Shaker Courts · Unit 710

West Bedroom Water Damage

What we found in the walls, and why we ask for the same fix in the living room and east bedroom

David and Mary Butler · 13700 Shaker Blvd.
November 2026

How we got here

April 2025

We bought the unit and found water marks in the bedroom. We had the walls repaired and painted.

April 2026

The marks came back. The walls were taken down to the studs to find the cause.

Mold found

Mold was present behind the walls. The whole area was sprayed.

Water tests

Management traced the leak to the roof walls and corrected it.

Summer 2026

Walls rebuilt with waterproof board. The room has stayed dry.

Now

Blisters, cracks and bubbling paint in the living room and east bedroom.

April 2025

The original damage

Bedroom corner with failing plaster at the ceiling line Close view of peeling plaster and paint at the ceiling

Plaster failing at the exterior corner, where the wall meets the ceiling. We had these walls repaired and painted.

April 2026 · One year later

The walls opened to the block

Bedroom with the exterior walls removed down to the block Exposed concrete block and wood furring strips Corner at the ceiling line with damaged concrete

Behind the plaster: concrete block with wood strips. Nothing stops water that gets through the masonry.

What the open walls showed

Cracks through the concrete block

Vertical crack through the concrete block Stair-step crack through the mortar joints

Vertical and stair-step cracks run through the mortar joints, giving water a path into the unit.

What the open walls showed

Damage at the top of the wall

Deteriorated concrete at the top of the wall Water staining and white mineral deposits at the ceiling line

Crumbling concrete, dark water stains and white mineral deposits where the wall meets the ceiling: water coming in from above.

What the open walls showed

Water-stained, decaying wood

Stained wood board along the top of the wall Wood board with dark staining and decay End of the wood board showing decay

The wood along the top of the wall is dark and decayed from being soaked again and again.

Summer 2026

The repair that worked

New waterproof board beside the bedroom window New waterproof board on the exterior wall Bedroom sealed off with plastic during the repair

The maintenance team rebuilt the walls with waterproof board after the roof walls were corrected. The room has stayed dry since.

The same fix for the living room and east bedroom

1Take the wall surface down to the studs.
2Spray thoroughly to eliminate any mold.
3Rebuild the walls with waterproof material.

Interior work: the Painting Brothers, if possible.

Before work begins

  1. What caused the leak in the west bedroom, and what was done to stop it?
  2. What will be done outside to stop water at the living room and east bedroom walls?
  3. How will the repair be tested before the new walls go up?
  4. Can the Painting Brothers do the interior work?
  5. What is the start date, and can it be finished before Thanksgiving?
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