I just went to check out the loft and was shocked to already see an improvement; 95% of the wall is perfectly dry and normal-coloured. Of course, the bottom part is still sodden as is the joist along the front, six inches of which got soaked. I used a scraper to get rid of the top layer of wood that is the darkest on that joist and was relieved to see damp, normal-coloured, wood appear along most of the section.

The wall has a final layer of paneling remaining, and it is glued to styrofoam. I did some test scratches and the styrofoam looks clean. So, I tried the scraper technique on the paneling and got the same result as on the joist. I therefore don’t think I need to replace the styrofoam insulation, just the pink stuff along the front.

I sprayed the whole area with rubbing alcohol to kill spores and I have the dehumidifier running. I tried running both it and the heater on low on the same circuit, but failed, so I decided to just go with the dehumifier for now since it’s nice having the heater in the study so I don’t have to run the furnace. I’m debating whether to use a hair dryer on high directly on the wet, wondering if that would be silly and futile.

I wish I’d thought to inquire about paneling when I was at the Home Hardware today. I hope I can find something smaller than a full sheet.