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How to diagnose water damage?

Hi all, my sister reports some water damage in the ceiling of the lounge room in her townhouse. I've included some photos that I hope will narrow down the problem. What you think, blocked gutters (although there aren't many trees around), or other trouble spots.

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Comments

EricL

Hello @tigerzen

Yes, that would be the first area I would suggest investigating. Cleanout the gutters and make sure that there are no blockages along the gutter. I also suggest investigating the flashing on the nib wall to make sure that the there are no cracks and splits along the length of the flashing. One other way to determine the source of the leak is to spray the area with your garden hose and observe where the water flows and why it is leaking towards the wall.

Please make sure to take all necessary safety precautions when climbing up the roof. I also suggest looking at this guide - How to use ladders safely by @Adam_W.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Jason

Hi @tigerzen,

It looks like there is the potential for significant damage so I would be strongly considering engaging a roof plumber.

Let me tag experienced members @Nailbag and @sjkehoe72 for their thoughts.

Jason

tigerzen

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/53022#Comment_53022

Thanks Eric for the suggestion. The place is fairly new and just outside the builder's warranty period. The builder was called back to fix a leak that apparently was caused by the breakdown of grout as a tiled balcony is directly above the affected ceiling, that was a few years ago now and there hasn't been an issue until now. In regards to the flashing, if there are cracks/splits along it and it does get a lot of sun on it, does Bunnings sell the replacement flashing sheets or is there another fix ie repair the flashing in situ?

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/88700#Comment_88700

Hello @tigerzen

To fix any damage or tears in the flashing I suggest using CAgroup 50mm x 3m Weatherproof Byute Flash Flashing Tape. My best advice is to make sure that the surface of the flashing is clean and free of debris before putting the flashing tape on.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

tigerzen

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/110056#Comment_110056

Thanks Eric, think I may have used a similar product years ago on a roof.

Nailbag

Hi @tigerzen

I repair a lot of internal damaged caused by water ingress from issue with guttering. Quite often the gutters are full of debris turned to mud, because owners believe gutter guard is protecting them or there are no trees around for leaves to cause issue. But neither stop dirt building up over time. The other surprising common issue is that the gutters are falling the wrong way and holding water (see pics). So when it rains they easily overflow. The drip line under the edge of your gutters indicate they are overflowing due to these reasons our a down-pipe issue as there are no drips at the edge of the eve underneath.

If you're unsuccessful in finding the cause, I highly recommend as a priority you get a leak detection service in before more serious internal damage is caused.

Nailbag

tigerzen

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/53052#Comment_53052

Thanks Nailbag for the informative post and the pics. The out of level gutter surprises me as I would have thought that would have caused a problem earlier but I guess something could have moved. From what my sister has said, she didn't notice anything until recently, she's had it for 7 to 8 years.

tigerzen

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/88714#Comment_88714

Update: Had the chance to get up and have a closer look, gutters were fine, there was a little bit of decomposed soil but not enough to cause any issues. Downpipes were clear. My sister told me that the builder did have to come back 2 years after the place was built because the tiled balcony had moved a little and that created a similar leak to the one we see now. I have siliconed where I could between the edge of the tiles and below as there was a slight gap in places but directly over the ceiling leak all I could see was a very slight crack in the grout in between the tiles, I put some silicon in there to seal it off. The photos also show some efflorescence and a slight crack in the Hardyplank but this is a metre at least away from the leak. The silicon is just a stopgap so need a longer term solution.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/110087#Comment_110087

Hello @tigerzen

For long-term repair, I propose engaging the services of a builder and asking them for a quote on how much it would cost to fix that section of your sister's house. You can continue patching up the damage, but at some point in time a full repair job will need to be addressed.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

tigerzen

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/122400#Comment_122400

Thanks Eric, been a fair bit of rain in the last 24 hours, the ceiling is no worse, I'm still not sure that I've found the issue, although silicon is a marvellous invention.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/130333#Comment_130333

Hi @tigerzen

I suggest going with @Nailbag's suggestion and getting a leak detection service to come and scan your area. You'll definitely see where the water is passing through as they have various tools to see and detect water ingress.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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