What should you do about a roof leak in the ceiling?
Short answer. Put a bucket under it, move your belongings, and if the drywall is bulging, turn off power to any nearby light fixture and poke a small hole at the low point so the water drains into the bucket. Then confirm it really is the roof, because attic air handlers, bath fan ducts and plumbing cause many ceiling stains in Georgia homes, and get the source fixed before repairing the ceiling.
Is it really the roof?
- Only after rain: almost certainly the roof, its flashing, or a wall above the roof.
- On hot, dry summer days: often the air conditioner. Many Georgia homes have the air handler in the attic, and a clogged condensate line or rusted drain pan drips onto the ceiling below.
- Under a bathroom or near a bath fan: an uninsulated fan duct can drip condensation, and supply lines and drains leak on dry days too.
- Near an exterior wall after wind-driven rain: could be a window or siding rather than the roof.
What the ceiling tells you
- A dry brown ring: an old or slow leak. Mark its edge with a pencil and check after the next rain to see if it grows.
- Soft, sagging or bubbling paint: the drywall is saturated and may need replacing, not just painting.
- Musty smell or dark spotting: wet insulation or mold above the drywall, and the insulation over the spot usually needs to be replaced.
The right order of repairs
- Find and fix the source on the roof. Water often runs along rafters or the top of the drywall, so the entry point may be several feet uphill from the stain.
- Let everything dry fully and replace wet insulation.
- Replace sagging drywall, or seal a dry stain with a stain-blocking primer before painting.
Take photos before anything is cleaned up. If a storm opened the roof, interior damage is often handled along with the roof claim; see interior water damage coverage. For likely entry points, read common roof leak causes.