Leaky Living Room Ceiling? How A Plumber Can Help You

7 October 2014
 Categories: , Blog


At first glance, you may suspect that water dripping down from the ceiling in your living room is caused by a roofing problem. However, if you don't have any water dripping into the rooms on the second floor of your home, it is likely a plumbing problem that you're dealing with. It is best to have a plumber come to your home to detect the problem and fix it, otherwise you can end up with a lot of water damage in your living room.

Finding Out the Cause of the Leak

Having a leaky living room ceiling seems like a mystery, but the plumber will find out where the water is coming from. The plumber may need to go to your second floor to check if there is anything up there, such as a washing machine or bathtub, causing water to leak down through the ceiling. If there isn't any water on the floor or ceiling of the second floor, the plumber will likely need to cut a section of the ceiling out to look at the piping.

Viewing the Pipes and Fixing the Problem

After standing on a ladder to cut the drywall from the ceiling, the plumber may complete the following steps:

  • Turn the water main off. Before opening any pipes, the plumber will need to turn the water main off to prevent too much water from pouring out.
  • Prepare to catch excess water. Knowing that some water will more than likely leak from the pipe when it gets cut, the plumber will place a large basin on the floor to collect the flow of water.
  • Examine the pipes. With water falling into the large basin, and with the water main turned off, the plumber will use a ladder to get close to the ceiling for a better view of the pipes. While examining the pipes, the plumber may have noticed nails on wood studs that weren't covered and have ruptured a pipe.
  • Cut and remove a piece of the problem pipe. The ruptured part of the pipe will need to get removed. A pipe cutter and pliers are often used to get a quick and easy cut.
  • Add fittings and solder the pipe. The plumber will attach a coupling fitting to the replacement pipe and solder it into place.
  • Set nail plates over wood studs. Before finishing the job, nail plates will get put over the wood studs to prevent them from rupturing the new pipe.
  • Turn the water main on and check for leakage. Heading back to the water main, the plumber will turn it back on, run the faucet, and make sure your pipe is no longer leaking.

You'll need to replace the drywall from the ceiling, but if you have homeowners insurance, you may have coverage for these incidents.

If you have a leaky ceiling in your living room, and there isn't water on the second floor of your home, there is a good chance that something is wrong with the pipes. Having a plumber examine the piping is the best thing you can do, especially if you want to avoid major water damage.

For more information, contact Paton Bros Ltd. or a similar company.


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