How To Stop A Water Leak And Fix A Water Damaged Drywall Ceiling

Tools and Supplies Used
Jab Saw - amzn.to/3xalgfN
AutoCut 3/4" Pipe Cutter - amzn.to/3PfqEEC
Deburring Tool (Inner/Outer) - amzn.to/3xeNwOa
iCRIMP Manual Press Fitting Crimper - amzn.to/43eehyf
ProPress 3/4" Coupling Without Stop - amzn.to/3v3yhHc
BIN Shellac Primer - amzn.to/3x9PEqI
6 in Drywall Knife - amzn.to/4cqxZuW
Drywall Knife 5-Piece Kit - amzn.to/3wZbGfx
14" Mud Pan - amzn.to/4cpZrZR
Mesh Drywall Seam Tape - amzn.to/49aKHei
All Purpose Joint Compound (Mud) - amzn.to/4a5p68m
Ultra Lightweight Joint Compound (Mud) - amzn.to/3VoFsVk
Homax Knockdown Texture Spray - amzn.to/3vnHzxY
Have you ever come home and looked up at your ceiling to find a large water stain on your ceiling drywall? This was the exact scenario I walked into in my basement and I documented the entire process and broke out each step into a separate chapter. Remember, just doing even a few of these steps like cutting out the damaged drywall, finding the leak, and stopping the leak can help avoid $1,000 in damage to your ceiling and flooring.
Chapters
0:00 The Problem
0:54 Cutting out the damaged drywall
1:47 Finding the source of the water leak
2:12 Stopping The Leak and Replacing Damaged Copper Pipe
6:23 Removing All The Damaged Drywall And Prep For New Drywall Patch
8:42 Cutting Out And Installing New Drywall Patch
10:03 Starting To Mud The Drywall Patch
15:17 Matching Knockdown Texture And Painting
17:58 End Product With New Drywall and Knockdown Texture
Free Home Maintenance Checklist:
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Tools and Supplies Used Jab Saw - amzn.to/3xalgfN AutoCut 3/4" Pipe Cutter - amzn.to/3PfqEEC Deburring Tool (Inner/Outer) - amzn.to/3xeNwOa iCRIMP Manual Press Fitting Crimper - amzn.to/43eehyf ProPress 3/4" Coupling Without Stop - amzn.to/3v3yhHc BIN Shellac Primer - amzn.to/3x9PEqI 6 in Drywall Knife - amzn.to/4cqxZuW Drywall Knife 5-Piece Kit - amzn.to/3wZbGfx 14" Mud Pan - amzn.to/4cpZrZR Mesh Drywall Seam Tape - amzn.to/49aKHei All Purpose Joint Compound (Mud) - amzn.to/4a5p68m Ultra Lightweight Joint Compound (Mud) - amzn.to/3VoFsVk Homax Knockdown Texture Spray - amzn.to/3vnHzxY DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@richardnowacki2869]

I would have just attached another 2x4 next the existing 2x4

[@Darjan_Spasojevic]

You're right ✅️

[@mariaross7535]

Exactly.

[@Adalmandol]

Yea attached it to the mould drywall excellent conclusion

[@peteryeung111]

Not sure if it’s necessary, but I didn’t see him attach a support piece on the far end either.

[@mysteryman5213]

In my experience when needing to replace a section of drywall, I find simply affixing new 2x4 runs to existing studs or joists saves time and speeds up the repair. Cutting into the drywall to expose half the joist (as shown at 7:15) looks to be tedious and adds unnecessary dust to the job. Just my 2 cents. Keep the change.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@mysteryman5213]

IMO it all depends upon the size of the patch as well as if the repair is in the ceiling or on the wall. Clearly, the larger the patch, the more significant the inlay should be. Personally, I wouldn't go any less than a 2x2. @@2023_GJ

[@craigwiest772]

Good information. Especially liked the use of a jig to cut drywall back to half the joist.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, I wasn't sure how that would work but came in pretty handy and made screwing in the existing and new drywall a lot easier.

[@cakekomo]

Omg I haven’t watched this yet but I am so happy you’ve released this one! I had a leak repaired (by a roof replacement) last year and d have been putting off fixing the stain. My wife will be thrilled if I can pull this off!

[@kenmore01]

Agree with existing comments, your jig is awesome! For the knockdown texture, what i did in the past and it worked pretty well is apply lots of texture, let it dry overnight, then sand off the high stuff. That way there is no smearing.

[@100vg]

I think the drywall cutting guide you made is brilliant! Straight-line cuts in the center of the 2x4s. That makes cutting and mounting the replacement drywall much more accurate for less gap filler. Too bad part of the ceiling finish ripped when a panel fell, but you handled that, too. Yeah, I think there's a good bit more painting to do, but great job, Scott. Thanks

[@ObsessiveAboutCats]

Thank you, that canned drywall texture stuff is exactly what I need for a project I have. I got the drywall patched but never got around to texturing it. I appreciate you! PS I hate drywall repair.

[@CoorsLight23]

i've had good luck with the Homax 4121 texture sprayer (with manual hand pump) for approx $23. It's made out of plastic but has held up well over the years. It's a lot cheaper than buying the cans especially if you have a larger job. You can buy a 15 lb box of the Homax dry mix for about $24 (covers approx 500-600 sq ft.). I like pre-mixing a large batch of the texture and pouring into an old shampoo bottle with a screw on cap. During the job I can keep re-filling the sprayer's hopper from the old shampoo bottle as i spray on the texture.

[@kj-dw5zk]

Same here. I used a miniature pump spray tube with thinned compound, It worked remarkably well.

[@PaulMikna]

You did a great job on this repair... I do a ton of drywall repairs and painting professionally, and for a basement with that ceiling texture, it's more than passable in that situation. As you mentioned, if it's upstairs with a ton of natural lighting you would likely need to really dial in the texture match and repaint the entire ceiling.

[@ncooty]

Another great tutorial, Scott. Thanks.

[@deanberman7798]

I'm a DIYer myself, not a professional. However one thing that saved my life was getting a shop vac drywall sander attachment. You really should look into that instead of using the sanding blocks. Completely different experience and final result!

[@nicholasbreed3341]

I've been using fibafuse tape recently and really like it. My son's friend's dad is a drywaller who says that's all he uses now, except for inside corners. The only thing I don't like about fibafuse is it makes my hands itchy for about 2 days if I don't wear gloves

[@Stashmo]

Love Fibafuse, especially the 3ft rolls for cracked. walls/ceilings

[@tomekc1113]

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I have and I thought I was in deep deep trouble

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS SCOTT,FOR SHARING THIS ,making it much easier nowadays with the new tools 🤗💚💚💚

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@prnfl]

absolutely love this

[@justrelaxing1501]

Some ideas: Use a newspaper and dip into the joint compound and dab on the surface that needs the knock down. Now, you can wait to dry completely and then hit with sandpaper, or while semi-dry hit it gently with a trowel after a few minutes. Next, with your technique, try a roller with a short nap or solid and flatten the surface that way. I would add drywall support on the end by placing a thin piece of wood between the joists. Finally, the jig with the vacuum attachment was a brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@todd2456]

Working with drywallers for years --- the most important thing to do is to sand the edges down even more before applying the texture.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@Stashmo]

In occupied homes, I’ve had success using a large stiff sponge instead of most sanding. Also works well to blend patches into adjacent areas.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback and that would have been very helpful to blend the edges out into the existing knockdown.

[@ianrobert6239]

Thank you. Very helpful 👍

[@robertjames-life4768]

Very timely video, we have a few roof leaks over our newly remodeled bedroom and bathroom! I wish mine was from an easily detectable source as a pipe, I been putting patch all over suspected leaks and it’s still leaking. Time for a new roof! 😡

[@Kevin-mp5of]

Mesh tape is only meant for setting type joint compound. Paper tape is used for premixed.

[@alandrake3635]

High interest from this DIYer!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@dcharnas2592]

Scott, Take a look at the Makita Drywall Saw. Model XDS01Z. It will change your life when doing repairs in drywall. It is cordless, and has a built in vacuum port for dust collection. P.S. The device you built for the oscillating saw is very clever!

[@leeb.7188]

I like the jig. Gonna make one for myself. While some commenters say they would sister a 2x4 to an existing one, that would take me more time. I would have to drive to the lumber yard, buy the board, get my chop saw out and cut to size, etc. It’s fine if you already have 2x4s on hand and a chop saw set-up, but most homeowners don’t. Having the jig available would get the job done quicker, so I can enjoy the rest of my weekend!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@andrewbrindescu6666]

Great explanation and work. Thanks

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@cristylo5000]

Thank you for this informative video.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@T_Jonesy]

That jig you made is genius.

[@akmacs]

I am a recent subscriber and enjoy your videos! I'm a stickler on my drywall patches and that repair in my house would bug me. In my opinion it is typically better to sister the framing or run some 1x2 (or whatever is on hand) across the void for my patch. That isn't always possible but I would only use the existing framing as a last option. I gave up using rattle cans for knock down, they just don't have the depth and never looks right. Texture gun is the way to go. Also, f you knock down the texture in random directions it helps blend into the old work in my experience but I would have feathered that compound out and sanded as needed until the joints disappear before texturing. Like other comments, I no longer use mesh tape, fibafuse is a much better product and if not I just use paper tape.

[@cubex28]

You should have primed your entire patch area and painted two coats on your entire ceiling. Your finish would have bothered me but you did a very great job on everything else. Congrats!!!

[@Nefariousrouge]

I have never had luck with that spray knock down texture. My residence was built cheaply and they used knock down on every surface including all of the walls. I had to do some patch work for some “built in” towel racks, and trying to finish texture was a nightmare. I went with a slightly watered mud on a rough texture sponge to do dabs to make peaks, and then knocked that down with a blade. So far the closest I could come to the original texture. Wondering if better results would come from sanding the texture off of the areas where tape/mesh would be put down. And then texture so you don’t have the edge “hump”.

[@derecktsang]

Well done n good job.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks!

[@dvinson8657]

Great video!!!

[@What1zTyme]

Lot of hard work but looks good from easy chair land

[@venkatinator]

Great video. You only made one copper cut on the left tho? Why? Don’t you need to cut out the leaking portion? Or is the pinhole now inside the Vega fitting?

[@FlameHidden]

A specific problem I always have with my apartment is that its so old the water control system is actually a butterfly valve closing the end of a knee junction pipe that is, like, a palm inside the wall. The valve is okay, but the knee juction has actually been overdegradated, so the valve just doesnt close it 100% anymore and some 10% of water still goes through. To change it it would mean changing the entire pipe junction and opening a 6feet hole in the wall so we can get to all the piping involved. So I just keep having to wait 24h to deal with any water leak problems, because thats the time it takes for the landowner to turn off the entire water of my side of the building. This happens twice a year give or take

[@timrxn5414]

To everybody that is dumping on him suffesting to sister in a new 2x4, fine, that’s a good way to proceed but not really the point. His approach is reasonable and perhaps superior in some cases. As it happens I’ll be making use of his jig idea because it solves a different problem, so hat officially tipped. Thanks

[@cakekomo]

ok, so I'm working on my issue now. Hope you can answer a question for me. the water leak I had was slow and small. I've scraped off all the damage, and the area I'm working with is 5 inches x 12 inches. Very small compared to yours. But it was on a seam between two sheets of drywall. think of like a subway sandwich in size and the bread is sliced down the middle. Anyway, here's my question. As I scraped and sanded it appears the drywall is 100% fine. The tape that was on the seam came off. Can I just retape, primer, and then do the knockdown? Or do I have to tape, then mud then, primer, then knockdown?

[@Resist4]

To me, it didn't look like it blended, in any light. This is the nightmare of patching drywall, it just never matches. The only way to get a perfect match is to replace an entire wall/ceiling.

[@offertunatea]

I would rather save money and time by patching little sections than replacing entire area.

[@oldscratch3535]

That's the problem with popcorn/knockdown ceilings. You can never get it to match and blend. With a smooth ceiling at least you can tape, mud, sand, and paint it a lot easier. The only way to make the paint match is to paint the entire area.

[@rollandjoeseph]

It's mainly due to the popcorn ceiling texture, it's a challenge and one im happy to say I won't come face to face with in my house

[@scottf.5472]

What would cause random pin holes in copper and can the just occur somewhere else in a day week month?

[@Sylvan_dB]

Nice repair. With your leaking copper pipes, have you checked your water for acidity? It seems like you might need to prepare for a repipe (with pex?), but if your water is aggressive you may be able to treat it and extend the lifetime of the existing pipes and your fixtures.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

I have a little PH tester coming next week as I am curious to investigate a bit further. Hopefully it is an isolated incident but have 3 spots that close is a bit concerning.

[@robertjames-life4768]

I don’t use the spray I just add cornmeal to a very thinned all purpose and use a very hard angle on my knife. Also don’t knock down in a linear pattern long circular swipes blends better. At least for me it did.

[@Sam-ey1nn]

What shopvac do you have?

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Curious why a jig was made instead of using a straight edge or speed square?

[@andrejstefanovski]

My understanding is the mesh tape is for use with fastset mud (chemical cure; 20m, 40m, etc), not tapping or general purpose (air dry).

[@gregsmith4321]

You are correct. The instructions say “Install with a setting-type compound”.

[@beanieweenie9543]

You are correct. It’s maddening when you tubers try to teach others how to do things they aren’t doing correctly themselves

[@gregsmith4321]

I don’t mind if ytubers make mistakes because everyone does. What bothers me is when they don’t take the time to update their videos to correct the mistakes.

[@beanieweenie9543]

@@gregsmith4321 the problem I have is he doesn’t even know the mistakes he is making. In my opinion if you are going to be making instructional videos, you should at least take the time to research and make sure you are putting out correct information.

[@gregsmith4321]

Let me say this first. I agree if you are putting out institutional videos you should do the research before to get the most accurate information. Problem is if you have been doing things a certain way and that way is “correct” you wouldn’t automatically think “hey maybe I should research this first”. I doubt he’s been using mesh tape all these years saying to himself I know this is the wrong way, but oh well. Anyway, I hope he updates this video.

[@MrKen59]

What vacuum do you use for drywall work? My shop vacs get clogged and it’s a mess to keep usable.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, I just use a standard shop vac and knock out the filter. It doesn't last long but on a job this size usually makes it through with no problem and plenty of suction.

[@harrisond8132]

This is besides the point, but think some kind of suspended ceiling system is always best for basements.

[@verygoodboy2688]

Try wiping down the edges of your mud patch with a wet rag right after your skin cost to blend them in a bit better

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the help 👍

[@leeb.7188]

I think a large sponge (the type they sell for use in grouting), makes for a faster and more even wipe-down than a rag. We purchased a three-pack for tiling a kitchen backsplash, and I had a new one left over. I grabbed that for wiping down my muddled edges, and it came out nice. Just lightly dampen it.

[@Fabulousprofound168]

What knockdown over popcorn?

[@sixpackbinky]

❤

[@franciscody9622]

Better to replace as much of the pipe with stainless steel pipe. Copper pipes develop pinhole leaks eventually due to chemical corrosion.

[@MAGAMAN]

You were pulling your knockdown texture in the wrong direction. You also made the mistake of patching over the existing knockdown texture, which is why you had that big lump all the way around the patch. You should have scraped off the original knock down past the repair area so you could blend them together better because you will never be able to hide that built up border.

[@moelassus]

What causes those spontaneous pinhole leaks along the pipe?

[@Scott_6666]

Entropy

[@debstrickland]

Acidic water that eats away the pipes from the inside ☹️

[@Kevin-mp5of]

Many reasons such as, defective copper pipe, excess flux residue not flushed out, iron deposits, in the pipe, turbulence, water quality.

[@jasnapon]

I thought you have to use hot mud when using mesh tape🤔

[@jaymelz324]

I don’t think those r shark bite fittings but great video!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback, those are new generation of Sharkbite fittings.

[@MrKen59]

I hate drywall in basement.

[@staff.engineer]

I’m telling you Scott, the pre-soldered copper fittings at Menards are the way to go, but now that you’ve paid for that fancy crimp tool I’m sure you keep using that.

[@FrankSuHuang]

👍👍🌹🌹

[@jimmaag4274]

OK, but what was the original cause of the leak?

[@TOOL_TECHNICAL]

If he didn't specify temperature or some absurd change in psi from municipal water construction, we have to assume it's from normal wear and tear/ age

[@jimmaag4274]

@@TOOL_TECHNICAL hard copper doesn't just magically start leaking in the middle of a run though, hence the question.

[@TOOL_TECHNICAL]

@@jimmaag4274true, was just pointing out localized corrosion, and turbulence/velocity changes over time lead to these perforations or "pinholes" at 1:53 you can see the corrosion in several spots including the dripping point. Water pH, additives from municipalities and excess psi from worn prvs are just a few reasons. Just sharing

[@marlonestrella5054]

Can't you just use a chalk line to guide a cutting point?

[@kayjaig]

Using masking tape to seal the drywalls is not a good idea. Without compound in between the gaps of the old and new drywalls. It will end up a separation of the masking tape and create a crack line later on.

[@CTRwannaB]

That patch 😅 You should’ve feathered it out farther and filled that middle section Sponged the edges to blend them Textured at least 12-24” past the patch Not bad for diy though

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback 👍

[@Theoriginalmaverick23]

Read the bucket. You don't need sand paper. A damp 8 inch sponge will do the job and eliminate the dust. Nobody reads the bucket.😂😂😂

[@Darjan_Spasojevic]

I thought you were an electrical.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

I am just a DIY homeowner with a few rental properties. Plenty of opportunity to fix things. 👍

[@almightyEsquilax]

Crimpin' ain't easy.

[@kinkmedic]

The time it took to make that jig, you could have just cut 2 - 2x4s and mated them up with the existing 2x4s.

[@MAGAMAN]

I'll stick to soldering my joints. I guarantee that crimp is going to start leaking in a handful of years.

[@hotpuppy1]

FYI: DO NOT use 'shark bite' fittings in hidden areas as a permanent repair.

[@Brode]

Man, you really need to stop with this manual press tool. I understand you bought a new tool and want to justify it but come on. The main benefits of press fittings are the time/labor saved from soldering and the ability do work in a commercial setting without requiring a hot work permit. You're getting neither of these and just the increased cost of press fittings vs normal solder fittings. People watch these videos, go buy this dog shit tool and realize it's a pain in the ass and useless.

[@dga5396]

Wasting my time with introduction countdown.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Sorry, that is a default setting we can't override.

[@Mr.PoopyDoobertPants]

Lol just boomer things