
How to Repair a Water-Damaged Ceiling
Leaking pipes and roofs can cause damage to your home. If water settles on your ceiling, it can cause an unsightly brown patch and cause mould and rot if left untreated and damp for too long.
Simply treating smaller patches and stains with an anti-fungal primer and then painting may suffice. However, if the ceiling has cracked, sagged, or become overly damp after a few days of leaking, you will likely need to replace the damaged section.
Firstly, you need to find and stop the source of the leak. Think about what is above the leak; it is often a bathroom or boiler, or maybe your roof and guttering if it's the top floor. Repair the burst pipe or leak, which may require a professional.
You will need:
- Replacement plasterboard
- Stud/cable & pipe detector
- Tape measure
- Ladder
- Plasterboard screws
- Jointing compound
- Pencil
- Material/plasterboard lift
- Plasterboard screws
- Utility knife
- Plasterboard tape
- Impact driver/drill
You shouldn't use a ladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, and you may need longer for this job. We also have low-access equipment available if you'd instead not use a ladder. Using trestles and scaffolding boards, or a podium, is a better long-term option.
Always wear PPE when doing any DIY and renovation work. You will need eye protection, a dust mask when cutting, and work gloves for this job. Also, wear boots with a good grip when using equipment for height work.
Method:
- Wait for the ceiling to dry
Once the leak has stopped and everything has been repaired, you must allow the ceiling to dry. This will enable you to assess the damage.
Ensure your room is well-ventilated, and hire a dehumidifier to speed drying times. Once all is dry, take a close look at the damage. Surface cracks, sagging, peeling, and heavy staining will need to be replaced.
- Use a stud and cable detector.
Before carrying out any repair work, use a cable detector to check for wires. Mark these areas with a pencil; they must be avoided.
Your stud finder will also detect the joists on the ceiling. It would be best to cut from these, and the joists will give you something to attach your boards to. So, mark where these are - this will give you a section to cut from as a guide.
- Cut the ceiling section.
Try to cut away a relatively square or rectangular section of the ceiling. This will make it easier to replace, and clean lines are more straightforward to fill. Keep it as small as possible for when you need to skim it.
Once you've marked out the entire area, you must remove it from joist to joist, mark it with a pencil, and measure. This will be the size of the replacement plasterboard you need to purchase. Use a utility knife to remove the ceiling plaster, but be careful not to cut too deep.
- Hang the new plasterboard.
You can usually purchase plasterboard pre-cut to size, but if you have some existing from another project, use a jigsaw to cut to size.
Position the plasterboard in place, then screw the plasterboard to the joists using the appropriate screws and an impact driver. Once in place, use a jointing compound to hide the small joints between the new and old ceiling.
SPEEDY TOP TIP: Hire a plasterboard lifter to lift boards to the correct height and keep them in place until secured, especially if you don't have help.
Keep this thin, and also cover any screws to hide them. Leave to dry, then cover with plasterboard tape.
- Re-skim
Once the jointing compound is dry, you can re-skim the ceiling. If this is a small patch, you may want to use an easy-fill compound, which will be easier than plaster. If you're not used to plastering, keep the area as small as possible.
Plaster will be needed for a large area. If you aren't confident in your ability to do this yourself, hire a professional. If you are DIYing, use a feather edge to get a straight line around the edges, which will be invisible once finished.
- Paint
Once plastered and dry, sand any sections of plaster required for a neat finish. Then paint, following our guide on how to paint fresh plaster. You'll need a mist coat and then good-quality paint to finish. You can use a primer before painting instead.
Hopefully, once this last step is done, your ceiling will look good as new!
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