I have water coming down from kitchen ceiling (under bathroom) and the outside wall has a soaked through patch clearly visible at the bathroom floor level. The insurer's plumber says the job requires a 'dig out' - what does this mean? I understand I have a 'lead' pipe under the bathtub that may be the problem. Is this all related? No-one is giving me any information, and the plumbers are not being very co-operative in treating this as an emergency even though he has seen the water coming down and my bulging kitchen ceiling (still waiting for action since SATURDAY and insurers don't allow my own plumbers to do work)! What does 'digging out' involve? Will I be left with structural damage? Please help, you are my last hope to learn what I am up against!

Many thanks.
A Walker:confused:

I would First determine, Waste water, cold water or hot water?
Is it during and after a shower?

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Originally Posted by wanjali13

I have water coming down from kitchen ceiling (under bathroom) and the outside wall has a soaked through patch clearly visible at the bathroom floor level. The insurer's plumber says the job requires a 'dig out' - what does this mean? I understand I have a 'lead' pipe under the bathtub that may be the problem. Is this all related? No-one is giving me any information, and the plumbers are not being very co-operative in treating this as an emergency even though he has seen the water coming down and my bulging kitchen ceiling (still waiting for action since SATURDAY and insurers don't allow my own plumbers to do work)! What does 'digging out' involve? Will I be left with structural damage? Please help, you are my last hope to learn what I am up against!

Many thanks.
A Walker:confused:

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"Digging out" could mean opening up the ceiling to locate the source of the leak but some tests should be done before you open up the ceiling. Let's start with the drain. Before you go to bed remove the strainer and put some wet rags in a baggie and stuff them down the drain to seal it off. Now run about a inch or so of water in the shower floor and let it set over night. Make a pencil mark at the water level. Next morning check the mark and your ceiling. Water level down? Ceiling wet? No? Then let the water out and check the ceiling again. Still no wet on the ceiling? If the ceiling stays the same then it's a pretty safe bet the shower drain,trap and drain line's OK and the ceiling won't have to be opened up.
This places the leak in the tile grout. Tile grout shrinks over time and allows water to enter above and outside the shower pan where it will run past the pan and leak out onto the floor. To fix this note where the stream hits the tile when you're taking a shower and regrout the tiles in the area. Good luck Tom

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Originally Posted by speedball1

"Digging out" could mean opening up the ceiling to locate the source of the leak but some tests should be done before you open up the ceiling. Let's start with the drain. Before you go to bed remove the strainer and put some wet rags in a baggie and stuff them down the drain to seal it off. Now run about a inch or so of water in the shower floor and let it set over night. Make a pencil mark at the water level. Next morning check the mark and your ceiling. Water level down? Ceiling wet? No? Then let the water out and check the ceiling again. Still no wet on the ceiling? If the ceiling stays the same then it's a pretty safe bet the shower drain,trap and drain line's OK and the ceiling won't have to be opened up.
This places the leak in the tile grout. Tile grout shrinks over time and allows water to enter above and outside the shower pan where it will run past the pan and leak out onto the floor. To fix this note where the stream hits the tile when you're taking a shower and regrout the tiles in the area. Good luck Tom

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Many, many thanks, Tom! Very helpful. After a lot of shouting and yelling, I hope to get my 'dig 2 man team' out today, so at least I know what is happening. Maybe you can help with one more question that is worrying me - the outside wall where the leak is running down (the kitchen ceiling/wall with water running down in question has outside wall) is visibly wet and different colour. Is this serious water damage? It has been raining non-stop so the walls are wet anyway, but this part of the wall is very distinctly a different colour, looking very wet! Thanks again. Anjali