Leak ceiling ?what to do

[Dazgrego]

Hi. We have a leak somewhere as shown on the pfoto

This is on the kitchen room. Directly above the space is our main bathroom, took the bath panel off don’t see any thing there. And nothing on site on toilet or sink

Can anyone suggest the course of action to sort this before it gets worse and potentially collapses

 

[SimonG]

Cut an access hole in the ceiling and take it from there.

 

[nicam49]

Can you work out approximately where in tne bathroom the 2 stains are? for instance are they under a shower tray or bath?
If you touch the stains are they wet? Have they only just appeared? Are they old stains from some past plumbing work?
Could be weeping joints in the radiator pipework.
You're going to have to be prepared to take up floorboards in the bathroom to investigate further. Let us know how you get on!

 

[Dazgrego]

Can you work out approximately where in tne bathroom the 2 stains are? for instance are they under a shower tray or bath?
If you touch the stains are they wet? Have they only just appeared? Are they old stains from some past plumbing work?
Could be weeping joints in the radiator pipework.
You're going to have to be prepared to take up floorboards in the bathroom to investigate further. Let us know how you get on!

The stains have appearsd
Over last few weeks. Slightly worsened over the weeks. The picture is in the kitchen ceiling. Just above it would be the main bathroom. Took the panels off under bath and don’t see any leak at that part of joints. And the circle part doesn’t feel very damp but obviously it’s slightly as can tell on picture.

 

[Dazgrego]

Would it be best to cut out ceiling and have a look that way or take the floor board up in bathroom?

 

[Ben-gee]

If you have floorboards above, that would be easiest to remove replace without damage.
If tiles etc the no it would then be easier to access from below.

 

[Dazgrego]

If you have floorboards above, that would be easiest to remove replace without damage.
If tiles etc the no it would then be easier to access from belosoxfo clarify

If you have floorboards above, that would be easiest to remove replace without damage.
If tiles etc the no it would then be easier to access from below.

So just to clarify to make sure I get what you mean.

There are floorboards under the bath, so you think will be easier to try remove the floorboard from under the bath to see if leak further down , to try fix that way , might be difficult with the bath behind there

No tiles so that wouldn’t be issue

Or cut out from the kitchen ceiling where picture shows marks and see if can see the leak that side. In hope it’s just a loose pipe. Replace:tightening. Then close the whole up?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If the mark is under the bath would go through the ceiling as it’s already damaged

 

[Ben-gee]

Lift a floorboard in the bathroom, not necessarily under the bath, and investigate - using mirror and torch if needed.
May need to take up a few more if you start in the wrong place.

 

[Dazgrego]

If the mark is under the bath would go through the ceiling as it’s already damaged

Yeah the mark is on the kitchen ceiling. Room above upstairs is the bathroom. Your advice to go through the ceiling as already damaged makes sense. So I’ll cut out an area and hopefully once I have view access I can see the leak and replace the actual pipe.

 

[Murdoch]

The thing to remember is that water will run to the lowest point and not many ceilings / houses are flat, so the issue could be elsewhere in the bathroom

 

[Dazgrego]

The thing to remember is that water will run to the lowest point and not many ceilings / houses are flat, so the issue could be elsewhere in the bathroom

Thank you, that makes total sense. I’ll start investigating

 

[nicam49]

Thank you, that makes total sense. I’ll start investigating

Can't you pinpoint the part of the bathroom where the leak is by taking measurements in the kitchen and correlating them in the bathroom... to get some idea of WHERE in the bathroom the leak(s) could be? For instance, the stain near the wall... is the bath or sink waste anywhere near that same place (but above it, of course)
I would strongly advise you NOT to touch that ceiling! It's not damaged, just stained. Once it's dried, the ceiling can be repainted...you will have the mother of messes if you start removing portions of ceiling plaster.. and the cost of a new ceiling - and the mess - I don't think you appreciate.... yet!

 

[Ben-gee]

Just to clarify OP; I’m suggesting you investigate from above first as this involves no damage to floorboards if you are careful.
Once you have found the source if the leak it may prove necessary to fix from above or below- none of us know how your pipes are run. But if you rip the ceiling down and then discover a little weep that could be fixed from above - you’ll kick yourself.

 

[SimonG]

You could be lucky I went out to damp patch in ceiling. Above was the bathroom with lino onto of chipboard which was ontop of the original floor boards. In the kitchen the original lathe and plaster ceiling had been under drawn with a new plasterboard ceiling.