Damp Patch on Ceiling – Proven Causes

What Causes Damp Patch on Ceilings?

In our popular article on the Signs of a Water Leak, number 1 on that list was visible signs of damp on walls floors and ceilings. Water leaks are one of the top causes of a damp patch on ceiling but in this article we will explore other possible causes and how we can help you.

We always say that you should never ignore damp, or a water leak for many reasons. But this is especially the case with damp on ceilings because, as you might expect, they have potentially serious health and safety risks. Especially from falling debris, but also from disturbing potentially hazardous materials. For example, asbestos which can occur in textured coated ceilings.

We look into this area more in our dedicated article on ceiling water leaks, so make sure you read that too to understand the causes and risks of a ceiling leak.

Damp Patch on Ceiling – List of Possible Causes

Here is a list of some of the main reasons you have a damp patch on ceilings:

1. Plumbing Leak above – eg. Bathroom Leak or Shower Leaking Through Ceiling
2. Condensation Problem in the room itself – maybe linked to cold spots
3. Problem with Condensation in Loft from above
4. Damage from a Storm causing a roof leak
5. Frozen Pipe Leak – especially winter
6. Central Heating Leak or Radiator Leak above
7. Problem with Damp in the property
8. Leak from Flat above – your ceiling, their floor
9. High Relative Humidity in the property
10. Water Tank leak

But what are the steps to understanding why you have a damp patch on ceilings? Using that list above, let’s look at a few steps to help narrow the cause down, bearing in mind there can in some instances be a number of linked causes or factors – a bit like we explained previously where mould problems and condensation problems often go together. We discuss this on our dew point charting page.

Where is the Damp Patch on Ceiling?

This is a important point when considering a damp patch on ceilings. Why?…

Well one of the possible causes is going to be the room above, especially with ceiling leaks. And as we saw above that can include lofts or even if a roof is directly above. For example, when someone has a loft tank leak they quite often spot it as a damp patch on the ceiling first. You are more likely to see this than a drip from a tank in a room you rarely in.

So the first thing to look at is – what is directly above that damp patch on ceiling? Quite often it can be a bathroom, ensuite, hot water tank or something. That is clearly on the list of possible causes and something to certainly be investigated further, given the proximity to the damp.

The same applies to what is in the space between the floor above and the ceiling below, which is a common location for water leaks. That can be pipework (hot or cold water) for the plumbing in your house that runs between floors, possibly feeding water tanks, bathrooms or radiators etc. Quite often when looking at a damp patch on ceilings, where we think it is a water leak, we start from above. To do this, we use our skills in finding a leak under floorboards for example. For this, we use specialist leak detection equipment.

We are experts in trace and access to find water leaks and can help you with your water leak insurance claim to find the leak and do water damage repairs too. This may be paid for by your insurance company.

What has happened recently at your home?

Quite often when someone has a damp patch on ceilings from a water leak, there has been something happened at their home recently which may have caused the water leak. It can be something that has been fitted, fixed or installed that has a problem that causes the leak.

So if you have had one of the following, this may potentially be linked to it:

• A new bathroom or shower installed
• This might link to a shower drain leak
• A new central heating system or radiator
• A new message on your boiler such as F1 boiler fault
• An extension or improvement to your home
• Damage from a storm or wind
• General DIY that may disturb pipes etc
• A new carpet or flooring fitted

That last one sounds odd but we have seen leaks where a floor being fitted (and the vibrations) have caused or weakened a water pipe, causing it to leak. In some instances, nails or screws accidentally pierce pipes. Which is why we carry specialist pipe detectors to locate pipes in properties too and thermal imaging cameras to help locate hot water pipes in particular.

These are just some of the possible causes. Clearly every house is different in many ways. Our highly trained and experienced leak detection specialists will treat your property with care and attention, guiding you through the process of finding your water leak. That is why many of the biggest insurance companies trust us to do work for their customers locally for their home insurance customers.

Of course in some situations, the leak may not be from your own property if could be a water leak from an upstairs flat, which is a potentially trickier scenario with regard to responsibility. For more information on this subject, check out our article about types of damp.

So if you have a damp patch on ceilings in your home, contact us today and we will help you find the cause and help you get your property back to normal from any ceiling water damage.