Water damage happens when the ceiling is exposed to moisture. This could be from a leak in the roof, or from the kids forgetting to turn the tub off while running a bath. Regardless of how the water damage came to be, a ceiling that has water damage is pretty obvious. You can see bubbling, discoloration, and a generally ugly mess. No one wants a ceiling stain disfiguring their home, but luckily ceiling repair can be taken care of with a few simple steps.

Stop the leak

If the source of the water damage isn't taken care of first, there is no point in repairing the ceiling. You'll need to find what caused the water damage in the first place, and stop it from happening again. If the water damage is from that bath tub flood or other accident, stopping it is as simple as pulling the drain and cleaning up the flood upstairs. If that's not the cause, you may have to do some sleuthing.

If possible, climb in the attic and check for roof leaks, and any piping running over the ceiling. If you can see where the leak is coming from, have any leaky pipes or roofing repaired first. That way the ceiling won't just get ruined again the moment you repair it.

Let the ceiling dry

In order to repair the ceiling, you need to allow it to completely dry first. If the ceiling has been wet a very long time, such as from a chronic leak, you'll want to have a professional come out and test for black mould. Mould is very dangerous, and can make your family sick.

Prep the area

Repairing the ceiling is a messy process. You'll want to spread drop cloths to minimise debris clean up, and to cover any furniture. Wear protective eyeglasses and a breathing mask while working so you don't accidentally inhale paint or drywall particles.

Remove flaking paint

Use a putty knife to scrape the effected area and remove any peeling paint. Remove and replace any damaged drywall. The size of the damage will determine what you need to do in order to repair it, ranging from cutting the drywall all the way back to the stud, to simply using a little joint compound and mesh to seal a cut-to-fit piece of drywall in the hole.

If the damage is very extensive, you may want to have professional help in getting it repaired. A professional can not only repair the damage, but also make sure the water damage didn't compromise the structural integrity of the building.

Once the drywall has been repaired, you can repaint the area so that your ceiling is as good as new.

References:

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