# Please tell me there’s a chance this isn’t water damage… **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 29, 2024, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928 "2024-07-29T03:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/1 "2024-07-29T03:11:07Z")
I’m not sure what to do if it is. I know it’s serious, but there’s only so much I can do immediately; it’s not like I can tell my upstairs neighbor to turn off their water. This would be my first major “crisis” here, so I’m a little nervous! Picture of bathroom near ceiling: [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://imgur.com/a/M0QZR7p) ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/2 "2024-07-29T03:54:59Z")
Based on my own experience, I’d be very much worried that that’s water damage. If you’re a renter, call the landlord/property manager ASAP! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/3 "2024-07-29T03:56:32Z")
Nope, this is a condo. One reason I’m kind of at a loss on what to do first. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/4 "2024-07-29T03:58:27Z")
Could be steam damage- do you take really long hot showers? is there a window or a vent? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/5 "2024-07-29T04:01:45Z")
It’s some kind of moisture. Go and talk to your upstairs neighbors. They’ll wanna know if they have a leak, for sure. Homeowners insurance up to date? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/6 "2024-07-29T04:02:02Z")
There is a vent I have on every time I take a shower. I don’t _think_ they’re particularly long or hot. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/7 "2024-07-29T04:02:52Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > There is a vent I have on every time I take a shower. I Okay is that the wall or some sort of wall paper? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/8 "2024-07-29T04:04:23Z")
If it’s a building leak from outside, your neighbor needs to know. Interior wall? Or exterior? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/9 "2024-07-29T04:09:01Z")
Interior wall. Not wallpaper as far as I can tell. Reported to upstairs neighbor. He’s renting, but he didn’t see any apparent leaks or water. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/10 "2024-07-29T04:09:52Z")
Is this in a bathroom? If so and since it’s a condo then it’s likely that there’s a bathroom above it, and it’s likely that there’s some kind of leak in that upstairs bathroom (toilet or other plumbing). Whatever it is, eventually it’s going to destroy your drywall. This is a not-good situation. As a condo owner, I’m not sure who’s responsibility it is. I would think it’s either the upstairs neighbor or the condo association (since it’s outside your paint). I’m afraid you really need to do something about it ASAP; it’s not going to get better and it’s almost certainly going to get much worse if you ignore it. I would think the first step is to bring it to the attention of the condo management. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/11 "2024-07-29T04:12:45Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Is this in a bathroom? If so and since it’s a condo then it’s likely that there’s a bathroom above it, and it’s likely that there’s some kind of leak in that upstairs bathroom (toilet or other plumbing). Whatever it is, eventually it’s going to destroy your drywall. This is a not-good situation. Yep, as it is not wallpaper, this is correct. Looked like wallpaper to me. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/12 "2024-07-29T04:40:12Z")
I’ve had two instances of something that looked a lot like this in a room below a bathroom, caused by failure of the wax ring under a toilet. There was no visible water in the bathroom; the leak was below the surface of the bathroom floor. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/13 "2024-07-29T04:42:27Z")
Okay, plan in place: will call a plumber tomorrow morning to confirm whether it’s water damage or not. If it is, I’ll call my insurance and see what they want me to do as far as company to use and all that. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/14 "2024-07-29T10:46:24Z")
I had something similar. Was a roof leak caused by ice dams. Take a pin to that paint bubble and see if water comes out. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/15 "2024-07-29T11:32:25Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Nope, this is a condo. One reason I’m kind of at a loss on what to do first. Former condo president … Call the management company ASAP. Tell them you have water damage in a bathroom ceiling. Tell them it’s fresh. They _should_ send a plumber out that day to look at your ceiling and the upstairs bathroom. Odds are they’ll be cutting out drywall in your ceiling, first to inspect and later to repair. All of this will be at no cost to you and no cost to your upstairs neighbor. You will have to paint the new drywall, or pay them to do it; they won’t do that on own their bill. I ran a ~150 unit building with 2 or 3 bathrooms per unit and we did this almost once a week with some pair of apartments. To you this is a crisis. To them it’s just another Monday. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/16 "2024-07-30T18:28:25Z")
I have seen this happen a couple of times. The water from above has caused the ceiling paint to bulge out as it separates from the drywall. Poke a hole in it to drain it. I don’t think it can be pushed back up, you will have to cut it away and repaint and maybe a thin layer of drywall compound before painting. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/17 "2024-07-30T18:36:49Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > To you this is a crisis. To them it’s just another Monday. This. If it’s water damage from the toilet or a drain or caulking upstairs, that’s a pretty routine repair. And since it’s outside your paint, the condo association should be responsible. So long as it’s attended to quickly, it should be a fairly minor repair. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/18 "2024-08-02T16:37:23Z")
‘‘Twas a shower valve upstairs. While I’ll have to get a few feet of ceiling inspected and replaced, the upstairs neighbors’ owner will have some decisions to make and can’t shower until it’s fixed (in an involved process), so relatively speaking I think I’m getting off lighter here. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/19 "2024-08-02T18:02:55Z")
Where bathrooms get expensive for owners is if water is running down in the walls. Then the repair of the damaged, soon to be moldy drywall includes tearing off mirrors, cabinets, and tile jobs to get access. Then fixing the plumbing and replacing any wetted drywall. The Association will usually go that far and no farther. Putting the tile, cabinets, mirrors, etc., back up, or more likely getting all new, is totally on the unit owner. Which can suck when it’s your bathroom getting gutted but the leak was 1, 2, or 6 floors upstairs from you. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928/20 "2024-08-02T19:15:49Z")
A house I did quite a bit of work on over the years had a water pressure spike from the town water supply which blew the supply line off the master toilet. No one was home and it ran for at least 3 days. The house needs to be pretty much gutted. A water bug or smart supply would have saved a couple million bucks… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-there-s-a-chance-this-isn-t-water-damage/1004928.md?page=2)