DIY guideCeilings

Check the ceilings under the bathrooms with a flashlight

Shine a flashlight across the ceiling below each bathroom, low and from the side, to find the stains, bulges or peeling paint of a slow leak.

6 steps

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Work out which ceilings sit under each bathroom: under the tub, the shower, the toilet and the sink.
Hold a flashlight close to the ceiling and shine it along the surface, not straight up. Low light shows every bump and ripple.
Stand on a steady step stool, never a chair.
Yellow or brown rings, dark spots or peeling paint mean water has been coming through.
Press a stain lightly with your fingertips. Soft, damp or crumbly means it's still wet.
A ceiling that sags or bulges: don't press it, and keep everyone out from under it.
Take a photo of each stain with a coin beside it, so you'll see if it grows.
A stain that's damp or growing, a soft or sagging spot, or peeling that keeps coming back: ask Handyman for a plumber to find the leak above it.

Handyman says: Damp stain? I'll find a plumber.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.