About a week ago, I noticed that the ceiling directly below our second floor master bathroom was dripping while my wife was taking a shower. The dripping stopped about ten minutes after the shower ended.
We had a plumber come to the house and he claimed it was a caulking issue, which he charged us to fix.
A couple of days ago, the dripping started again and the paint on the ceiling has begun to peel in a straight line. We’ve stopped using the master bathroom shower but I can now also hear a dripping sound when the sink in the master bathroom is running.
Since both the sink and shower seem to be causing the dripping, is it safe to assume that the problem is being caused by a loose drain pipe? If that’s the case, does it mean we’ll have to remove the ground floor ceiling or the flooring in the bathroom to fix the issue?
I always recommend checking the caulking around the valve and along the floor by the tub and baseboard first since I have ran across that being the problem many times. Many times if the shower doors are leaky I have seen water run out along the floor and into an unsealed area. However that being said it sounds likes you had a plumber look that over already. Just make sure he didnt miss anything. If it ends up being a leak in the drain line then you would go through the downstairs ceiling to access the pipe and fix it. The sound coming from your sink doesnt necessarily mean it leaking many times piping can can make a dripping sound from pipe expansion from warm water going through it.
Make a small opening in the ceiling below, you might need to make two openings, then look for the cause, once you find it, then open the ceiling for the plumber to access his hands inside it to fix problem. Then patch the ceiling after it dries out, prime it, stain kill and paint it with specific bathroom paint.
The most important thing about leak detection is realizing how random the source can be. You can almost always guarantee that it’s not coming from where you might think. Water has a tendency to travel from the source outward, running along pipes, lumber, or other things behind the wall or ceiling to end up in a spot that could be any distance from the source. If you are unable to put your eyes on and actually watch the water escaping its source, you can search in the wrong place and waste time and effort.
It is fair to assume that the leak is coming from the bathroom above. It sounds like this bathroom has a shower, sink, and toilet. The leak could be coming from any of these fixtures or their piping. If the leak is constant, it is most likely a water line leak. If the leak only becomes evident when the water is turned on, it is most likely a drain leak.
You have mentioned that the leak is evident when the shower or sink is turned on. This points us toward a drain leak, and one that could be anywhere in the drain system for that bathroom as fixtures in differnet locations are causing the leak.
My suggestion is to remove the ceiling to find the leak. I would start with a small hole at where the ceiling damage is greatest and open up more of the ceiling as needed until you find the leak’s origin. This is the best way to track the leak down not to mention the fact that you are not sure what the extent of the water damage has been. Water can cause mold or structural damage so it’s always best to check and make sure everything is ok.
The main causes for wet ceilings below a bathroom are tub drain, shower pan and toilet wax ring. If its not the toilet its best to remove the drywall to view your issue seeing drywall is fairly reasonable to replace.
Check the divertor on the shower valve; these can leak behind the shower plate inside the wall while the shower valve is running. Also, make sure the tub overflow plate is tight and making a good seal on the bathtub. If both are fine, I then would proceed with opening a hole either behind the tub upstairs, or in the ceiling below where the leak is coming thru. If you have a plumbing leak in Massachusetts and need a plumber, call us @ James N. Zaharias Mechanical 339-293-2451
This is a common problem with an easy fix. Sounds like it’s not a plumbing issue but a caulking issue. It usually happens in the connection line of the shower/tub and the flooring. A common culprit is a leaking shower door - check for that.
Make sure to caulk the seam between the shower and the floor outside the shower (especially in the corners), and Avoid puddling of water outside the shower - a shower mat or a towel on the floor will usually do the work.
I would open the ceiling cavity to allow for it to dry out and not grow mold. When it is open, it will be easy to see where the leak came from - water always leaves a mark.
Also, I’m not so convinced about the vanity leaking (although possible). Dripping in a nearby area could be due to the same leak; the water may run along the framing and drip down some distance away from the source of the leak.
As for removing the drywall under VS the flooring and sub-floor above: usually the drywall under is the way to go as it is cheaper and easier. All the drain lines should be accessible through the drywall underneath the bathroom floor.
