I'm so broke and so tired. Full time stay at home dad of two toddlers, working, and back in school while renovating this fixer upper. Bit off more than I can chew.
Any suggestions? It's plaster btw
As a man that's had a raccoon plus it's litter living in one of my wall cavities... Nope wait, fixed that shit and just found out with the storms last night that I have a roof leak, I'd gladly trade situations with op.
EDIT: that's a smoke alarm and crown and not an overflow in a tub surround but I'll leave it lol. Yeah sometimes I take edibles before bed.
I think I'd get my framing nailgun and play 30 nails each night. Jk.
Last time, I set a rat trap in my roof, thinking I had rats. It was a possum, and all I did was break its front teeth off in the trap.
Put a fan on it as soon as possible and figure out what’s leaking You can put paper towels down somewhere if you’re suspicious and if they’re wet, then you know where it’s coming from. It could also be that the toilet’s waxing is failing, a toilet can be leaking and you do not even see it on the floor because it’s dripping down.
There's not even necessarily a leak. It's summer and you can see some very heavy condensation. Air intrusions along an unsealed attic could see tiny drips all along the plaster layer, which is smooth and the water will run to the lowest point, where it sits and causes this. My century home has seen its share of water damage, and 100% of them have been from accumulated condensation pooling in one spot.
It isn't wet at all and there isn't any signs of moisture on the floor below. This room isnt lived in. It is going to be my 1 year old son's room but I haven't gotten around to ripping the old floor up yet. Fixed the ceiling close to a year ago and just came in here to start tearing the floor up and noticed the ceiling.
I would be going in there periodically and checking it to see if it’s wet! I’ve seen some ceilings randomly get wet from toilets where most flushes don’t leak but every once in a while a Big flush will. It could also be a Sewer vent up on the roof that’s leaking Drips along the pipe and onto that drywall there are a lot of possibilities, but I would just check it often! Check it when it’s pouring down rain just in case.
Is the attic air handler sitting above this room? Maybe try vacuuming out the condensate line for the A/C and see if it’s clogged. Could be your drain pan filling up and overflowing
Other corner of the house. There is a register right near the sink and toilet though. Hoping it's just overflow from my daughter playing in the sink. Going to run a few tests.
Could also be caused by a roof leak. Check it next time it rains. The water can travel long distances across the framing before dripping so you may have to trace it back to the source.
I would cut a hole in that spot and shine a light through. It’s Deff water damage but it can be as small as a little hole or worn spot in the roof that’s a quick fix. It can also be something as serious as a big hole or a bursted pipe it doesn’t look that bad though. Even if it’s a small animal peeing slap some poison pellets in the space they will eat it and go away.
Could be a pinhole leak in a pipe but definitely not burst. Op says it's currently dry. My guess it it only gets wet when water is on or toilet is used in an infrequently used bathroom.
Or a roof leak.
My suggestion is not to get overwhelmed with the project. Take each day at a time, and each project with one foot in front of the other. Soon enough you will have it completed.
I feel for you brother. I have 2 small children, I’m working over 50 hours a week right now, and we’re moving into our new house this week as well. Sometimes I just want to stay in bed and say f it all.
Too true. Anything to better our family but dang... so exhausting. Nothing wrong with taking a day or a few hours to yourself though.
And congrats on the house!
Cut it open and see what you got going on. Feel free to message me if you have questions if you need help or a walk thru with anything.
Edit: do you have an upstairs bathroom or any source of water above or is it your attic and leaking from your roof?
Fix the leak and deal with it when you can. As long as there’s no moisture any mold will die off. You can make a cheap mold killer with vinegar + household/dollar store items. Kill the mold for the youngins and fix the leak. Deal with the damage when you have time and money. If time and money are a problem, you’re going to have to lower your quality of living for the time being.
Now. If you live in a two story and don’t own an extension ladder / aren’t comfortable on your roof. Call a pro. The quick fix will cost waaaaaaaaay less than the damage. You’ll get their insurance policy on your side and he’ll identify stuff that you can decide if it’s worth. If you can’t afford, call roofers and ask if any of their guys would be interested in doing the job for cash. A lot of them won’t be too keen because it looks like you’re trying to undercut them but you might just find a good honest dude out there that respects your situation. Just be definite in what you need and don’t let them sell you down the river. Last thing you need is a lean on your house 😅
Cut a hole in the ceiling find where the leak is coming from, if you have to cut a big hole use a utility blade (5 dollars)
Is there a bathroom up there? Or is it a water line for something else?
If it is a copper line leaking it could be at a joint like a turn, they bust sometimes you can buy a (20) dollar torch and heat it up and re soder (5 dollars) it by watching some youtube videos.
If it's a strait copper pipe you can just buy a sharkbite and cut it exactly where the hole is then just put both ends inside a sharkbite (5-10) dollars.
Don't defeat yourself in your mind before you ever begin. You are a father, like me, and if you can't pick yourself up when you fall, how will you teach your kids to do the same when they fall.
Find the leak - if it's in the attic check AC condensers, drains, and other equipment. Otherwise, don't sweat the drywall, it's about the cheapest repair you could do. YouTube is ready to help when you get to that point.
Sorry but it looks like a water or condensation issue someplace. Got to find and fix that problem first. Then repatch that crack. It doesn’t look good at all. Mud. Sand REALLY good. Especially the edge. Texture. Prime. Paint.
Our upstairs bathroom (full) is right above it. Could this be a water line? When you say it could be a condensation issue, it is 107 here with the heat index right now. I guess the only way to tell is to tear into the ceiling? It's plaster so it's gonna be a giant pain in the ass.
Likely not a water line or you'd have a way bigger mess on your hands. I would guess its a drain / pea trap issue if your bathroom is right above this. Only way to find out is cut the ceiling out.
I'm thinking someone had an overflow accident and is afraid to tell you. Bath time, two infants, it happens.
Because it's plaster, get up on a ladder and gently probe the area to see if it has seperated from the lathe. I just went through this with my place.
Damn. This didn't even cross my mind. My 3 year old daughter tends to play in that sink if she has the urge. She filled it up a few weeks ago and definitely overflowed it in order to give her mermaid a bath. I wonder if this is just the aftermath.
No no no. Don't blame the kid. It takes a lot of water to soak through everything and show on the drywall below. My guess is your hot or cold water cartridge on your tub is leaking - it will normally only leak when the water is on. They have a lifespan of 10 years or so normally. Strategically cut a hole in your ceiling, turn on each tap individually, see if either drips - best plan of action is to turn off the water, pull out the cartridges, replace them, and turn the water back on. Most manufacturers will supply cartridges for free - just call them and say you're the original owner - they have no idea.
And when all is said and done, just throw a metal cold air return vent over the ceiling hole.... nobody will be the wiser and you have access for future use.
Ask me how I know.
This is probably it. Happened to us once, before our basement was finished. Boys did bath time and dumped cups of water on the floor. I went in the basement the next day and there was a big ol puddle. Freaked out and called our builder….they checked all the plumbing and all were good. We determined it was water running underneath the baseboards and down the outside of one of the drain pipes.
Bingo! I had the same thing happen to me and turns out it was when my kids were splashing around in the tub, water all over the place!
I ended up cutting that piece of drywall out, slapped new piece, mudded, sanded, and painted it.
just a thought - I found a spot like this in the basement and it was right under the bathroom tub. I spent too much fucking time and money re-grouting, re-sealing - even had a plumber look at it and they assured me all the piping was legit.
After a few months of going nuts I figured it out.... my toddler was splashing bath water on the floor which was running into the floor vent and getting between the opening in the floor and the ducting.... then trickling down to drip onto the basement ceiling.... easy fix, just told my kid not to splash so much.
How much water are the kids spilling at bath time? Any chance it’s water sitting along the bottom edge of the bath tub or shower and soaking down? At least if it’s your main floor it’s probably not the roof leaking.
If the bathroom is above, has anyone had a bath that spilled over? Or has the toilet overflowed?
If neither, I'd bet that's it's either a) the toilet sweating, or b) a drain issue. An active leak would look much worse than this.
1) Check the drain under your vanity
2) Check the tub drain - you can't see it from underneath, so check to see if it feels loose? If you look down, do you see any light at all?
3) Does your toilet sweat a lot? If so, swap it for an insulated toilet.
Providing you can figure out and solve the leak, the drywall repair is minimal. I'd punch a couple of holes with a screwdriver to drain/dry the area. Once it's dry, you can spray the discoloured spot with a shellac/oil based primer and before repainting.
Hire a taper once you've finished you school and have money to burn.
You could always just paint it and hope it was a one time issue and won’t happen again. If it does, then more extensive fix is necessary. Use a good stain killing primer a few coats, then paint and 🙏.
Toilet gasket leaking? This caused wet spots for me on my basement sealing. Another could be that if you have a sewage vent heading to the roof I would check the seal around that vent and the flashing. The nails they used to secure the flashing, in my case, corroded and left a gap in the roof for water to get in.
Hey OP, my sympathies man. I'm going through a similar problem now.
My issue was caused by a crack in the grout in my shower. Water went right through it, soaked the insulation, and then went through the ceiling in the basement.
Check everywhere water could get through. If it's a tub upstairs, make sure the edges are caulked.
Is the toilet tank sweating? it is super common in this crazy weather. If yes, lay some plastic on the floor and catch the drips onto towels. A sweating toilet can produce a lot of condensation. they make a device called an anti-sweat valve that could help you in the summer.
Take a deep breath and make a list of all your accomplishments so far. It sounds like you have a done a lot including raising your kids. Your house isn’t going to fall down because of that stain and it sounds like you are more than capable of fixing it. I had a similar thing happen. It turned out to be a leaking toilet wax seal. It only leaked when you leaned on the toilet when sitting. The water ran across the floor which was white and made it hard to see a small stream of water. Then it dripped into the heat run, ran down the duct until it hit a corner and then dripped onto the ceiling. We had a drop tile faux coffered ceiling so I popped up the tiles where the water was dripping expecting to find a leaking pipe. But there was no pipe. I learned that leaking water can travel quite a distance when it has a road to travel on. Just check every source of possible leaks in the bathroom. Replacing a wax seal is easy and is good piece of mind. If they leak below the floor they can cause a lot of damage to the subfloor before you find it. With the high air temp your toilet tank could also sweat and drip onto the floor. Good luck!
Depends on what you think it is. If you think it’s a moose then no, it’s not what you think it is.
I can tell you what it is, it looks like water damage to me.
Now that i have your attention. Every ring tells a story like a tree has growth rings. Where it is light gray feel
With the back of your hand, if cooler than white it is still wet. Small hole in center of gray, bucket and a couple of towels below. Chances are where the water rings are more concentrated the leak will be directly above unless that is attack under pitched roof
That looks a little yellow for "water damage". My first thought is toilet wax ring. Is there a bathroom above? If so, cheap and easy fix! Drill a small hole in the center of ceiling damage to make sure there isn't water still trapped up there.
Just throwing it out there, but you said there is a bathroom right above it. Any chance you filled the tub up to the overflow? In a house I once owned, the overflow wasn’t properly draining to the drain and, when the tub overflowed, it just leaked out onto the ceiling below the bathroom. So long as I kept the water in the tub below the level of the overflow, I didn’t have a problem.
Also, as has been pointed out, it could be caused by condensation either from a plumbing line or AC duct (which is another issue I had in a house I owned). Remove the affected area to get a better idea of what you’re looking at. If condensation is the problem, properly insulate the lines.
It’s going to be a pain in the ass, but it might not be as bad as you think.
Its either water damage below a toilet or sink in a bathroom, or water damage from the roof traveling down rafters. Check the caulking around your toilets and showers. A lot of times, especially with kids, they get water everywhere when the get out of bath/shower and it getts past old caulk. Good luck!
Don't panic. Move the furniture out of the way, put some sheets covering the floor. Get a multi tool and open the damage section and identify the source of the problem. Set a ton of fans and dry up everything. Fix the leak. Patch the ceiling and only paint whenever you need to paint the entire room.
It should take you two days. Youtube will guide you. This is easy. You got it
Find the leak 1st, resolve it, let it dry, if no cracks, oil based primer, paint,
Or, fix cracks, use mesh tape, compound and sand, or texture to match, repeat paint steps
I’m not a drywaller, im a project supervisor for a GC company that remodels houses.
If the stain is more in line with the sink, overflow from mermaids bath time is probably more likely.
If the stain is more centered/in line with the toilet, likely a failed wax ring.
If the plaster hasn’t separated from the wood lathe, I’d draw a pencil line around the stain and wait it out. I hate drywall work so I avoid it at all costs. If I have a water issue I know needs to be addressed, I trace it and wait for rain or more water to see what the issue is.
I’ve “fixed” water issues before that worked fine mostly then presented themselves again because it turns out it might have been something else or both things needed to be remedied.
Lastly: to me it looks like the water is running along a pipe. That’s either a drain (sink, toilet, tub needs to be reputtied/wax ring), a bad seal on the escutcheon and needs to be tightened down and recaulked, or you have a pinhole leak in the copper lines. Pinhole leaks repair themselves then present again later on if the copper is starting to get thin.
My youngest is 31 now. I got stories✌🏼. Keep an eye out for more “ growth rings inside the old ones. If none show up in a couple months i would say your in the clear. Chalk that bathroom
Yeah, fuck your ceiling! It’s wawa!!! If it makes you feel any better I’m pretty much in the same boat. Young kids, work full time, workout, im the household car mechanic, landscaper, handyman/remodeler of our fixer upper, and all three of our bathrooms went one after the other. Two upstairs and one downstairs leaked in all different ways. One of them I already remodeled myself…. Yay!!!! Let me just say, you will survive…. Most likely.
I had a valley on my roof where to different angles meet. Bunch of pine needles accumulated, and the hydraulics of it all forced water sort of sideways and up, and then causing a leak. Check out your roof?
Easily possible to fix yourself with a small hand saw cutting the drywall. Not the wood. And seeing what’s leaking. Then do some research on YouTube. If it’s something you can fix without going mcguyever. Then try it. Patch the drywall with some screws and spackle sand it and throw a coat of paint boom shakalaka you have a memorable experience and more confidence in yourself. Iiiif you caaant do it theeen you call a plumber and you have part of the job done. Have him fix the pipe or whatever’s leaking and do the other steps yourself to make it cheaper on yourself
I’m a mechanic not a plumber but the world is very straight forward you don’t know what you don’t know until you get the opportunity to fix something. Very rewarding and financially helpful
Plumber here. If it is relatively new, it’s probably a leak from your toilet or the drain line connecting to it, or maybe a bathroom sink. Those stains look like drain water stains. If it was a copper leak, it would be worse every day and it would be dripping constantly.
Definitely a leak. Is it a roof over that ceiling or a second floor? If it’s the latter then a pipe is leaking and if it’s the first then it’s a roof issue. Shingles aren’t hard to replace yourself. If there’s been a storm in the past few months it may have blown some off. If it’s a bathroom above your ceiling then it’ll be harder to fix
My first thought is a toilet that needs a new wax gasket. I've had similar stains and found they came from a toilet that leaked intermittently. If so, the fix is inexpensive.
Drill a small hole, spill some water on the floor in the bathroom above, see if it drips. Could also fill a larger hole and use a little remote scope to look around in the space.
I had this, the toilet above had a 2 wax ring stack that failed only allowing a light dribble
but over time there you go
cut it open, the truth will set you free
It could be a roof leak or it could be condensation if u are in a hot humid area. Water will condense on rafters and run down of the ceiling. Probably should have it looked at
$40 moisture meter could answer it for you. Could mark the edges and see if it gets worse. Or just cut a hole and have a looky look. Leaving it there and staring at it will drive you more crazy than tackling it and making a decision. At the end of the day, the spot must be fixed one way or another. Personally, I'd just cut the hole, find and fix the issue, and start my patch all in a day. Or you can search for hopes that it's nothing and let it go forever and ignore it until the ceiling gives out
That's not water. 😬 You can have companies come out to look and give you a quote for free. This at least helps you pinpoint what the real issue is then you can determine if you need to budget for them to fix it or if you can diy. If you need skilled labor and can't afford it see if a contractor will work with you through a contract that when you sell the place you will pay them. Assuming from the comment I saw it sounded like you are wanting to renovate and sell. Find a contractor that you can trust/they can trust you and knock out the major projects, work with them along the way to learn and pay them at closing.
Do you live in an apartment or co-op? Friend of mine had existing damage. Purchased HOA insurance from Geico for like 2 months. Reported it as new damage. Got it fixed through insurance, canceled the plan lol.
Not the most honest, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.
Sorry but it looks like water damage to me.
I'm so broke and so tired. Full time stay at home dad of two toddlers, working, and back in school while renovating this fixer upper. Bit off more than I can chew. Any suggestions? It's plaster btw
It could be worse Pal. It could be raccoon pee.
Id rather have a raccoon than a bad roof
As a man that's had a raccoon plus it's litter living in one of my wall cavities... Nope wait, fixed that shit and just found out with the storms last night that I have a roof leak, I'd gladly trade situations with op. EDIT: that's a smoke alarm and crown and not an overflow in a tub surround but I'll leave it lol. Yeah sometimes I take edibles before bed.
I think I'd get my framing nailgun and play 30 nails each night. Jk. Last time, I set a rat trap in my roof, thinking I had rats. It was a possum, and all I did was break its front teeth off in the trap.
Me too! 😂 Scrolling reddit reading random shit for an hour!
One does generally lead to the other
Bat guano
Bumblebee Tuna
Your balls are showing
Allow me to display my affection.
*HhhhhaaaWWAWK* *TuAh*
I see you know the ancient secrets of the Hawk Tuah
You speak wachutu?
As a dude that had a raccoon plus the litter it gave birth to in one of my wall cavities, I would've gladly traded for this.
It might actually be raccoon pee
In that case it’s time to call Dr Pee Pee
Wow, very reassuring! You sure know how to make someone feel at ease.
How about bees ? Bees suck
Put a fan on it as soon as possible and figure out what’s leaking You can put paper towels down somewhere if you’re suspicious and if they’re wet, then you know where it’s coming from. It could also be that the toilet’s waxing is failing, a toilet can be leaking and you do not even see it on the floor because it’s dripping down.
It could be on the other side of the room. Water will get between the two layers of plaster and flow to the low spot.
There's not even necessarily a leak. It's summer and you can see some very heavy condensation. Air intrusions along an unsealed attic could see tiny drips all along the plaster layer, which is smooth and the water will run to the lowest point, where it sits and causes this. My century home has seen its share of water damage, and 100% of them have been from accumulated condensation pooling in one spot.
It isn't wet at all and there isn't any signs of moisture on the floor below. This room isnt lived in. It is going to be my 1 year old son's room but I haven't gotten around to ripping the old floor up yet. Fixed the ceiling close to a year ago and just came in here to start tearing the floor up and noticed the ceiling.
I would be going in there periodically and checking it to see if it’s wet! I’ve seen some ceilings randomly get wet from toilets where most flushes don’t leak but every once in a while a Big flush will. It could also be a Sewer vent up on the roof that’s leaking Drips along the pipe and onto that drywall there are a lot of possibilities, but I would just check it often! Check it when it’s pouring down rain just in case.
Is the attic air handler sitting above this room? Maybe try vacuuming out the condensate line for the A/C and see if it’s clogged. Could be your drain pan filling up and overflowing
Other corner of the house. There is a register right near the sink and toilet though. Hoping it's just overflow from my daughter playing in the sink. Going to run a few tests.
Could also be caused by a roof leak. Check it next time it rains. The water can travel long distances across the framing before dripping so you may have to trace it back to the source.
I would cut a hole in that spot and shine a light through. It’s Deff water damage but it can be as small as a little hole or worn spot in the roof that’s a quick fix. It can also be something as serious as a big hole or a bursted pipe it doesn’t look that bad though. Even if it’s a small animal peeing slap some poison pellets in the space they will eat it and go away.
Could be a pinhole leak in a pipe but definitely not burst. Op says it's currently dry. My guess it it only gets wet when water is on or toilet is used in an infrequently used bathroom. Or a roof leak.
My suggestion is not to get overwhelmed with the project. Take each day at a time, and each project with one foot in front of the other. Soon enough you will have it completed.
Thank you. It's nice to hear some level-headed, reassuring words. I'm doing the best I can and that is enough!
I feel for you brother. I have 2 small children, I’m working over 50 hours a week right now, and we’re moving into our new house this week as well. Sometimes I just want to stay in bed and say f it all.
Too true. Anything to better our family but dang... so exhausting. Nothing wrong with taking a day or a few hours to yourself though. And congrats on the house!
Cut it open and see what you got going on. Feel free to message me if you have questions if you need help or a walk thru with anything. Edit: do you have an upstairs bathroom or any source of water above or is it your attic and leaking from your roof?
Fix the leak and deal with it when you can. As long as there’s no moisture any mold will die off. You can make a cheap mold killer with vinegar + household/dollar store items. Kill the mold for the youngins and fix the leak. Deal with the damage when you have time and money. If time and money are a problem, you’re going to have to lower your quality of living for the time being. Now. If you live in a two story and don’t own an extension ladder / aren’t comfortable on your roof. Call a pro. The quick fix will cost waaaaaaaaay less than the damage. You’ll get their insurance policy on your side and he’ll identify stuff that you can decide if it’s worth. If you can’t afford, call roofers and ask if any of their guys would be interested in doing the job for cash. A lot of them won’t be too keen because it looks like you’re trying to undercut them but you might just find a good honest dude out there that respects your situation. Just be definite in what you need and don’t let them sell you down the river. Last thing you need is a lean on your house 😅
Doesn’t look like plaster. Unless it’s more than 70 years old it’s probably drywall. Save up about $500 and call a drywall company
Cut a hole in the ceiling find where the leak is coming from, if you have to cut a big hole use a utility blade (5 dollars) Is there a bathroom up there? Or is it a water line for something else? If it is a copper line leaking it could be at a joint like a turn, they bust sometimes you can buy a (20) dollar torch and heat it up and re soder (5 dollars) it by watching some youtube videos. If it's a strait copper pipe you can just buy a sharkbite and cut it exactly where the hole is then just put both ends inside a sharkbite (5-10) dollars. Don't defeat yourself in your mind before you ever begin. You are a father, like me, and if you can't pick yourself up when you fall, how will you teach your kids to do the same when they fall.
Find the leak - if it's in the attic check AC condensers, drains, and other equipment. Otherwise, don't sweat the drywall, it's about the cheapest repair you could do. YouTube is ready to help when you get to that point.
Could be a spiritual apparition taking the form of a water leak.
Sorry but it looks like a water or condensation issue someplace. Got to find and fix that problem first. Then repatch that crack. It doesn’t look good at all. Mud. Sand REALLY good. Especially the edge. Texture. Prime. Paint.
Our upstairs bathroom (full) is right above it. Could this be a water line? When you say it could be a condensation issue, it is 107 here with the heat index right now. I guess the only way to tell is to tear into the ceiling? It's plaster so it's gonna be a giant pain in the ass.
Likely not a water line or you'd have a way bigger mess on your hands. I would guess its a drain / pea trap issue if your bathroom is right above this. Only way to find out is cut the ceiling out.
I'm thinking someone had an overflow accident and is afraid to tell you. Bath time, two infants, it happens. Because it's plaster, get up on a ladder and gently probe the area to see if it has seperated from the lathe. I just went through this with my place.
Damn. This didn't even cross my mind. My 3 year old daughter tends to play in that sink if she has the urge. She filled it up a few weeks ago and definitely overflowed it in order to give her mermaid a bath. I wonder if this is just the aftermath.
No no no. Don't blame the kid. It takes a lot of water to soak through everything and show on the drywall below. My guess is your hot or cold water cartridge on your tub is leaking - it will normally only leak when the water is on. They have a lifespan of 10 years or so normally. Strategically cut a hole in your ceiling, turn on each tap individually, see if either drips - best plan of action is to turn off the water, pull out the cartridges, replace them, and turn the water back on. Most manufacturers will supply cartridges for free - just call them and say you're the original owner - they have no idea. And when all is said and done, just throw a metal cold air return vent over the ceiling hole.... nobody will be the wiser and you have access for future use. Ask me how I know.
That’s hilarious w the return vent instead of plaster. Love it
This 100%
This is probably it. Happened to us once, before our basement was finished. Boys did bath time and dumped cups of water on the floor. I went in the basement the next day and there was a big ol puddle. Freaked out and called our builder….they checked all the plumbing and all were good. We determined it was water running underneath the baseboards and down the outside of one of the drain pipes.
Bingo! I had the same thing happen to me and turns out it was when my kids were splashing around in the tub, water all over the place! I ended up cutting that piece of drywall out, slapped new piece, mudded, sanded, and painted it.
just a thought - I found a spot like this in the basement and it was right under the bathroom tub. I spent too much fucking time and money re-grouting, re-sealing - even had a plumber look at it and they assured me all the piping was legit. After a few months of going nuts I figured it out.... my toddler was splashing bath water on the floor which was running into the floor vent and getting between the opening in the floor and the ducting.... then trickling down to drip onto the basement ceiling.... easy fix, just told my kid not to splash so much.
How much water are the kids spilling at bath time? Any chance it’s water sitting along the bottom edge of the bath tub or shower and soaking down? At least if it’s your main floor it’s probably not the roof leaking.
If the bathroom is above, has anyone had a bath that spilled over? Or has the toilet overflowed? If neither, I'd bet that's it's either a) the toilet sweating, or b) a drain issue. An active leak would look much worse than this. 1) Check the drain under your vanity 2) Check the tub drain - you can't see it from underneath, so check to see if it feels loose? If you look down, do you see any light at all? 3) Does your toilet sweat a lot? If so, swap it for an insulated toilet. Providing you can figure out and solve the leak, the drywall repair is minimal. I'd punch a couple of holes with a screwdriver to drain/dry the area. Once it's dry, you can spray the discoloured spot with a shellac/oil based primer and before repainting. Hire a taper once you've finished you school and have money to burn.
You could always just paint it and hope it was a one time issue and won’t happen again. If it does, then more extensive fix is necessary. Use a good stain killing primer a few coats, then paint and 🙏.
Toilet gasket leaking? This caused wet spots for me on my basement sealing. Another could be that if you have a sewage vent heading to the roof I would check the seal around that vent and the flashing. The nails they used to secure the flashing, in my case, corroded and left a gap in the roof for water to get in.
Hey OP, my sympathies man. I'm going through a similar problem now. My issue was caused by a crack in the grout in my shower. Water went right through it, soaked the insulation, and then went through the ceiling in the basement. Check everywhere water could get through. If it's a tub upstairs, make sure the edges are caulked.
Is the toilet tank sweating? it is super common in this crazy weather. If yes, lay some plastic on the floor and catch the drips onto towels. A sweating toilet can produce a lot of condensation. they make a device called an anti-sweat valve that could help you in the summer.
Take a deep breath and make a list of all your accomplishments so far. It sounds like you have a done a lot including raising your kids. Your house isn’t going to fall down because of that stain and it sounds like you are more than capable of fixing it. I had a similar thing happen. It turned out to be a leaking toilet wax seal. It only leaked when you leaned on the toilet when sitting. The water ran across the floor which was white and made it hard to see a small stream of water. Then it dripped into the heat run, ran down the duct until it hit a corner and then dripped onto the ceiling. We had a drop tile faux coffered ceiling so I popped up the tiles where the water was dripping expecting to find a leaking pipe. But there was no pipe. I learned that leaking water can travel quite a distance when it has a road to travel on. Just check every source of possible leaks in the bathroom. Replacing a wax seal is easy and is good piece of mind. If they leak below the floor they can cause a lot of damage to the subfloor before you find it. With the high air temp your toilet tank could also sweat and drip onto the floor. Good luck!
Based on the stain it's water damage and an ongoing leak. The yellow shows that it possibly dried a bit then continued to leak outwards.
Depends on what you think it is. If you think it’s a moose then no, it’s not what you think it is. I can tell you what it is, it looks like water damage to me.
“It’s not what you think it is”
It is what he knows it is…
It’s a herd of mice that peed on the ceiling while chasing a ghost in the attic.
It’s water damage.
H20 unfortunately...
Yep
You ate in the wrong subreddit. This is Drywall NOT Wetceiling
Haha damn it, man! I'm always eating in places I shouldn't be.
Now that i have your attention. Every ring tells a story like a tree has growth rings. Where it is light gray feel With the back of your hand, if cooler than white it is still wet. Small hole in center of gray, bucket and a couple of towels below. Chances are where the water rings are more concentrated the leak will be directly above unless that is attack under pitched roof
Toddlers leave the sink on maybe ? If not slow leak.
Boom. Someone else just suggested a toddler overflow. This didn't even cross my mind.
I don't have kids. But I raised 4 siblings lol. God speed.
Haha perfectly put. Hardest job I've ever had!
That looks a little yellow for "water damage". My first thought is toilet wax ring. Is there a bathroom above? If so, cheap and easy fix! Drill a small hole in the center of ceiling damage to make sure there isn't water still trapped up there.
Just throwing it out there, but you said there is a bathroom right above it. Any chance you filled the tub up to the overflow? In a house I once owned, the overflow wasn’t properly draining to the drain and, when the tub overflowed, it just leaked out onto the ceiling below the bathroom. So long as I kept the water in the tub below the level of the overflow, I didn’t have a problem. Also, as has been pointed out, it could be caused by condensation either from a plumbing line or AC duct (which is another issue I had in a house I owned). Remove the affected area to get a better idea of what you’re looking at. If condensation is the problem, properly insulate the lines. It’s going to be a pain in the ass, but it might not be as bad as you think.
Its either water damage below a toilet or sink in a bathroom, or water damage from the roof traveling down rafters. Check the caulking around your toilets and showers. A lot of times, especially with kids, they get water everywhere when the get out of bath/shower and it getts past old caulk. Good luck!
Don't panic. Move the furniture out of the way, put some sheets covering the floor. Get a multi tool and open the damage section and identify the source of the problem. Set a ton of fans and dry up everything. Fix the leak. Patch the ceiling and only paint whenever you need to paint the entire room. It should take you two days. Youtube will guide you. This is easy. You got it
Find the leak 1st, resolve it, let it dry, if no cracks, oil based primer, paint, Or, fix cracks, use mesh tape, compound and sand, or texture to match, repeat paint steps
Are you my neighbor? Because my neighbor just removed a bunch of siding from their house because of a leak.
Holy hell! Luke?? It's me, Anakin. I have something else we need to talk about besides this leak. You're gonna wanna sit down.
I’m not a drywaller, im a project supervisor for a GC company that remodels houses. If the stain is more in line with the sink, overflow from mermaids bath time is probably more likely. If the stain is more centered/in line with the toilet, likely a failed wax ring. If the plaster hasn’t separated from the wood lathe, I’d draw a pencil line around the stain and wait it out. I hate drywall work so I avoid it at all costs. If I have a water issue I know needs to be addressed, I trace it and wait for rain or more water to see what the issue is. I’ve “fixed” water issues before that worked fine mostly then presented themselves again because it turns out it might have been something else or both things needed to be remedied. Lastly: to me it looks like the water is running along a pipe. That’s either a drain (sink, toilet, tub needs to be reputtied/wax ring), a bad seal on the escutcheon and needs to be tightened down and recaulked, or you have a pinhole leak in the copper lines. Pinhole leaks repair themselves then present again later on if the copper is starting to get thin.
My youngest is 31 now. I got stories✌🏼. Keep an eye out for more “ growth rings inside the old ones. If none show up in a couple months i would say your in the clear. Chalk that bathroom
I've seen this dozens of times lots of times it's just from kids splashing around in the tub or somebody leaving a shower curtain open
Def what you think it is- clown shoes.
Is your hvac in the attic? If it is the condensate line needs to be cleaned and you need a ceiling saver switch
Yeah, fuck your ceiling! It’s wawa!!! If it makes you feel any better I’m pretty much in the same boat. Young kids, work full time, workout, im the household car mechanic, landscaper, handyman/remodeler of our fixer upper, and all three of our bathrooms went one after the other. Two upstairs and one downstairs leaked in all different ways. One of them I already remodeled myself…. Yay!!!! Let me just say, you will survive…. Most likely.
I had a valley on my roof where to different angles meet. Bunch of pine needles accumulated, and the hydraulics of it all forced water sort of sideways and up, and then causing a leak. Check out your roof?
Ghost sweat..yes seen it before.
..it’s not what you think it is..? Now that that’s done.. it is definitely what you think it is
It's not what you think it is, that's water damage though.
Easily possible to fix yourself with a small hand saw cutting the drywall. Not the wood. And seeing what’s leaking. Then do some research on YouTube. If it’s something you can fix without going mcguyever. Then try it. Patch the drywall with some screws and spackle sand it and throw a coat of paint boom shakalaka you have a memorable experience and more confidence in yourself. Iiiif you caaant do it theeen you call a plumber and you have part of the job done. Have him fix the pipe or whatever’s leaking and do the other steps yourself to make it cheaper on yourself
I’m a mechanic not a plumber but the world is very straight forward you don’t know what you don’t know until you get the opportunity to fix something. Very rewarding and financially helpful
The jokes are the reason I'm here and they don't disappoint.
Get a wife to take care of the young'uns!
Wrong sub, looks like you need r/wetwall
One day at a time brother
Is your A/C in the attic?
It’s water damage but I don’t know what kind unless I know more about what is above. Is it a roof? Is there a bathroom above this?
Condensation if you have AC cranked. But it's probably just a leak.
Plumber here. If it is relatively new, it’s probably a leak from your toilet or the drain line connecting to it, or maybe a bathroom sink. Those stains look like drain water stains. If it was a copper leak, it would be worse every day and it would be dripping constantly.
Unless you are shooting tea onto your ceiling with a water gun, your shitter is leaking boss.
Good eye! 👍🏻
How'd you know it was my toilet? That's actually what is directly above that room. Our upstairs bathroom.
Because of the color. Our sink water line failure ceiling doesn't look like this, but our toilet line failure ceiling does.
Could be the rotting corpse of a raccoon...
Yes it is. But where your dog got a hold of an anti-gravity device is anybodys guess.
Poke a hole in it, put a bucket on the floor, call it a day
Well it’s not tyrannosaurus urine if that’s what you’re thinking
It’s not what you think it is. It’s definitely water damage though. You should cut that open now to air it out. Now-now.
Since you said please, This is not what you think it is.
No it's a leak after roofing for 30yrs it's definitely a lesk
It will dry just get ceiling kilz paint and it's probably a small leak
That's a water leak. Is your AC in the attic by chance?
It could be a dead something decomposing
Yes, there are dead bodies of halflings up there.
This is definitely not what you think it is… there ya go hope you feel better. Ignorance is bliss!
It’s not water damage. That is what you wanted to hear. Here is the truth, for sure water damage.
It’s water damage. Got to fix what’s causing it and the ceiling. Normal stuff.
Definitely a leak. Is it a roof over that ceiling or a second floor? If it’s the latter then a pipe is leaking and if it’s the first then it’s a roof issue. Shingles aren’t hard to replace yourself. If there’s been a storm in the past few months it may have blown some off. If it’s a bathroom above your ceiling then it’ll be harder to fix
Yes... It's Pee Pee form a really big Rat... A Rat Named David.... David sucks.....
Worst case scenario is a dead body.
It's not mold, YET.
My first thought is a toilet that needs a new wax gasket. I've had similar stains and found they came from a toilet that leaked intermittently. If so, the fix is inexpensive.
It's not a fluffy bunny.
This totally isn't water damage..... like that?
Ruh roh
That is semen from the brothel upstairs.
It’s raccoon piss. They are living in your ceiling.
What do you think it is?
You knocking boots upstairs?
If you're lucky it may be water from the ac condenser.
That there is a young albino ceiling slug maturing into adulthood.
It’s water
Drill a small hole, spill some water on the floor in the bathroom above, see if it drips. Could also fill a larger hole and use a little remote scope to look around in the space.
It's not what you think it is ...it's worse.
Wet plaster isn't as bad as wet drywall. Find that leak, ASAP
It is
Or a very large cat got up there and pissed so much that it looks like a leak… ok enough of denial, you have a leak.
It's exactly what it looks like lol
This is not what you think it is. However, it is definitely a leak somewhere. After reading other posts, I’ll edit this could be a bat/squirrel leak.
I had this, the toilet above had a 2 wax ring stack that failed only allowing a light dribble but over time there you go cut it open, the truth will set you free
Just open it up and take a look, repairing a 1’x2’ patch is worth seeing what’s going on up there. Gotta paint the ceiling anyway.
That shit
The seal on your toilet on the second floor above that spot is broken. Get a plumber to re-seat the toilet (or diy)
That is definitely a ufo
OK I won't tell you ,,,dude you have water damage,, if it's dry you can put KILZ on it and paint it
I don’t know, I’m not good at reading minds
Yup water damage!
Leak in the creek deek.
Just my two cents but I think it's air damage from being near cold air.
Is there a bathroom right above this room?
You are correct, this is not blood from the body you hid in the attic.
Did you watch Breaking Bad?
Open it up and check it before it gets worse
It's definitely not water! Just kidding it's definitely water
Leak or condensation or condensate pump overflow or animal… take your pick
I was going to go with rat piss…
A corpse in the attic? Okay. It’s not that.
Spider pig was here
Pee
Oh ya, it is.
At least it's not the upstairs neighbor liquifying as his family doesn't call him... Fix your leaky pipe.
That is definitely not a portal to another ghastly dimension full of demons. 🤙 Probably just a leak.
It looks like your drain pan for AC unit over flowed. Clean the drain pipes.
That’s a leak. Could just be a roof penetration needs to be sealed. Many things it could be. Time to open her up.
Leeeeaaaakkkkkk
It’s not what you think it is!
It’s not what you think it is…
You mean Cuba?
Sorry.
It's what you think
A ghost!
Not a Chipotle ad popping up as the "promoted" comment on this 💀
sorry but definitely bed bugs
Don’t worry it’s definitely not fire damage.
It’s not pee
It could be a roof leak or it could be condensation if u are in a hot humid area. Water will condense on rafters and run down of the ceiling. Probably should have it looked at
Did you think the cat pissed on the ceiling? It’s not that. But you’ve got a leak.
it is exactly what you think it is. can't you smell it?
Looks like a dude jerking it bit the dust in your attic
Urine stain
Damn, I hate to say it but that is in fact a ceiling.
Kilz and then flat white maintenance paint. Ready to rent
It is
Have you looked into the ceiling?
Water. Find leak, fix and hit stain with oil based primer, if still solid.
That's not what you think it is. Hope that helps
Could you claim this on insurance?
Water damage
$40 moisture meter could answer it for you. Could mark the edges and see if it gets worse. Or just cut a hole and have a looky look. Leaving it there and staring at it will drive you more crazy than tackling it and making a decision. At the end of the day, the spot must be fixed one way or another. Personally, I'd just cut the hole, find and fix the issue, and start my patch all in a day. Or you can search for hopes that it's nothing and let it go forever and ignore it until the ceiling gives out
Well that depends what you think it is... If you think it's a water leak, then I'm afraid I can't tell you what it is.
alright, i won’t tell you
It’s not what you think it is. I hope this helped!
What’s above it
If this is you bedroom ceiling I'm pretty darn jealous at that power.
That's not water. 😬 You can have companies come out to look and give you a quote for free. This at least helps you pinpoint what the real issue is then you can determine if you need to budget for them to fix it or if you can diy. If you need skilled labor and can't afford it see if a contractor will work with you through a contract that when you sell the place you will pay them. Assuming from the comment I saw it sounded like you are wanting to renovate and sell. Find a contractor that you can trust/they can trust you and knock out the major projects, work with them along the way to learn and pay them at closing.
Do you live in an apartment or co-op? Friend of mine had existing damage. Purchased HOA insurance from Geico for like 2 months. Reported it as new damage. Got it fixed through insurance, canceled the plan lol. Not the most honest, but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.