Help-Water Bubble In My Wall

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

We've had awful weather the past few days and I just noticed a bubble halfway down the wall, it seems to be full of water and has moved down the wall since I noticed it.
Should I pop it to release the water and mop with towels, the rain has now stopped but the roof still has snow on it? I assume it's coming from the roof but is started at the side of the window
Just trying to figure out how to minimize the damage till everything dries out and I can get it repaired.
EDIT;The photo is sideways. The leak is to the left of the window and at the ceiliing I can see a water stain.

 

[JoeWras]

Assuming you have drywall and not plaster, pop it. You do not need this absorbing back into the drywall.

If done carefully, you may be able to drain it and then let the paint settle back.

Hard to say from here. This could be an easy fix, or a project.

Modern latex paint essentially creates a plastic film. You are seeing this.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Thank you, that seemed like the logical answer to me. I'll give it a shot

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Okay I pieced it with a paper clip in a couple of areas and carefully patted it to release the water and it looks a lot better than it did earlier. I'll keep an eye and repeat as necessary since the darn snow just started again.
Thanks for your advice, I was hoping you were available. I know you do a lot with Habitat For Humanity.

 

[Texas Proud]

Just some info....


On my old house I had a water leak about 4 feet from the side wall in my bedroom ceiling... but my bedroom was on the bottom floor of a 2 story house..


I had someone go on the roof to see if there was anything wrong as there was no window close to where the leak was (heck, nor any roof for that matter)... they saw nothing...


Years later as this would come back when it rained hard I went up there to look... I finally saw a pipe through the room without a good vent cover... I went into my attic and saw that the water came through the hole, ran down a rafter to the edge of the house.. ran down a wall stud to the bottom floor, hit the ceiling joist in my bedroom and ran back the 4 feet to the low point of the ceiling and collected there.... which eventually caused a hole and that is the leak...


It is amazing how water can flow to get to the point of it coming into view...

 

[JoeWras]

Yes, water does weird things and can travel great distances. My dad was a plumber and he always had war stories at dinner about leaks traveling 16 ft or so down a pipe.

OP: before I answered from mobile and couldn't type much. Now I can.

First, my condolences on your experience in "Sunny California." But seriously, I know in the more arid places, these things can take you by surprise. It is the kind of stuff we fight east of the Mississippi all the time.

You mention snow + rain. It *could* be an "ice dam." Look it up. Rain on top of snow is the worst for this. In the North they go to great lengths to build roofs to avoid this. I doubt they care in places where it snows once every 40 years.

And as Texas Proud mentions, vent pipes are the #1 thing to have checked, even if they are not near the leak.

If it is a dam, then it is probably a one time thing. If not, then you have to find the roof or wall leak first.

As for your wall, if this doesn't persist, you may be able to just let the paint rest back and forget about it. A day or two of wet won't cause mold. However, you need to know. This could be a canary in the coal mine and you really have had a small leak all along, and this is just bursting over the dam proving it. When everything calms down, try to come up with a plan to figure out where it is coming from. (And seriously, look up "ice dam" and see if it is possible.)

Now if the paint peels, it is a real pain to fix. You have to fill in the peeled area with something like joint compound and feather it. Then a few coats of paint to match texture, and probably the whole wall. A product like "kilz" may be necessary as first coat.

Keep us posted, good luck, and hopefully you all make it through this weather event OK.

 

[Sunset]

OP - also use the kilz on the ceiling, once the water stained area is dry, so when you repaint that area, the water stain image does not come through the paint later.

 

[pacergal]

We had a leak similar to this in our living room window that was caused by an ice dam.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Thanks for all the information.
I have a tile roof with felt underneath and no gutter in that area. Can an ice dam also happen in these circumstances?

 

[Sunset]

No experience with a tile roof, but an ice dam forms at the roof edge and then melting water/rain backs up behind the dam, and the water flows under the roofing tiles (ashpalt).
I would think a tile roof has the same weakness, water can backup and travel between the tiles.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I took a look at the area this morning and some of the roofing nails have popped up and the wind has lifted the tiles a little. I bet the felt has deteriorated underneath since the small birds will fly under there probabaly to nest. I definitely need to get my roofer over here as soon as it dries out. It's probabaly time for a whole new roof.

 

[Sunset]

I took a look at the area this morning and some of the roofing nails have popped up and the wind has lifted the tiles a little. I bet the felt has deteriorated underneath since the small birds will fly under there probabaly to nest. I definitely need to get my roofer over here as soon as it dries out. It's probabaly time for a whole new roof.

Is your roof clay tiles ?

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I think they are call Spanish style interlocking, they are rounded and not completely flat so the birds can get under the edge and I think they peck at the felt. I've seen homes where they attach a mesh along the edges to keep them out.
I just walked around the entire house and there is lot of tiles that have popped up, I think the wind is lifting them and pulling the nails up. Better to deal with it this year than keep letting it get worse.

 

[JoeWras]

Ah, that sounds like your problem. Then you get a wind driven rain to push the water in there. Good to know the source and start looking for a fix.

I had a brand new roof in 1996 (2 months old) and during Hurricane Fran, I still had water come through the vent boots. What happened was the persistent 40 mph wind from the east perfectly blew back uphill against the shingles. The shingles held well, being new with glue tabs. But the vent boot was the weakness. The water blew up under it, then found the hole in the sheathing where the pipe goes through.