I always thought you could just slap mud over a slightly damp patch and call it good.

Saw a guy on a job in Tacoma last month do exactly that on a basement ceiling. He said it was 'just a little condensation' and would dry out. Came back a week later to help hang doors and the whole 4x8 sheet had a giant bubble of mold behind it. The homeowner had to pay for a full demo and mold treatment. Now I won't touch a surface unless my moisture meter reads under 12%. What's your absolute cutoff point before you walk away from a wet wall?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliashah24d agoMost Upvoted

He called it 'just a little condensation'? That's terrifying! Moisture meters don't lie, and that story proves it. My hard rule is 15%, and even that makes me nervous.

beth_webb7623d agoMost Upvoted

Seriously, I'd freak out and get a second opinion right away.

-1

the_faith22d ago

My uncle tried to patch a damp spot in his crawlspace with roofing tar once. He said it was a permanent fix. Two years later the floor joist was so soft you could poke a screwdriver through it. That stuff just traps the water inside, lets it rot from the inside out. I don't trust any quick fix on wet wood now.