Water leak leaves stained ceiling

Q: Earlier this year, a small leak from an upstairs pipe caused a water stain on my kitchen ceiling, about a foot in diameter. The pipe has been fixed, but the stained ceiling remains. The water also caused it to warp slightly, so I’m not sure that painting over the stain will improve it. Is it possible to replace the stained section? — Dahlia J., Cincinnati

A: Yes, it is. You can patch the stained ceiling by cutting out the damaged area and replacing with a new piece of drywall (aka wallboard or Sheetrock). The tools you will need are: replacement drywall, a drywall saw, a ruler or carpenter’s square, pencil, drywall screws, plywood, a power drill, a hand or power saw, mesh drywall tape, drywall compound, putty knife, interior paint and a sturdy ladder.

•First, turn off power to the kitchen at the circuit box, because you will be cutting blind when removing the stained section. For added safety, place a strip of masking tape across the circuit box door and write “Do Not Touch” on the tape.

•Using the ruler or carpenter’s square and pencil, draw a square around the perimeter of the stain — the straighter the better. Take the drywall saw and carefully saw along the lines to cut out the damaged area.

•Either using the damaged piece as a template, or measuring the sides of the new hole, mark and cut out a piece of the replacement drywall.

•Take a piece of thin plywood and, using the measurements of the hole, cut it into a rectangular shape so that two sides extend a couple of inches past the edges of the hole and two sides are a couple of inches narrower than the hole. This serves as the support for the patch. (Note: if you don’t have a saw, take the measurements to the store and purchase a piece cut to size.)

•Slip the plywood into the hole and center. Holding it in place, drill drywall screws upward through the ceiling on each side of the hole, into the overlapping edges of the plywood.

•Put the new drywall piece into place, pressing up against the plywood backing. Drill drywall screws through the piece into the plywood — one or two on each side should anchor it. Sink all the screws a few millimeters into the surface of the drywall.

•Run strips of mesh drywall tape along each edge of the patch. With the putty knife, spread drywall compound over the tape and the screw indentations, feathering out to blend into the ceiling. Let the compound dry, then paint the area to match the rest of the ceiling.

HOME TIP: Water stains on the ceiling are ugly, but before making repairs, ensure that the cause of the stain has been found and fixed, or you’ll have to do it all over again.