I have noticed 6 water marks appearing on the ceiling of my first floor. 2 run along the entire length of the floor, seems to be running the joint of 2 drywall sheets because they are long, thin and straight. the others are smaller spots in different area's of the ceiling but all in the same general 6-7 foot area. I am pretty sure there has been a leak in that area in the past as I remeber having seen some very small watermarks when we first moved in and also can tell where the previous owner had done some repairs in that area. Around the same time that I noticed these spots getting worse we had a toilet that was leaking around the base and had soaked the upstairs hall carpet. I have the toilet shut off until I get it fixed this weekend (hopefully) . I'm not sure if we have a slow leak or if the watermarks are from the toilet leaking. And if it is a leak I have no idea how to find a leak when its in the ceiling. I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance

superplumber

Hello, if you have a water meter to your home I would first shut all water fixtures off and check your water meter ( watch the dial for about 10 minutes) to see if there is any movement on the dial to endecate that there is or isnt a possible leak. double check upstairs fixtures to make sure that nothing is leaking, sense you said that you noticed it about the same time your toilet was leaking it may well be water that dripped from the second floor. if your ceiling is drywall , it will feel soft when you push against it. if there is a soft spot make a small hole about a 1/4 inch to see if water drains out of it. if you get a steady drip then put a bucket under it and give it some time to see if it stops, if it doesnt stop dripping,then your probably going to have to open the ceiling up to get to the problem. sense there seems to have been some repairs done in the past, its likely that there will be another leak. I hope this helps, good luck.

massplumber2008

Itheck...

I have a different approach than SP to this issue...

I think you just found your own leak.

If toilet leaked enough to show up in the upstairs hall....you won't believe what it did under the floor!!

And water from such a leak would certainly show up in the joints of the cieling as there is no sheetrock there...just sheetrock tape and joint compound (or plaster). Water will always follow ceiling according to the pitch of the ceiling..so leak from toilet could show up in different spots..depends on ceiling!!

Anyway, at this point you want to reset the toilet properly. Then I would hit the areas on the cieling with a stainblocker/stainkilz paint and wait to see if this resolves the issue (unless area is saturated and can poke hole through..then no amount of stainblocker paint will work..will need to replace bad areas).

At the same time, if you are unsure about this you can eliminate anything else you can do ABOVE THE FLOOR by looking at all shutoffs (including under sink and at toilet. Then may want to remove the shower face plate and handle and check behind the wall (run tub AND shower..use flashlight to observe behind the wall).

You will also want to check the areas where the tub/shower meet the floor...water is famous for showing up just outside the shower and leaking down through floor (if you suspect this after looking, should just need to caulk this area to eliminate any questions regarding this!!).

Anything after that will require you to open the ceiling up (by measure to confirm where pipes are).

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE NECESSARY. Reset the toilet using a new wax gasket with horn and a new pair of johhni bolts...then set toilet....let wax relax a bit, then tighten bolts down again..wait 10 minutes and then cinch those bolts down a little more (DON'T CRACK TOILET.. ) and then cut the bolts, set the finish caps and you should be all set here...*crossing fingers*.

Let me know what you think....Mark

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itheck

Thanks for the assist Mark. I'll try that out and if I don't see the watermarks return after I have reset the toilet and hit the spots with the stainblocker I should be in the clear. Good thing is I'm getting pretty handy with plumbing and other around the house things. Seems like since we bought this place I've been having to fix little problems left and right. I guess thats part of being a home owner I'll keep ya'll posted on what happens...I may need somemore help if the water spots get worse.

massplumber2008

We're glad to help anytime.

Good luck!!