Do I need to remove the insulation?

[Steve S]

Last weekend during rehearsal in my basement crawlspace, water started dripping onto my head. Since the crawlspace is in the bottom of my house, I went upstairs to see what was going on and noticed that my son was in the shower which is directly above where the drips were coming from. I called the plumber who replaced a broken pipe in the wall behind the shower.

Do I need to cut into the sheetrock in the ceiling of my crawlspace and pull out all of the wet insulation or will it dry out on its own?

[buzzbass]

I would, the mold & mildew that will form can't be good for you.

[Relic]

Unfortunately you probably should get rid of it. It may have been leaking for longer than you realize and who knows what that stuff may look like now. If it just started and you got to it quick, you might be alright, but honestly I wouldn't play with that stuff. Mold and mildew can wreak havoc once it's established in your house.

[MJ5150]

Eh, just wait until someone in the house gets really sick from some unexplainable illness. Then you'll know it is time to remove the insulation.

If it were me, I would rip it all out, but I know how to hang and finish drywall. You can also pick up a moisture meter and test the area to see how wet it is.

-Mike

[Steve S]

Thank you! I appreciate all of your comments.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Yes, take it all away and discard any porous material that doesn't dry out in a day or a two.

If any of it is left in there, that's just a time-bomb, ready to explode.

Regards
Sam

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

Yes, take it all away and discard any porous material that doesn't dry out in a day or a two.

If any of it is left in there, that's just a time-bomb, ready to explode.

Regards
Sam

I've never done this kind of work before. Will I need any special equipment to remove it? I don't even have a saw so will need to go to Home Depot or Lowes.

[Steve S]

Or should I just pay a person who works on sheetrock, etc. to come in and do the work?

[Relic]

I'm generally an idiot when it comes to home repairs, so I follow a rule whereby if it's something that will be bad if I screw up, I leave it to the pro's.
Maybe someone more capable here can give you some tips though.

[Radical Edward]

Get rid of any wood, insulation, or anything else that's wet. My parents used to have this house where a pipe burst in the winter, and they fixed up the floor damage and such and replaced what they thought was ruined and a few months later we noticed that the floor there seemed to be having a bit of give to it. Looked under and a large section was rotted out, and with my asthma I could've gotten really sick if we took any longer not catching it.
Save yourself the risk and the extra expense. Replace it all.

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by Mikaela Ellinge

Get rid of any wood, insulation, or anything else that's wet. My parents used to have this house where a pipe burst in the winter, and they fixed up the floor damage and such and replaced what they thought was ruined and a few months later we noticed that the floor there seemed to be having a bit of give to it. Looked under and a large section was rotted out, and with my asthma I could've gotten really sick if we took any longer not catching it.
Save yourself the risk and the extra expense. Replace it all.

Thanks! I've had asthma for years so I'll make sure that this is taken care of properly.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Mikaela Ellinge

Get rid of any wood, insulation, or anything else that's wet. My parents used to have this house where a pipe burst in the winter, and they fixed up the floor damage and such and replaced what they thought was ruined and a few months later we noticed that the floor there seemed to be having a bit of give to it. Looked under and a large section was rotted out, and with my asthma I could've gotten really sick if we took any longer not catching it.
Save yourself the risk and the extra expense. Replace it all.

You have asthma and you smoke?

[karrot-x]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

You have asthma and you smoke?

-(e^(i*Pi))