A leaking ceiling can cause many problems to you, some problems are more severe than the others. Water may damage your electrical appliances such as television, computers, etc. Ceiling Water leakage are usually cause by plastering to peel off and paint works to decolourize or turn yellowish. If you notice such changes to your ceiling, it is important to get the problem resolved immediately because extended leakages will lead to structural damage and it might spoil your electrical appliances. What should you do when you start to notice symptoms of water leakage or intrusion on your ceiling?
a. Move any electrical appliances away from the area of leak
Immediately remove any electrical appliances and cover up any electrical socket that may be affected by the leak. It is very dangerous if you leave any electrical related appliance near the leak and severe electrocution injuries may arise. Also, you need to protect the electrical appliances and prevent it from getting damaged by the water leakage.
b. Find the water leakage source
The most important step to getting your water leakage problem resolved is to identify the source of the water. There are many potential source of water intrusion, some include: damaged waterproofing system above the seepage area, leaking plumbing or sanitary equipment, roof water leakage etc. Each source of water intrusion displays a different characteristic and you may find some of the symptoms that we are about to discuss below helpful.
b(i). Damaged Waterproofing System
Water seepage through a damaged waterproofing system usually happens slowly, the frequency of water dripping is low, ranging from a drip every 3 seconds to even intervals of minutes. If your ceiling is dripping water occasionally and there are multiple areas of water dripping, it is likely that you are facing a problem with damaged waterproofing system.
b(ii). Plumbing or Sanitary Fittings
Water seepage through a damaged waterproofing system usually happens slowly, the frequency of water dripping is low, ranging from a drip every 3 seconds to even intervals of minutes. If your ceiling is dripping water occasionally and there are multiple areas of water dripping, it is likely that you are facing a problem with damaged waterproofing system.
b(iii). Roof Water Leakage
Roof water leakages are usually associated with the rain. Leakages usually happen when it rains and it stops hours after the rain. The frequency of leakage is almost zero when it is not raining but water starts dripping ferociously after it starts to rain. It is difficult to trace the source of a roof water leakage due to the many components of the roof that may be damaged, it is important to engage a waterproofing specialist contractor or a roofing specialist contractor to assess the roof condition and provide a repair proposal.
Engage a Professional for Rectification Works
Waterproofing and ceiling water leakage repair is a highly niche industry which requires many years of experience, knowledge, and practice to be proficient. A general contractor will not be able to provide you with an accurate assessment, resulting in a repair methodology which will not work for you. Therefore it is highly advisable to engage a professional, who’s expertise lies in the waterproofing and water seepage repair, to rectify the problems that you may have.