Ceiling Leak Water Damage in Hull

Right now

1. Keep everyone out from under a bulging or cracked ceiling.
2. Turn off the lights and sockets on that circuit, from a dry spot.
3. Turn off the water at the stopcock if the leak is from your own plumbing.
4. Put a bucket under the drip. Don't poke a heavily sagging ceiling.
5. If you live in a flat and the water is coming from above, knock on the neighbour's door or ring the managing agent.

Where the water comes from

• The bathroom above. In many Hull terraces the bathroom sits over the kitchen or back room. Failed shower tray seals, bath waste joints and grout are common culprits, and they leak a little every time the shower runs.
• Tanks and cylinders. Cold water tanks in the loft and hot water cylinders in airing cupboards.
• Radiator pipes. Joints under the floorboards, often disturbed by work upstairs.
• The roof. Usually in the top-floor rooms after rain. See roof leaks.
• The flat above. In converted houses and blocks, a neighbour's leak can come through several floors.

What we do

We check the ceiling is safe and bring it down in a controlled way if it isn't. Then we trace the water back to its source, take readings in the ceiling void and the floor above, and dry both. Soaked plasterboard ceilings usually need replacing. Older lath and plaster ceilings can sometimes be saved if they've kept their key, but they are heavy and need checking before anyone works under them.

Whose insurance?

If the leak came from your own home, it's an escape of water claim on your buildings and contents cover. If it came from a neighbour's flat, your insurer may pay and then recover the cost from theirs. Photos, dates and a note of the source help either way. See what insurance covers.

To see what a leak like this usually costs to put right, and what you'd pay after your excess, use our water damage cost estimator.