

[afboundguy]

@kgstei yes it will be in the same spot... I do have to move the tank and stand out to repair the rust on the baseboard heaters as well... I'm leaning towards just scraping it off and throwing up a skim coat of compound as that would be much faster and I could probably easily knock that out in a day and then paint the 2nd day...

 

[Zeefishies]

When u scrap all the loose stuff , you'll have to tear the paper , Before u skim coat that area u need to prime it then skim coat if not u will always see the color difference in the wall.

 

[highfive52]

Not what you want to hear. To do it right you need cut it out and cut beyond then mud tape seams, use mesh not paper tape. Its always easier by going bigger piece, fyi. Use a sealant on patch and wall. Try to match paint with washable paint. It's not a fun job by far. Or you can go to depot and get a sheet of acrylic drill some holes and screw it to wall to protect it being damaged anymore in hopes it will dry out, but once sheetrock gets damp it will get crumbly and moldy and will spread. I drywall on the side, I love it. Just finished the hideaway bathroom over my garage, total tear out and replace with new floor. Sorry for being Debby downer.

 

[Cooper2]

I agree with Highfive's post. The moisture has weakened the sheetrock and I bet it would break through with minor force. Durarock is the type of sheetrock used in bathrooms due to humidity. I would look closely to make sure there are no dark spots indicating mold has already begun, and question why you want to replace what didn't last in the first place. If there's no sign of mold and you want a permanent repair, I'd suggest looking at PVC sheet panels available at Home Depot. They come in 4'x8' sheets at 1/8" and 1/4" thicknesses. Placing these sheets against whatever method of repair you decide will be permanent and significantly cheaper than an acrylic panel. Great material that I use to line my stands and make leak containment tubs inside them. It can be painted, but I think scratches will show easily if abused.

 

[SaltCreep]

I get everywhere! Bwa HA HA!