Leak marks suddenly appeared on ceiling. Upper floor flat.

[Beeloux]

Hi all,
In bed putting the dc to sleep with the lights off and just noticed these tea stain like marks on the ceiling.

Does it look like a leak or more condensation? I have the heating on overnight in the room and various times during the day. I clear the condensation off the window/ventilate daily.

It’s an upper floor flat (rented) and don’t have a ladder to get in the attic to check for a leak. Will inform the letting agent but any advice appreciated. 😊

Here’s a photo of it!

Just to say my DM went in one of their two spare rooms a few weeks ago and noticed a funny stain on the ceiling and a 'bulge'.

She and DF are in their late 70s, but DF ventured into the ĺoft to discover a leaking water tank.

Anyway, the ceiling came down.

Turns out the leak was from a pipe to/from the tank and cost about £200 to fix by an emergency, out of hours plumber. They've had the ceiling repaired by a local contractor.

Long story short - don't ignore it!!!!! Check what's causing it ASAP.

Condensation would likely present as black mould spots, your photo looks like a 'wet' patch. We had a similar problem in our bedroom and it was a problem with the roof, which has now been fixed. I would get it looked at

looks like a ceiling panel is sodden.
as pp say, could be from a leak in a pipe/tank.

you need to get up there with a flashlight/camera.

It looks like it is coming through the joints in the plasterboard, which is typical of a leak. Plasterboard sheets are usually 8ft x 4ft (described as 2400x1200mm) so you can easily see if the lines fit that pattern

Plasterboard is not water resistant and will fall down in time. Report it to the agent with urgency. Follow up in writing or email in case they pretend they weren't informed.

The yellow colouring washes out of the wooden joists.

Thanks all! I’ve rang the agency and emailed them the photos. Hopefully will be fixed soon. Worried as it’s directly above my bed where I co sleep with ds so will move the bed today while it’s resolved!

Also, what would you recommend is an appropriate timeframe for the landlord to get it fixed? Sorry if it’s a daft question. Never experienced it before so not sure if they should be bringing someone out today. Thanks!

I think they ought to send same-day response to a leak that is damaging their building.

Plumbing leaks are usually fairly simple to repair, especially in a loft where the pipes are visible and accessible. Has your area been freezing? Is there a boiler up there? (vom)

Drying out and fixing the ceiling will take longer.

@PigletJohn thanks for your reply. :) It’s snowed here today and been under 0c the whole time week. Boiler is in my flat but not sure where the water tank is (useless at these things).
Letting agent replied saying she’d forwarded the email to the landlord and requested he brings his roofer out but heard nothing else. Presume it will be Monday now.
Just worried it caves in as I’ve tried moving the bed but the marks cover a good proportion of the ceiling. 😓

Are you sure you have water tanks? Could rainwater have leaked through the roof? If your boiler is a combi boiler you won't have a hot water tank, and possibly not a cold water tank either (will leave it to an expert to confirm)

You can get a idea by feeling the taps. At the kitchen sink, put your thumb over the spout and turn on the cold. Can you hold it back? Probably not.

Now try the hot. Is it the same?

Do the same at the bathroom taps.

If you can hold it back, it will be from a tank.

Does your boiler have a pressure gauge on the front?

Have you got a hot water cylinder? What colour? Does the top look like it might be different from the rest, or us it domed?

"requested he brings his roofer out"

Not much help if it's a plumbing leak.