Leaking Discolored Ceiling

A discolored ceiling is a sign you may have a leak in your home. The leak may be caused by a recent storm, heavy snow on your roof or rain or snow that gets into your attic. Or, it could be caused by rusty nails that allow a shingle to blow off your roof. Whatever the cause, you can fix most of these leaks yourself. Some situations, however, warrant a call to a professional. In either case, you first must determine the cause of the leak.

Drill
Pencil
Pipe repair sleeves
Roof flashings

Instructions

- 1
  Mark the leaking area. You can accomplish this by drilling a small hole at the site of the leak. Stick a pencil through the hole to mark the area.
- 2
  Investigate the cause of the ceiling leak. Go inside your attic and find the pencil. Look at what’s around the leaking area. If it’s winter, look for snow that may have blown into your attic. Remove the snow. Find the area where the snow is blowing inside. Sometimes a shingle comes off a roof, allowing snow to come inside. Locate and replace the missing or loose shingle.
- 3
  Check for a leaking pipe. If you find a leaky pipe, you can purchase special repair sleeves. Follow the manufacture’s instructions for installing the sleeves. Or, contact a plumber to fix the pipe for you.
- 4
  Check the flashings on your roof. A large number of leaks are caused by damaged roof flashings. Flashings are found where you install an item that is not part of the roof itself, such as skylights and chimneys. Some roofers do not adequately install flashings, so they end up giving you a leaking, discolored ceiling.
- 5
  Fix the roof flashings. This is usually easy. Purchase a piece of metal flashing from a home improvement store. Slide it over the hole where the leak is occurring. Make sure to slide it under the shingle above the leak’s location.

Sealing Cracked Stoneware

Removing Bathroom Sink Adhesive

General Home Repair