A leaking ceiling exposes home owner’s serious damage if they don’t take care of it. You should first determine the source of the water leakage and fix it before embarking on fixing your ceiling. The next step is draining water from your ceiling and taking the proper steps to replace the damage.
Fixing water leakage when you have from the ceiling
1) Determine the ceiling leakage source.
We have various signs that you can look out for in case of water leakage in the ceiling. These include sagging drywall panels or a coffee-colored stain on the ceiling.
2) Collect the leaking water.
The first step should be laying down drop cloths or tarps under the leak or use a bucket to collect the water. This prevents your floors and furniture from being damaged by the leaking water.
3) Drain the water that is held in the ceiling.
You should then puncture the ceiling using a screwdriver to release the leak. Ensure that the hole that you puncture is in the center of the location of the leak making sure that the hole is away from the ceiling’s framing boards. When puncturing the ceiling keep a bucket under the water damaged ceiling so that it can help in catching the water when you puncture it. This hole will help you in locating where the leak is.
4) Repair the leak.
The next step is repairing the source of the leak in order to prevent future damage. The most common sources of ceiling leaks are faulty pipes or cracks in your roof. Faulty air conditioners are another cause of ceiling leaks. Air conditioners can lead to ceiling leakages when their condensate lines become clogged, which leads to an overflow that can cause ceiling leaks. After draining the leak and noting the source of the leak, the next step is seeking the services of a professional roof specialist or a plumber who can fix the source of the leak.
5) Remove the damaged ceiling.
The next step after fixing the source of water leakage in the ceiling is repairing the damaged ceiling. This can be as follows.
The first step is cutting out a small inspection hole in the drywall that will help you in knowing what is above the ceiling. In case you see electrical wires, gas lines, or HVAC ducts you should consider hiring a professional to assist you in repairing your ceiling since it’s quite risky to replace the ceiling by yourself.
You should ensure that you cut out a box around the water damaged ceiling to ease the process of removing the damaged ceiling. This should be done after you have confirmed that you will not damage anything behind the ceiling. Use a framing square to draw a box all around the portion of your ceiling that has suffered water damage and cut around that square.
6) Replace the damaged ceiling.
The last step is repairing your ceiling using a drywall, which has the same dimension as the material that was damaged. Fix it using screws or nails and then attach it to ceiling frames.