Repairing Water Leaks in Plaster Walls & Ceiling Mold

Repairing Plaster Water Damage

• 1

  Put on gloves because the cleaning solution can irritate your hands. Wear goggles if you are cleaning a ceiling to ensure the solution doesn’t drip into your eyes.

• 2

  Mix ¼ cup borax with 2 cups hot water. Mix until the borax has completely dissolved.

• 3

  Dip a cloth into the solution and wring it out as much as possible. Don’t apply too much of the solution to the plaster as you don’t want to soak it and soften it.

• 4

  Rub the cloth over the water damage to remove brown and black stains. This will also work to remove any mold or mildew that may have developed. Rinse the cloth every few minutes and apply more of the cleaning solution. Work until the stains are gone.

• 5

  Mist the area with clean water to rinse off the borax residue and then finish by drying the plaster as much as you can with a clean cloth. Use a table fan to speed the drying process.

Repairing Ceiling Mold

• 6

  Mix one cup bleach with one cup warm water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle for easier application.

• 7

  Open doors and windows because bleach is toxic if the room isn’t ventilated properly.

• 8

  Spray the solution over the ceiling molding where the water leak occurred. Let it sit for 10 minutes to give it time to loosen the stain’s hold on the molding.

• 9

  Scrub the molding with a soft-bristled brush. Work until the stains are completely gone. Do not scrub too hard because that could wear off the paint.

• 10

  Rinse the brush with clean water and rub it over the molding to rinse off the bleach residue. Dry the molding with a clean cloth.