Water coming through a ceiling is genuinely urgent, both for the structural damage and because of what happens when water meets electrics. Work through these four steps in order.
Step 1: Turn the water off
Cut the source first. Everything else is secondary.
- Find your internal stopcock. Usually under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard, or where the water main enters the house.
- Turn it clockwise until it stops.
- Open the cold taps at the lowest point in the house to drain the remaining water out of the pipework quickly.
Step 2: Turn the electricity off
Water and electricity together are the part of this that actually hurts people.
Do not touch the light switch in the affected room. Go to your consumer unit and switch off the lighting circuit. If you are not sure which one that is, switch off the main switch and cut power to the whole house.
This matters most where there are recessed spotlights, because water travels straight into the fitting and along the wiring.
Step 3: Contain it and protect what you can
- Buckets, bowls or pans under the active drips
- Towels around them to catch splashes
- Move electronics, furniture and rugs clear of the area
Step 4: Pierce a bulging ceiling
This sounds wrong, and it is the step that saves people thousands.
If a bulge is forming in the plasterboard, water is pooling above it. Left alone, the weight eventually brings the entire ceiling down in one go, along with the plaster, the insulation and all the water at once.
- Put a large bucket directly underneath
- Take a screwdriver or the end of a broom handle
- Carefully make a small hole in the centre of the bulge so the water drains out steadily
A small hole you can patch is far better than a ceiling you have to replace.
Then get the actual leak found
Once the immediate danger is dealt with, the leak still needs locating and fixing. That means tracing where the water is genuinely coming from, which is often not directly above where it appears, because water runs along joists before it finds a way down.
Frequently asked
Should I really make a hole in my own ceiling?
If there is a visible bulge holding water, yes. A bulge means water is pooling above the plasterboard. Left alone the weight brings the whole ceiling down at once, along with the insulation and all the water. A small controlled hole over a bucket is far less damage.
Do I need to turn the electricity off?
If water is anywhere near light fittings, recessed spotlights or wiring, yes. Do not touch the light switch in the affected room. Go to the consumer unit and switch off the lighting circuit, or the main switch if you are unsure which.
Will my insurance cover this?
Most buildings policies cover escape of water damage, and many include trace and access cover for locating the leak. Photograph everything before you clear up and keep all receipts.