Expanding Damp Patch on Bedroom Ceiling

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19nffc77

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Hi,

I moved into a new property about 4 months ago, soon afterwards i noticed a small brown mark in the corner of the ceiling but thought nothing of it, recently I noticed that the patch has grown considerably and is damp to the touch. It seems to have become more severe since we had our boiler replaced about 8 weeks ago. The plumber removed the cold water tank from the loft and removed all of the pipework from up there so there is nothing that can be leaking from the remains of that job.

I have been up there and had a good look around and there is nothing obvious to me that indicates a problem. There are no obvious leaks coming through the roof and there doesn't seem to be any damp insulation where the mark is or water on any of the wood. I'm assuming it must be coming from above because it's formed in the bedroom rather than the bathroom or ensuite. Does this scream out anything obvious before I call a builder?
 
If you lift up the insulation are their any water marks on the plasterboard or the rafters to indicate a historic water leak. Maybe the ceilings been painted to cover previous water damage to the ceiling and its now showing through the new paint.
 
If I lift up the insulation there doesn’t seem to be any damp under there that I can see. The damp patch is towards the exterior wall and I’m pretty sure there’s no insulation where the tank was. There’s like a small wooden platform that I’m assuming the tank was sat on but the patch is under an insulated part about 60-70 cm away from it. I’m might be imagining it because it’s cold but it feels like the insulation might be a little damp on the top but looks dry underneath.

Who do you think would be best to take a look? Roofer? Builder? Any other trade?
 
19nffc77 said:
Who do you think would be best to take a look? Roofer? Builder? Any other trade?
Click to expand...
DIY trade is best, it's free.

If the ceiling is damp on one side, then it must be damp on the other side. If not, then you must be looking at the wrong place. Water always leave marks. Use brighter light if you need to.
 
This is the area, when I first noticed it it was about 15cm by 5cm. I’ll go back up later after work and move some more insulation to see if I’ve missed something.

14038A1A-068C-4F76-A862-8F50AC3D78DB.jpeg
 
You have a pool up there. Don't see how you could miss. Use a compass if you must.

Wear mask when playing with the insulation. The particles are glass or rock. Once in your lungs, you would be done. Same in the eye balls. They will also become pins and needles on your skin. Just go slow and don't create a huge dust storm.
 
Last edited:
Looks like I wasn’t going far enough out. I peeled back the insulation and found the damp patch in the pictures. It’s raining really heavily right now and there’s no roof leak so I think it must be seeping in from the gutter area.
 

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Clear out the area so that you get the best possible view on things. Also, now is time to invest in planks for walking on the loft. I made some using 28mm thick decking boards. Anything thinner just doesn't feel very safe even for someone small.

The gutter is likely on the same or below the level of the ceiling. So, the leak is likely at the end of the felt. Where it leaked, the felt would have broken down.
 
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