# Drywall Bubble?



## kolstadc (Jul 1, 2011)

We are currently residing the house and this evening we noticed a bubble in the paint on one of our exterior walls. The sheetrock underneath is all soft. The soft part is about 6 inches wide and maybe 3 inches high. The spot is about half-way up the wall. I've felt all around the wall and I didn't find any other soft spots. It almost looks like the wall decided to sag there and disintegrated the sheetrock.

There is a door about 2 feet away that we replaced (sliding glass door) and there is a bathroom upstairs from this soft spot. I realize the most likely answer is water damage, but I can't figure out where it would have been coming from unless maybe we hit a pipe with a nail in the wall or something and it is a slow leak?

Should I cut it out and see what is going on? Just not sure how to proceed!

Any advice would be helpful. I'd put in a picture, but you can't really see it.

Thanks!!


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## kolstadc (Jul 1, 2011)

*Figured it out!*

It definitely was water in the wall. Turns out the previous home owner (we just bought this house 7 months ago) hit the upstairs bathroom drain pipe with some nails (in two spots) probably hanging pictures. The nail holes just let out little bits of water when the drain is used, but overtime (probably a LONG time) it soaked the wall.

I'm attaching a picture of the wall all cut out and I circled the holes in the pipe.

While I'm at it... any great suggestions for patching once we fix the pipe?


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## chrisBC (Dec 28, 2010)

yeah clean up your cut out to be strait and square, and cut to centre of stud, or screw plywood backing if more convenient.


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## TrapperL (Jul 23, 2011)

To patch the drywall, straighten up the opening to be more square/rectangular. Take a 1x 4 and cut it 6" or more longer than the vertical side of the opening. Slip inside the opening and position it so that half is covered by the drywall and half exposed to give you a base to screw the new drywall to. Attach it with drywall screws by screwing into the drywall first and then into the 1x 4. Works like a charm.


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