Flat Roof Leaking Through Ceiling

Some roof leaks are tough to locate.

Flat roof leaking through ceiling.

Once you have determined that the leak is caused by a roof related issue measure the location of the leak in the living space from two fixed points. Gain access to the attic and with a flashlight find the place where the ceiling is wet between roof joists. Leaking will usually be quite steady if the ceiling leak is plumbing related. Common sources of ceiling leaks include faulty pipes or cracks in your roof.

The property has a smaller flat roof at the rear of the property. These fixed points can be perpendicular exterior walls a fireplace chimney or other components that extend through the finished ceiling to the attic space or roof surface. Problems with drain pipes may cause more intermittent leaking but unlike roof leaks there is no correlation to weather conditions. Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak.

Especially if a water supply pipe is to blame the water dripping from the ceiling may be never ending. If your ceiling has a plastic vapor barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic often water runs to openings in the vapor barrier such as at ceiling light fixtures. If the water is dirty or stains the ceiling the source might be a leak in the roof. A roof that leaks is a problem in any weather but a roof that suddenly begins to leak during a heavy rainstorm can quickly turn into an emergency.

I am told that built up trapped water over a very long period under the roof between the membrane and ceiling needs time to dry out and seep through. With ingress areas guttering and down pipes all checked. Another cause of leaks is faulty air. Long before the dripping through the ceiling starts dark brown patches of moisture can develop as damp from a damaged flat roof seeps slowly through.

Once you drain the leak it s important to call a professional roof specialist or handyman who can fix the source of the leak. We have a ceiling extractor fan and there is a vent pipe that the developer installed when the flat was converted. It is at this stage that you need to get the leak fixed or at least investigated to check whether it is a small joint fix that is required or something bigger. There is a flat roof immediately above my ceiling and it has recently been fully re surfaced and completely sealed.