Ceiling sagging, bowing or bulging after a leak in your Woolwich home? What to do straight away to stay safe, and how a water-damaged ceiling is repaired.
A ceiling that sags or bulges after a leak is holding water or has gone soft, and it needs treating as a safety issue, not just a repair. Wet plasterboard loses its strength, and old lath and plaster gets heavy when it soaks up water. Either can come down, sometimes suddenly and often with the water that was sitting on top of it.
Here is what to do. Keep everyone, including pets, out from underneath it. Turn the water off at the stopcock, and if the bulge is near a light fitting or the water is reaching any electrics, switch that circuit off at the fuse board, or the main switch if you are not sure. Move furniture and anything valuable out of the way and put buckets and towels down. If you are insured, take photos before anything is touched.
Once the leak is fixed and the area has dried out, the damaged section is cut out and replaced, and the repair is skimmed so it blends into the rest of the ceiling. In Woolwich we see this most from bathrooms above, overflowing tanks in older Plumstead and Charlton houses, and leaks from the flat upstairs in the newer blocks.
It can. Wet plaster and plasterboard lose their strength, so treat any sag or bulge as a risk and keep people out from underneath it until it has been dealt with.
A small stain on a ceiling that stayed firm can often just be dried and sealed. A ceiling that has sagged, softened or come away usually needs that section replacing.
Once the leak is fixed, the area needs to dry out. That can be a few days, sometimes longer. Rushing it is the main reason stains come back through new plaster.
The leak itself needs a plumber or roofer. We repair the ceiling once the water has been stopped.
A sagging wet ceiling can drop without warning. Close the door and keep people and pets out of the room.
Turn off the stopcock, or the appliance or tank causing it, so no more water reaches the ceiling.
If water is near a light fitting, a ceiling rose or any wiring, switch that circuit off at the fuse board. Do not touch wet fittings.
Take photos of the ceiling and the source of the leak before anything is removed. Insurers usually want them.
Repairing over damp timber or plasterboard traps moisture and leads to stains and mould later. The area needs to be properly dry first.
Send a photo or a quick video of the room on WhatsApp, or get a free fixed quote, no obligation, and we’ll tell you straight what it needs.
