Water Coming Through The Ceiling
- How urgent
- Emergency
- Who fixes it
- A plumber
What's happening?
Water shows in a ceiling a long way from where it entered. It runs along the top of the plasterboard, follows joists and cables, and drips at the lowest point or wherever a light fitting breaks the surface, so the wet patch is evidence, not the location. Above a bathroom, the usual sources are a shower tray or bath seal, a waste connection, a leaking supply pipe or an overflowing appliance. In a flat, it may not be your pipework at all. A ceiling that is bulging rather than staining is holding water above it and is the urgent version of this problem.
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What usually causes it?
- Failed seal around a bath, shower tray or wet room floor letting water past the edge every time it is used
- Leaking waste connection at a bath, shower or basin trap directly above
- Split or pinholed supply pipe in the floor void, leaking continuously whether or not the room is used
- Toilet pan connector or a leaking cistern seal releasing water each flush
- Overflowing loft tank or a failed float valve running into the ceiling below
- Washing machine or dishwasher hose in a flat above discharging into the floor
- Grouting or sealant failure in a shower enclosure, soaking the substrate behind the tiles
Is it dangerous?
Yes, on two counts. Water in a ceiling void sits directly on cables, ceiling roses and downlight housings, and a saturated ceiling is an electrical risk before it is anything else: switch off the lighting circuit, or the main switch, before going near it. Second, wet plasterboard loses its strength quickly and a bulging ceiling can drop as one heavy sheet. Keep people out from underneath, and never poke at a bulge while standing below it.
Can I fix it myself?
Stop the water reaching the ceiling: turn off the stop tap if the leak continues with nothing running, and stop using the bathroom above. Switch off the affected lighting circuit and move furniture clear. Put a container underneath and, if you have to relieve a bulging ceiling, do it from the side with something long, never from directly below. Finding the source is the part to leave alone: cutting exploratory holes in the wrong place usually costs more than the leak did.
When should you call a plumber?
Call a plumber straight away: same day. Call before that, and get everyone out from under it, if the ceiling is bulging, if water is running rather than dripping, or if it is coming through a light fitting. If the water is coming from a flat above, tell the occupier and the building's managing agent at the same time, because access to their property is usually what settles it.
What will the plumber actually do?
- Isolate the supply and the affected electrical circuit before opening anything
- Trace the source with moisture readings, and by testing the bathroom above under controlled use rather than guessing
- Lift boards or open a small inspection area at the identified point and repair the failed pipe, waste or seal
- Re-seal or re-bed a bath, shower tray or wet room upstand where the water is bypassing the edge
- Pressure-test the repair and re-test the fitting above under use before closing up
- Advise on drying out and what has to be replaced before the ceiling is made good
Who fixes this
What it usually costs
- Leaking Pipe Repair Cost
- £220–£440
Questions people ask
The stain is not directly under the bathroom. How?
Should I pierce a bulging ceiling to let the water out?
It only leaks when the shower is used. What does that mean?
The water is coming from the flat above. Whose problem is it?
Sources & References
Before you book, read what to check before a plumber starts.
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