Advice needed - Flooded bathroom caused collapsed ceiling

[SillyMilly]

A few weeks ago I accidentally flooded the bathroom whilst in the shower.
Last night a approx 1m diameter sized area of plaster immediately under the shower collapsed.

I can see battens in the ceiling and it looks like it might be damp although the plaster that fell did not seem damp or dry-as-a-bone.

There might have been continuous slight dampness in the area for a while as the ceiling has been stained for a while.

I managed to have a shower this morning without falling through into the living room. I have not tried switching the light on in the living room, just in case. I am of quite a nervous disposition.

What do I do now? I have buildings insurance. Would I be covered?

Is there anyone who could examine the damage to see if it is safe, perhaps from the council or something?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There might have been continuous slight dampness in the area for a while as the ceiling has been stained for a while.

You need to find where it was leaking from. Do you know how your major flood was caused? (e.g. door not closed) Could the same cause, albeit less severe have been present for a while (e.g. door never closes properly).

Do any of the tiles on the wall seem hollow if you knock on them with your knuckles?

Does the shower tray flex and move when you stand in it?

Now that you can see the waste, are there any signs of long-term leakage from any pipe joints?

I managed to have a shower this morning without falling through into the living room. I have not tried switching the light on in the living room, just in case. I am of quite a nervous disposition.

Lift boards or pull down a bit more ceiling to see if the light is wet. If the lights are on an RCD then the biggest risk is probably only the bulb exploding.

What do I do now? I have buildings insurance. Would I be covered?

Probably - read the policy.

Is there anyone who could examine the damage to see if it is safe, perhaps from the council or something?

Not the council - you'd need to get a surveyor/structural engineer. See how long it takes for the timbers to dry out - that'll give you a clue as to whether they were seriously waterlogged. Poke at them with a bradawl or thin screwdriver - see if they look or feel rotten.

How long have you lived there? How long has the ceiling been stained? It's unlikely that a leaking shower, being intermittent, would have caused structural damage. You do need to get it checked out though, but I think you have good grounds for being optimistic that all you need to do is find and fix the leak, let the joists dry out, and repair/replace the ceiling.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

If it was an accident your insurance company should pay out for repairs. Check your policy though.

The floor structure itself will be fine (unless the timbers are completely rotten) there's no danger of falling through the ceiling as long as you haven't lifted the floorboards in the bathroom.

There is a risk that more plaster might be loose, although unless it gets flooded again, anything that was going to fall has probably already done so.

You need to get an electrician to check that it's safe to use your lights, and also get a plumber to check the pipework under the shower. Staining on the ceiling sounds like you may have had a small leak for a while.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

She might want an electrician for peace of mind, but really all the lights need are a DIY common sense check.

And now that the ceiling is down she might be able to find the leak herself - set the shower running, go downstairs and look up...

 

[SillyMilly]

I am at work at the moment and have not checked the waste pipe.

I have lived in the house approx 5 years and I noticed the staining not long after moving in. There was a leak in the sealant around the bath (shower is over the bath ) on the wall in the room underneath. I replaced the sealant, but as it is a shower over a bath setup there could be slight leakage.

The staining on the ceiling hadn't gone away and I tried to replace the artex in the stained area. That too became stained.

When i take a shower I put an old towel to try and catch any stray water coming from over the side of the bath - there is a shower curtain but it is only a polyester cloth one.

A few weeks ago, I noticed quite a lot of drops of water dripping into the living room, a few days after I had washed and replacec the shower curtain. The towel by the side of the bath was soaked.

The ceiling had started to look swollen and last night I noticed that it was cracked.

In the middle of the night there was a crack and when i went to look there was plaster over the living room floor.

I also suspect that my house has subsidence or is just generally structurally unsound.

For the sake of my sanity, I need to know that my house is safe.
I have no idea what awaits me when I get home tonight.

I can try the suggestions, but am so wound up that I am not sure that I could make a sensible decision.

The house is approx 120 yrs old.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It could be number of things, I assume the damp patches occur when you are showering, does this happen when you bath?
The seals around the bath could be failing if it happens when you shower only, but could also be the waste.
If it happens when you bath as well, it could be the waste trap/pipe that the connection was come loose or the rubber washers need replacing.
Both need looking at.

For next time, which I hope there is not. When water marks stain the ceiling, you can not just paint over them as the stain will bleed into the new paint, the surface should be prepped with a stain sealer/block. Then it can be painted once that has dried.

The electrics should dry out, that's if they were ever effected, worth calling an elecrtician, now the joist are exposed, see if they are soft or crumble in your hand, they should not be, hopefully it's just damp from the water leak and not a structural concern.

 

[ajrobb]

I hope your joists are still sound but long term leaks can cause problems.

Untitled

• ajrobb
• 15 Apr 2010
• 2

Untitled

• ajrobb
• 24 Apr 2010
• 5

That is what was left of joists under my bathroom leak. These were paired joists in a 30 year old house, so water got between the joists and didn't dry out. My point is that they had been that bad for over 10 years and nobody fell through the ceiling. The good news for you is that Victorian timber was usually properly seasoned and tough as old boots.

The people here are very helpful. They like pictures, so lots of pics of any problems you think your house has.