Brown rings, bubbling paint and sagging drywall all point to water above the ceiling, but the source may be a tub, a pipe, an air handler or the roof. Finding it comes before any repair, because drying a ceiling under a live leak only buys a few days.
How the source is found
- A stain below a bathroom usually points to a drain or supply pipe
- Rings that grow after rain point to the roof
- A stain near the air handler points to the condensate drain
- Wet insulation above shows how far the water ran
- A moisture meter confirms what the eye cannot see
Ceiling stained or sagging? Call and describe it, and the crew will say what to photograph and how to keep people clear of it.
Ask about the sagging drywallOpening a ceiling safely
Drywall that holds water can fall without warning, so a bulging section is punctured at its lowest point to drain into a bucket. Then the wet panel is cut out, the insulation is pulled and air movers dry the cavity from below.
After the ceiling is dry
Once readings come down, a drywall contractor can patch and paint. If the water came through the roof, read about roof leak water damage. For a drain overflow, see AC condensate and air handler leaks.
Photos of the stain before it is cut open help the claim, so take them first.
Ceiling Leak Water Damage in short
Ceiling leak cleanup for Mascotte homes: the source is traced, wet drywall and insulation are opened where needed, and the cavity is dried until readings are normal.