Water leaking through the ceiling
Water through a ceiling is one of the most frightening things to find at home, because you cannot see where it is coming from or how much is up there. In older houses with lath and plaster ceilings, it also has to be taken seriously: soaked plaster gets heavy and can come down.
Right now
- Keep people out from under it. If the ceiling is sagging, bulging or cracking, leave the room and close the door.
- Turn off the electrics for that part of the home if water is near a light fitting or socket. Never touch a wet switch.
- Stop the water. If the leak is from your own pipes, close your stopcock. If it is from the flat above, knock on their door or call their managing agent so they can shut theirs.
- Catch it and record it. Buckets and towels under the drips, valuables out of the room, and photos for your insurer.
- Call 07861 933265 or WhatsApp us a photo of the ceiling.
How we find the source
Water rarely appears directly below the leak. It follows joists, pipes and floorboards, and in a tall house or a converted flat it can travel a long way before it shows. Our engineer starts by looking for the pattern: is it worse when a shower runs upstairs, when the heating is on, or all the time? Then they check the obvious suspects, including bath and shower seals, waste pipes, radiator valves, tank overflows and supply pipes, before opening anything up.
When the leak is not in your home
In flats, the source is often a neighbour’s bathroom or a pipe that serves the whole building. We make your home safe, find the cause if we can reach it, and give you a clear account of what we found. That helps you settle with a neighbour, a freeholder or an insurer without guesswork.
Afterwards
Once the leak is fixed, ceilings and floors need time to dry before they are repaired. We will tell you what we have opened up and what state it is in, so your plasterer or decorator knows what they are dealing with. Every repair we make comes with our written 12-month guarantee.
We cover Hampstead, Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage, Primrose Hill and West Hampstead. If a pipe has split, read about burst pipe repair. We also cover every other area we serve, from Mayfair and Chelsea to Alexandra Park.
Questions people ask
Should I poke a hole in a bulging ceiling?
Only as a last resort, and only if you can stand well to the side with a bucket underneath. A small hole at the lowest point can let trapped water drain out in a controlled way. If the ceiling is sagging badly, keep out of the room altogether and wait for us.
The leak stopped on its own. Do I still need a plumber?
Usually, yes. A leak that comes and goes often means a pipe or seal that only leaks when a tap, shower or heating circuit is in use. Water left in a ceiling or floor causes rot, mould and stains later, so it is worth finding the cause now.
Will my insurance cover it?
That depends on your policy, so check with your insurer. It helps to take photos of the damage before anything is moved, and to keep a note of when you first saw the water.
Can you find a leak behind tiles without smashing them?
We start with the least destructive checks: the meter, moisture readings, pressure tests and the likely route of the pipes. If something has to be opened up, we choose the smallest, most hidden place we can.
Sources
- How to check for lead pipes, Thames Water