Ceiling Leak - Basement Suite
 

Just noticed this light brown stains on the middle of my bedroom basement suite. It doesn't look like it dripped because my bed sheets are clean and also the spot is not wet, so likely been there for couple days tops. I usually notice things in my room considering the walls are pretty much one colored interiors (typical 2008 Vancouver special homes).

Upstairs above my room is a washroom toilet/sink and bathtub shower.

I have no idea what to do since this is not my field. Anyone have any experience? Or can recommend me someone in this field that deals with these issues?

Thanks in advance.


https://i.imgur.com/1ftF7Wr.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/vhttfgM.jpg?1

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.u...000139629.html


:troll:

Check your caulking and recaulk

I’ll post a mode in depth opinion later when I’m at my computer, but looking at it is appears a to be a relatively straight line as opposed to a huge puddle etc.

So, what that leads me to believe it may be a grout line or the caulking in and around the tub, whether that is at the base of the tub where the floor butts into it, or around the top of the tub where the surround/tiling is. It’s hard to tell though because it may be dripping from somewhere else and simply running along the floor and then dripping causing that line.

Do you know what is directly above that spot? Is it the tub, toilet, etc? You could try and take the light fixture down and see what kind of electrical box is there, it may be possible to remove the screws from the electrical box and push it back up into the ceiling and either reach up into the cavity or fish a camera up there (depending on the way the joists run though you may not be able to see much)

Really the only way to get the bigger picture is to cut a whole in the ceiling which really sucks since your ceiling is textured there and it’s cirtually impossible to match the texture of the older ceiling.

So there’s kinda two options, you can try and find where the water is leaking, weather that be around the toilet, a caulking line etc. and try to stop the leak and eventually the ceiling will dry out and you could just paint over it a bit. Or do the full investigation, address the issue properly (could be leaking pipes which will never be resolved without opening the ceiling)

Shitty thing is opening the ceiling is gonna be like a few thousand once you’re done probably

^Directly above is the tub and then a toilet beside the tub.

Right now, I told my dad to not use the washroom directly above the basement suite since I don't want to cause further damage until it gets addressed.

I checked the washroom upstairs for visible water spots, everywhere is dry, so it leads me to believe it's something under the tub/washroom.

I'm going to take the light fixture off and see what I can see after work.

I am already set on the ceiling being cut open since it's really impossible to determine the source at this point. Was hoping this would cost $1-2K tops, few thousand? There goes my vacation funds. FML.

If u diy, itl cost next to nothing.

You could cut it open yourself and even reboard it if you’ve got some know-how. The problem is going to be matching the texture

Like honestly at that point you’re better off just ripping down the entire ceiling or boarding over the old one. I’ve never seen somone match the texture

^Right now, not too concerned about matching the ceiling (that can wait haha). Just want to address the main issue which is the leak.

Even for professionals, it's close to impossible trying to match those textures... It will look off.

I moved into a new condo not too long ago and had some settling cracks in the ceiling, the warranty took care of it and they used a manual pump-type to re-do the textures... You can still tell where they have sprayed it, it's never the same unless you repaint the whole ceiling.

run the tub and see if it comes back

flush the toilet and see if that causes it

just do multiples of each just not at the same time and a couple days apart, see if you can recreate the leak

For sure it'll come back because, a white colored ceiling don't just suddenly become brownish.

Only reason I don't want to test it right now, I don't want to make things worst than what it already is. If it's dry now, I don't want it wet until I find a professional to investigate. It's likely not sink nor toilet, it's the tub because the sink and toilet get used multiple times a day and it wouldn't dry up that fast. The tub only gets used once a week, so it leads me to believe this is the culprit.

Make some soft pencil marks at the edges so you can keep an eye on it and see if it gets larger. I'd do a good visual check of the sealant all around the tub and see if there are any obvious gaps, if you can't find any I'd redo all that first since you might be able to fix it with just a couple tubes of caulking and some paint for the ceiling.

As for repairing the ceiling if you do have to open it up, if this is a bedroom I assume the ceiling isn't directly flowing into other rooms? In which case I'd ditch the texture completely and just go to a flat ceiling.

At least it's a newer house and you don't have to worry about asbestos. I have a home from the 50/60s and I'm 99% sure the textured ceiling I have contains asbestos.

Find a crack and stick your caulk in it.

Sweaty pipes?.

The straight line of the stain is far more likely to be from the water following a joist, not because there is a straight line above the next rooms subfloor.

Only way to know what's causing it, if the upstairs bathroom doesn't have an obvious leak, is to start opening things up.