Why is the ceiling still wet after the water has stopped?
Insulation and framing above a ceiling hold water for a long time, and the drywall releases it slowly from below. The ceiling can look dry while the cavity behind it is still wet, so the readings in the cavity decide when it is finished.
Blown-in or batt insulation that has taken up water stays wet for days and can sag the ceiling as it holds the moisture. A sagging ceiling is a sign that the board needs to be removed before it falls.
The crew reads the cavity at set points and dries it until the readings reach the goal. The change between visits shows whether the drying is working.
Can drywall be dried and kept?
Drywall that is only lightly wet and has not softened can sometimes be dried in place. Drywall that has softened, lost its shape, or shows a stain that has soaked through the paper is usually removed, because it will not hold a finish and can grow mold.
The crew presses a small area of the board and reads its surface and edge. Soft or crumbling gypsum is removed. Board that is firm and has dried to its goal can be kept.
A board that is removed is cut back to the framing, and the new board is installed by the trade that does that work. The crew will tell you what it removed so the trade has the facts.
Will the crew cut holes in my ceiling?
Only where the readings are high and a small opening is needed to dry the cavity. Openings are kept as small as the reading allows, and they are closed by the repair trade after the cavity tests dry.
A technician explains where each opening will go and why, and it marks the openings on the ceiling. Cutting elsewhere is avoided, because it can damage wiring or pipes that the crew cannot see.
Do not cut into the ceiling yourself before the crew arrives. The space above may hold wiring, a pipe or an insulation layer that is wet and holding water.
Does ceiling water damage count as a claim?
It can, depending on the policy and the cause of the leak. The insurer decides what the policy pays for the source and for the ceiling. This company provides the readings, the photographs and the drying log that the insurer will ask for.
Photograph the stain, the sag and the drip before anything is moved, and note the time you first saw them. The insurer may ask when the leak was first seen.
For questions about a claim, contact the insurer first. The Illinois Department of Insurance takes complaints about insurers.
What decides the price of a ceiling repair after drying?
The drying is priced by the area and the number of cavities that need reading and drying, and the repair of the ceiling is priced separately by the trade that does it. No figure is given over the phone, and the price is explained and approved on site.
A stain in one corner of a room is a smaller scope than a ceiling that has sagged across several rooms. The number of openings, the height of the ceiling and the insulation above it all change the work.
The crew explains the scope before the equipment is set up, and you approve it. The repair trade quotes its own work after the cavity tests dry.
