Will Water Between Floors Dry Out on Its Own?

RockHeadbanger

I left an outer storm window open (but the inner closed) on the second floor of our house. A fast rain shower came and water leaked through the sill and down into the floor. I noticed this because water was dripping through the living room ceiling on the first floor. It was pretty odd to see, but enough water must have come in to flood the area between the first and second floor. I placed two buckets down to catch the water, and eventually the dripping stopped.

My question is -- do I need to cut the drywall out on the living room ceiling/bedroom floor to give it air so that it doesn't rot? Or is it breathable enough to just dry out on its own.

Just Bill

First, it sounds like something is not right with that window. It should not leak as you describe. May just need caulking but could be rotten. And storms have weep holes at the bottom. They often get caulked shut or clog over time. Make sure they are clear for water to drain out.

If it was a one time leak, chances are all will dry out and not be a problem. If it is an on going leak, mold behind the drywall is a real consideration.

majakdragon

Once moisture gets in an area with no constant air flow, the chances of mold growing are large. Think about it. The water soaked through whatever the material of the ceiling is. That's a lot of water. To be safe, I would recommend cutting and access hole to view how much area was affected and if any pooling is still there.

__________________
If you have never made a mistake, you haven't done much.

RockHeadbanger

Two different answers, and I'm still on the fence about it. Thanks a lot for the comments though.

majakdragon

Not sure what a "one time leak" has to do with the situation. The question is, how much water came in?

__________________
If you have never made a mistake, you haven't done much.

secutanudu

You could poke a few small holes in different spots in the ceiling (like 1/8") and see if any water drips out. Those could be easily patched.

__________________
Andrew

majakdragon

That is a great idea.

__________________
If you have never made a mistake, you haven't done much.

RockHeadbanger

Great idea! When the water was coming through the living room ceiling, it made the paint sag in two areas. I slit the paint, and the water came quickly, and I caught it in two buckets. What I stupidly didn't think about is what you mentioned -- that I did not penetrate the drywall.

So just now, I poked about five screwdriver holes in the ceiling to see if any more water would come out. None did, but whatever didn't come through must have been absorbed into the drywall. There are definitely some areas where where the paint needs repaired, but considering that I could have left a significant amount of water trapped up there, I guess I"m lucky. I guess I'm lazy too, but I just can't get the gumption to cut a big hole in the ceiling. I know it would take me weeks to get around to completing the whole repair job is part of my problem.

To answer another question, it was a quick, intense storm. I probably collected something less than two quarts of water in my buckets.

handy man88

I don't think the water would have remained trapped. Otherwise, none of the water would have leaked at all, if somehow that drywall/paint presented a waterproof seal.

Eventually, it would have all been absorbed or leaked through the drywall.

secutanudu

As long as no more water is dripping and your drywall is structurally sound (ie. not falling apart), you're probably ok.

__________________
Andrew