Dear NAP: Recently we noticed large bubbles in the wall between the paint and the drywall. Help! What do we do?

Last year was one of the coldest and snowiest winters on Maine record and due to the accumulation of so much snow on windows, roofs and skylights, many homes were affected by ice dams, which melt and come down through the flashing, causing unsightly bubbles or large water blisters between the drywall and the paint.

The very first thing you should do is pop any bubble or blister with a safety pin and have a rag or a bucket to force the water out. This is very important to get the water out as soon as possible. Don't wait for it to dry up on its own for it will create mold and eat away at the plaster or drywall.

 

Like any blister popped, it doesn't look so good afterwards. Until you can get a professional painter in there, the quick fix is to cut out the blistered section and just take some wall paint and with a throwaway brush, and paint over it. It won't hurt anything if you paint it without priming it.