Homeowners seek advice about ceiling water damage
41 posts across 8 communities in the last 30 days; 39% from r/Roofing.
“Long story short: I bought this house with an old conservatory. One night when it was raining heavily, it started leaking along the crack where the conservatory joins the house. I got someone out to look at it and he ‘fixed’ it. Fast forward a month and it’s started leaking…”
“Came home to colored water filled up in the light fixture on the ceiling of my bathroom. Last time, water came out of the adjacent bathroom vent on the right. Ran the water fixtures in the unit upstairs (same layout) and couldn’t recreate the leak. What’s the issue and how do I…”
“Could this kind of damage been undetected until a black mold bloom suddenly appeared on a bathroom ceiling? Tenant claims they never noticed leaks or staining on the ceiling/walls. I find it suspicious that this kind of damage has left no indicators of a problem brewing. It’s a…”
Multiple homeowners are experiencing unexplained water or moisture on their ceilings and are seeking guidance on identifying the source of the leaks and potential repair solutions. Some have had contractors inspect the roof without finding a cause.
SOURCES (43)
“An untraceable leak somewhere that has caused the plaster ceiling to sag and fail Will this help? Should I just go crazy and apply more? I also am not sure how to lay down a tarp without it pulling up in the shingles submitted by…”
“I have sanded and fixed this spot on my ceiling 2xs now and this keeps showing up. Does anyone know what it might be? submitted by /u/feddyrosey [link] [comments]”
“We are getting water leaking into my sons bedroom His room is the window on the right Could it be the gutters as tiles don’t look dislodged. submitted by /u/Sheikashnacko [link] [comments]”
“I tried to get a few different photos to show what I’m working with. The area that is blue is slightly damp. This is very recent, developing over a few weeks. The floor above the ceiling has the same pattern windows. I can’t find any siding or issues on the exterior where water would come in. I run a dehumidifier in the basement and I don’t have this issue anywhere else. Looking for advice on where to start. Thank you. submitted by /u/Federal-Tie-6825 [link] [comments]”
“We had a bad storm about 6 weeks ago and noticed the spot on the ceiling. Also noticed the brown stain on the inside edge of the skylight frame. I was quoted $1800 to seal around the flashing of BOTH skylights. $3200 to replace the skylight which i would rather wait until I do the roof someday. Is the flash sealing something I can do or does this price seem good? t's a chimney and roof company doing the repair. Long Island, NY submitted by /u/mistytrails [link] [comments]”
“Excuse the spider. This is the ceiling over my living room submitted by /u/ClaimIntelligent719 [link] [comments]”
“On our 10 year old NE Florida home I noticed discoloration on the ceiling that is nearly directly under a vent pipe. We had a week of heavy rain. I inspected the vent and found that of the 4 vents this one had the sloppiest install with the front sort of lifted and no caulk under the front. There is some light cracking in the row of shingles, perhaps from having the shingle bent during install (photo from build). Should the front be sealed/nailed down on the sides or is the cause more likely aro”
“We had a branch in our roof last year (we discovered it from this spot on our ceiling) we went through insurance over the summer and got a new roof, new insulation and had the attic treated for mold. We never repaired this spot though. I just got quoted $1k to fix it 🤯 would you say to repair it or should i just paint over it at this point? submitted by /u/Creative_Turn_862 [link] [comments]”
“Definitely had water leaking on it at some point according to homeowner submitted by /u/ahobonamedjoe [link] [comments]”
“I’ve recently had some marks appear on my ceiling in attic conversion, normally appear after it’s rained I think - one side of the room has these little dots all perfectly lined up and the other one stripe mark then lots of little marks under the velux window. I do have a bathroom nearby and steam sometimes comes out into bedroom - could it be this?? Any advice on what it may be would be helpful!! submitted by /u/Icy_Cauliflower6846 [link] [comments]”
“Water travels the path of least resistance. So the stain in the ceiling might not be where the leak is, but where the water is pooling up. You’d have to find the closest fixture. Run it, cut the ceiling open, and check for the leaj [re: Question for the older guys: Experience in service]”
“I noticed a wavy crack near a skylight in the ceiling. I don't see any water damage and the drywall seems fine when i climbed a ladder to examine it. Is this just normal settling or normal thermal expansions since it is by a skylight? The house is on slab foundation and was build in the 70s. submitted by /u/krayzie23 [link] [comments]”
“Water leaked through the ceiling a couple of days ago bc of a roofing mistake and now I’ve noticed all these spots. submitted by /u/Weak_One_8210 [link] [comments]”
“We had some water intrusion and mold form on our ceiling in the sunroom after days of rain here in FL. Limited views within attic showed some water thru these boards from the main attic space where we believed water was getting in from a gap between where this roof meets our siding. We added L and Z counter flashing outside on top of the siding/roof to prevent any more water intrusion while we save up to replace the roof next year. However, upon removing the damaged and molded ceiling in the sun”
“This started to appear from yesterday in one of our room. There is nothing above it but we have to do have an attic room upstairs with bathroom on the other side. No signs of water damage in any other bedrooms. Could this be a radiator pipe leak ? This wall is between two bedrooms, and window is on the outside wall perpendicular to this wall with radiator installed on it. The crack runs from top to bottom and left to right in the middle with wet water marks in between. Please advise on next step”
“These cracks have developed on my ceiling in a new construction house. What causes it and how can it be fixed? TIA submitted by /u/cgandara2318 [link] [comments]”
“Long story short: I bought this house with an old conservatory. One night when it was raining heavily, it started leaking along the crack where the conservatory joins the house. I got someone out to look at it and he ‘fixed’ it. Fast forward a month and it’s started leaking again, although only right at the very end and not a lot. I messaged him asking if he could come and have a look, and he said it was probably a different issue. He came out today and said some lead is missing and a tile is cr”
“what if my contractor said this is a drop ceiling so there are multiple layers of drywall in between, making it hard to tell where the water is coming from even if you made a hole in the ceiling? [re: Water leaking from my bathroom ceiling light and vent]”
“I just noticed this on the ceiling in my bedroom. I’m not sure how long it’s been there honestly… how urgent or serious is this? I tried to get good pictures. I’m in the midst of a long decluttering/cleaning project with my apartment overall, so I’m worried about if this needs to be viewed or fixed by maintenance asap. Any advice here? How long can I wait or what should I do? I live on the top floor of my apartment and have a high ceiling apartment. It rained a little bit last Friday but hasn’t”
“Came home to colored water filled up in the light fixture on the ceiling of my bathroom. Last time, water came out of the adjacent bathroom vent on the right. Ran the water fixtures in the unit upstairs (same layout) and couldn’t recreate the leak. What’s the issue and how do I fix this? Should I make a cutout in the ceiling to inspect or should I just focus on the unit upstairs since water can only go one way. This is on the 2nd floor of a 4 floor building. submitted by /u/mistertee”
“Could this kind of damage been undetected until a black mold bloom suddenly appeared on a bathroom ceiling? Tenant claims they never noticed leaks or staining on the ceiling/walls. I find it suspicious that this kind of damage has left no indicators of a problem brewing. It’s a 1993 mobile home, tenants lived there 5 years. The tenant has a roofing buddy who looked at it, this is what he stated is going on, no pictures provided. “The problem arises from one of the roof vent flashings caulk is pe”
“Hello these just showed up today on the second floor ceiling . Can someone pls advise who to call? It is near the hvac in the attic. We have been cranking up the AC due to the brutal heat wave in Southern California. It is not dripping 🤞🏼but it’s wet. Ty so much!! submitted by /u/Bakerina-is-me [link] [comments]”
“Mold or just water staining behind drywall? Already primed and closed up, so should I worry? We had a roof leak, which has been fixed. The last step was replacing the drywall in this closet. Photos show what was behind the old drywall. The drywall installer said it wasn't mold, primed over it, and hung new drywall. Now I'm second-guessing whether it was actually mold and not just water damage. My questions: From the photos, does this look like mold or just water staining? If it was mold,”
“For months my ceiling has been leaking when it rains. We had maintenance check the roof and repair my ceiling. Well, this has happened twice and now we are on time number 3. The leaking has now moved into another room too. So now i have leaks in two rooms. It doesnt help that im a very light sleeper either. The dripping is disruptive. It puts me in a limbo situation where i dont know if i can leave my apartment. Buckets everywhere. Fear of mold. Not to mention having maintenance come in and out”
“Having some vent cap issues after receiving a significant amount of rain the the last 30 days creating water damage on a bathroom ceiling that has also created mold. It appears that the two nails holding this cap down are loose as I can raise the bottom of the cap easily. My question is that it looks like the nails are all but rusted away, plus the OSB underneath is not great. It’s surprisingly soft to the point I’m not sure a new nail would do anything. Any recommendations on how to proceed? &#”
“Thats probably going to all come down if the leak isnt fixed. It will soak into insulation if there is any.”
“Fortunately there was nothing on the floor, so I got no personal damage. I am wondering if I have to fix this urgently because I am pretty much occupied by other things thesedays. submitted by /u/Routine-Service9674 [link] [comments]”
“I discovered a stain on my ceiling resulting from a roof leak. I went into the attic and saw the leak in action: between 5 and 9 drops come down at every 45-60 second intervals. Does this mean that there is a dam-like structure that holds water before it drains? Would the leak be higher — how much higher? Looking at the root from ground level, I do not see missing or loose shingles. I will go up to inspect it but want to know if anyone has a method to identify leaks or find where the water protr”
“I currently have a flat roof. five years ago when we brought the house, it was silver coated, but unsure of how old the roof is. I am seeing a water stain on my front bedroom ceiling. What should I know or what should I be discussing with when talking to a roofer so that I don’t get scam?. submitted by /u/Mrchrisham [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I noticed a leak in a part of my ceiling inside of a cabinet about a week ago by a paint bubble that appeared and filled with water. Maintenance came and popped the bubble, and this is what it looks like inside. It’s a slow leak, and a pretty solidly sized area in the ceiling surrounding this hole is soft. First maintenance guy said the ceiling was patched from where it clearly had been opened before. When I first moved in, my eyes and sinuses itched like absolute crazy and I had assumed”
“roof leakage or moisture? its in the corner of bedroom, soft and cold to the touch, next to a window thats always open. It’s kind of spongy but not a lot. submitted by /u/MikuRin39 [link] [comments]”
“I discovered a spot in my wall that looked a bit water damaged so I opened it up and, next storm, found water dripping out of the hole I made. I removed some insulation and I can see water dripping from the wood here pretty regularly. About 1.5-2’ above this is a skylight. I thought that was the problem so I took flashing tape and did the bottom, sides, and top of the skylight, overlapping the corners But the leak here still going full force. Nothing visibly obvious in the shingles in that area”
“Are these ripples in my ceiling from water or just poor workmanship? Just moved into this house a few months ago. Edit to add context: The ripples don’t feel wet and I’m not sure if they’ve been there since we moved in. Don’t spend a ton of time staring at the ceiling lol submitted by /u/Jimbosynn [link] [comments]”
“I just had my roof replaced and I’ve been noticing every morning that water is dripping off the edges around the perimeter of the house. Also the inside feels more humid than usual. Is this something that happens with new roofs or am I crazy and it’s just the weather and humidity in the air. For context I’m in the Los Angeles area where it has been a bit more humid than usual lately. We had the roof also completely re sheeted and they are composition shingles, thanks! submitted by /u”
“We noticed water stains on our upstairs ceiling. There only an attic and roof above. There’s also some spots on the ceiling in addition to by the vent. I’m gonna call up there tomorrow, but does it look more like a roof leak or an HVAC leak? submitted by /u/dontwanttoadult [link] [comments]”
“Cross posted. Renting. Reported a leak to my landlord, who sent roofers out. The ceiling split open from their work, which revealed a LOT of mold. Landlord came by to remove the panel and insulation, and he’s telling me he doesn’t see any mold, and that the wood is “just wet.” Is he BSing me submitted by /u/304058255257969222 [link] [comments]”
“Noticed this morning after some heavy rains that the ceiling is leaking water. Figured I’d head into the attic to find the source, and… well… the source is pretty obvious. Is this something I’m able to fix myself or would I need to hire a roofer? What products would I be looking for in order to seal it? submitted by /u/kylo_little_ren_hen [link] [comments]”
“I’ve had moisture on my third-floor bedroom ceiling for the last couple of years, but it didn’t happen again until yesterday where it’s now peeling off part of the ceiling. I had someone out to look at the roof and they didn’t find anything (they were a general contractor though so not ruling it out). I’ve had other contractors out as well but no one has identified the problem. It is a vaulted ceiling and this area is right where the ceiling hits its low point and straightens out. I also have a”