How to Repair a Water Stained Ceiling

Simple instructions for Repairing a Water Stained Ceiling

By Mark J. Donovan

If you have a brownish, yellowish stain on your ceiling due to a roof leak or a plumbing leak you can usually repair the water stained ceiling with just a little effort.

Fix the Source of the Water Stain

First of all make sure you have resolved the source of the water stain before repairing the water stained ceiling. If it is a roof leak, check in the attic and on the roof to see where the source of the water is coming from.

Typically it is associated with a missing or cracked roof shingle or a loose ridge vent. If it is a plumbing leak, see if you can fix the problem from the upper level. If you cannot fix the problem from the upper level, you may have no choice but to literally remove a section of the ceiling to get to the source of the plumbing problem. If this is the case, you will have a larger drywall repair / ceiling job to do. See my “How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook”, if you need to make this type of repair.

Assuming you have resolved the source of the leak, you can then begin the task of repairing the water stained ceiling.

Repairing Water Stained Ceiling

If the ceiling is not textured, or if the texture has not become water logged and loosened from the ceiling, apply a stain sealer to the stained ceiling area. Then simply paint over it with a paint color that matches the rest of the ceiling. This may be easier said than done. Sometimes it is advisable to paint the entire sealing with a paint roller.

If the ceiling is textured and the affected textured ceiling area is literally falling away from the ceiling then remove this section with a 3-6” wide drywall knife or equivalent.

Next role, or dab onto the affected area with a brush new textured ceiling material. You can fine textured ceiling material at most home improvement stores.

Once the textured ceiling material has dried, you can then paint over it.

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How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook - If you have a large hole in your drywall and need to repair it, you can either call in a drywall contractor and pay an arm and a leg, or you can fix it yourself. The "How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole Ebook" will show you how to repair your damaged wall so that it looks as good as new.

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- How to Repair a Water Stained Ceiling -

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