A brown stain, bubbling paint, or a ceiling that’s starting to sag all mean the same thing: water is getting in above it. The ceiling is usually the last place it shows up, so by the time you see it, the drywall, insulation and framing above may already be wet.
Here’s what to do, in order.
1. Stay safe
- If the ceiling is sagging, keep everyone out of the room. A drywall ceiling full of water is heavy and can come down without warning.
- If water is near a light fixture or ceiling fan, turn off that circuit at the breaker. Don’t touch wet fixtures or switches.
- Put a bucket or tarp down and move furniture and electronics out of the way.
2. Find and stop the water
The cause is usually one of these:
- A plumbing leak from a bathroom or water line above.
- A roof leak, often after a monsoon storm.
- An AC drain line or pan overflowing in the attic.
- A water heater in the attic.
If it’s plumbing, shut off the water at the main valve. If it’s the roof, there’s usually nothing to do until the rain stops, but a roofer can tarp it. Call your insurance company early if you think you’ll make a claim.
3. Don’t just let it air dry
A stain that dries on the surface can leave wet insulation and framing above it, and mold can start in 24 to 48 hours. Wet ceiling drywall that has sagged or soaked through usually has to be cut out so the space above can dry. Painting over a stain before everything is dry hides the problem; it doesn’t solve it.
4. When to call a water damage company
Call for professional water damage restoration when:
- The ceiling is sagging, cracked, or has fallen.
- The stain is bigger than a dinner plate or keeps growing.
- The water came from a roof leak or an attic unit, where insulation soaks it up.
- You smell something musty, or see mold (see our mold page).
- You plan to file an insurance claim and need moisture readings and photos.
We check the ceiling and the space above with moisture meters, remove the wet materials that can’t be dried, and set up drying equipment until the readings are back to normal. Then we document it all for your insurer.
For a real example, see what we found and how we dried it out after a roof leak during a Las Vegas storm.
What about putting the ceiling back?
We clean up and dry out. We don’t rebuild. Once the area is dry, we can refer you to contractors for the new drywall, texture and paint, and we can share our moisture readings and photos with them and your insurance company.
Water coming through the ceiling? Call (702) 540-2219, 24/7, or contact us.
Water damage in Las Vegas? See our Las Vegas water damage restoration page, or call (702) 540-2219. A live person answers 24/7.