Plasterboard Drying in Hull

Dry it or replace it?

Plasterboard can often be dried in place when:

• the water was clean, from a pipe or tank, not a drain or flood;
• drying starts within a day or two;
• the board hasn't swollen, softened or started to sag;
• the paper face isn't blistered or growing mould.

It usually needs replacing when it was soaked by grey or black water, when it has sagged or crumbled, when mould has started on either face, or when insulation behind it is saturated. In Hull that includes most flood damage, because flood water here usually comes through the combined sewers.

How we dry it

For walls, we may remove the skirting and drill small holes low down so air can move through the stud cavity, then run dehumidifiers and air movers while taking readings on each visit. For ceilings, the priority is safety: a wet plasterboard ceiling can come down, so we check it before drying it.

Cutting out just the bottom

When a flood wets the bottom of the walls, there's no need to replace whole sheets. The damaged board is cut out in a straight line above the wet area, the stud cavity is dried, and new board goes in. It's quicker, cheaper and dries better.

Board that copes with the next flood

Hull City Council's newest flood-resilient homes use plasterboard laid horizontally, so after a flood only the bottom sheet needs to come out. Water-resistant boards and plasters are also available. If your walls are being reboarded after a flood, it's worth asking your insurer whether Build Back Better can pay towards these. See repairs.

For what drying and the repairs after it usually cost, and what insurance tends to pay, see our water damage cost guide.