Need to know if I should break out my drywall and replace insulation.

I was installing a shelf in my laundry room and drilled a hole in a 1” water line on the other side of the drywall. Water came shooting out and I shutoff the water main a minute or so after it happened. Although I shut the water off quickly, I know a ton of water ended up in my wall because I have water stains on the sheetrock on the downstairs level and water is seeping out below the baseboards.

My plan is to cut a hole in the down stairs drywall, rent a blower, and pull air through the wall to dry it out, but I’m not sure if this is enough. Everything I research online about drilling a hole in a water line only talks about the repair of the line (I have that handled), and other searches only speak to dealing with long-term leaks, not a one-time leak.

Would a one-time (albeit high volume) leak warrant a full drywall and insulation replacement?

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

McDedzy t1_ixxz2v2 wrote on November 27, 2022 at 6:30 AM

#702,522

If you dry it properly, it should not be an issue.

Edit: consider pouring ethanol in then pulling air through. Ethanol is a very good water dispersant.

iamkiloman t1_ixy2fn2 wrote on November 27, 2022 at 7:13 AM

#702,957

Replying to McDedzy (#702,522)

Is this a thing people do? How do you avoid accidental fires?

McDedzy t1_ixy3sey wrote on November 27, 2022 at 7:32 AM

#703,110

Replying to iamkiloman (#702,957)

Power isolation and proper drying.

SkoomaDrink t1_ixy7h31 wrote on November 27, 2022 at 8:24 AM

#703,528

Ok Ricky please don't try to break it out with a hammer.

phyrros t1_ixydrjt wrote on November 27, 2022 at 9:57 AM

#704,192

Imho no. Dry it properly and you should be good to go

kikazztknmz t1_ixyoezl wrote on November 27, 2022 at 12:26 PM

#705,389

Replying to iamkiloman (#702,957)

The ethanol evaporates pretty quickly. Shouldn't be a problem unless you point a kerosene heater at it after pouring it.

Familiar_Result t1_ixyrt31 wrote on November 27, 2022 at 1:05 PM

#705,873

What kind of insulation? If it's fiberglass or an open cell foam, rip and replace. If it's rock wool or closed cell, you can dry in place.

For the sheetrock, you will need to remove some to assess the damage behind anywhere you see signs of water damage and to allow it to dry better. Anything that has lost its integrity should be replaced as well. If you can stab through with a fork, replace it.

Outside of that, it's more about what else to remove to make repairs/drying easier. One large hole is easier than 5 small holes.

Also, get yourself a good stud finder that finds pipes and wires. It's way cheaper than the repairs you are looking at.