# Air leak in wall



## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Is this normal? What does/can it mean? I have two walls in my basement that are like this.


----------



## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Air leak ? Like cold air draft. Could be the outlets.

BG


----------



## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Are the swelled up areas loose or solid??

What are the walls made of??

Masonry??

Rocklath and plaster??

Drywall??

Other??


----------



## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

> Are the swelled up areas loose or solid??


Solid. 



> What are the walls made of??


Drywall.



> Could be the outlets.


I have it on a wall that has no outlets as well. I didn't know air can do that... Should I be concerned?


----------



## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Warmer room air that meets a cold wall, will feel the same as a draft. Cold air sinks, warm air rises.

BG


----------



## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Looks like a botched patch job if the material is solid.....if the raised areas are loose it's spalling and needs to be removed. Air will not do this. Remove the wall plate and look for a layer of patching compound.......see if it flakes off easily.


----------



## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

It's not a patch job. I just checked. It's something that happened from within on it's own.


----------



## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Then is is loose material. The paper has come loose from the gypsum core......if it is drywall. You need to scrape the loose material off and check for water damage......is this on an outside wall??


----------



## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

> is this on an outside wall??


One is on an outside wall but the one in the photo is not.


----------



## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Were the walls ever wall papered?? Any possibility of water damage??

I've soaked drywall many times to bend it for radiused walls and never had the paper delaminate. I've seen defective batches where the paper will blister after paint is applied but that shows up immediately.


----------



## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

No I don't so SABL.


----------



## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

You'll have to remove a little bit of the 'blister' to see what is underneath. If the paper has delaminated it needs to be removed and screen tape applied with a setting type of drywall compound. 

DIY Drywall Finishing - Setting-Type Joint Compound


----------

