Water-Damaged Ceiling and Drywall Repair

Fix the leak first

A brown ring on the ceiling is a symptom, not the problem. The usual sources are an upstairs toilet, tub or shower, a roof or flashing leak, an HVAC condensate line or, in condos and apartments, the unit above. Until a plumber, roofer or HVAC tech has fixed the source, any ceiling repair is temporary; the stain will be back. If a ceiling is bulging and heavy with water, keep people and belongings out from under it and shut off the water to the area.

Wait until it's dry, and measure

Drywall can feel dry on the surface and still be wet inside, and the insulation above it can hold water for a long time. We check the area with a moisture meter and compare it with dry ceiling nearby before we close anything up. Fans and dehumidifiers speed drying; painting over damp board traps moisture and invites mold.

When ceiling drywall has to be cut out

Board that is firm, flat and dry with only a stain can usually stay. We cut out and replace drywall that is:

• soft or crumbling when pressed
• sagging between the joists, or with fasteners pulling through
• blistered, with the face paper peeling away
• showing mold growth, or smelling musty

Opening the ceiling also lets us see whether the insulation and framing above have dried. New board is screwed to the joists, taped and finished in thin coats, which can mean a second short visit for the final coat, primer and paint.

Seal the stain before you paint

Water stains carry minerals and tannins that bleed through ordinary latex paint, sometimes within hours. After repairs, we seal stains with a stain-blocking primer, then repaint. Ceilings rarely touch up invisibly, so we normally paint the whole ceiling plane, or at least to a natural break, so you don't see a brighter rectangle. Our patch and paint visit covers the repair and the painting together.

Matching ceiling texture

Smooth ceilings are finished smooth. Orange peel and knockdown textures are matched with spray texture so the repair disappears once painted. Popcorn, or acoustic, ceilings in older homes may contain asbestos, so have them tested before anyone scrapes or cuts them. In older Bethesda, Chevy Chase and DC homes the ceiling may be plaster rather than drywall; see plaster ceiling repair for how we handle a leak there.

Condo leaks from the unit above

Leaks from a neighbor's bathroom or kitchen are common in high-rise and garden condos in downtown Bethesda, Silver Spring and DC. Who repairs what is set by your building's governing documents, so talk to management first. Once the source is repaired and the work is approved, we schedule around the building's rules for elevators, work hours and protection of common areas.

Photos for your records

If you plan to file an insurance claim, take your own photos of the stain, the source and any damaged belongings before anything is removed, and ask your insurer what documentation they need before repairs begin. It's also worth keeping dated photos of the ceiling as it dries.

If you see mold

Small amounts of mold on drywall that has been wet are common after a leak. Affected board is cut out and replaced, not painted over. For larger areas or anything you aren't sure about, see our mold remediation page and our guide to mold behind drywall.

Where we repair ceilings

We repair leak-damaged ceilings and walls across our area. See local pages for Bethesda, Silver Spring, Washington, DC and drywall repair across Montgomery County, or our main drywall repair page for holes, cracks and nail pops.