Have you ever looked up at your ceiling only to discover an unsightly stain? Water stains on ceilings are displeasing and take away from the beauty of a home’s interior. Along with being unsightly, water stains on ceilings can indicate serious issues that can lead to costly damage.
Continue reading as we discuss water stains on ceilings and what it truly means as well as some solutions.
What are Water Stains on Ceilings?
Odds are you’ve spotted a water stain on a ceiling whether in your home or a commercial building. They’re usually a dark brown color that can be accompanied by sagging or leaking. Most homeowners and businesses will place a bucket or garbage can underneath a leaking ceiling stain until it is repaired.
What Causes Water Stains on Ceilings?
Water stains on ceilings can indicate an issue with plumbing, the HVAC system, clogged gutters, or even roof damage. While it will take the expertise of a professional to assess the damage, you may be able to identify the source of the issue by learning about a few common causes of water stains on ceilings.
Plumbing Leaks
Plumbing leaks can be a nightmare for homeowners. If you’ve ever had a toilet or a sink faucet leak or constantly run, you understand the mess they can cause. If you notice a brown stain on the ceiling directly below a bathroom, odds are it’s a plumbing leak.
Plumbing leaks in a bathroom could be the result of a faulty toilet that needs recaulking or replacing. It could also mean that your sink faucets or bathtub are leaking or not effectively draining water. If you notice water collecting around a toilet, bathtub, shower, or sink and a ceiling stain is directly under the bathroom, it’s time to contact a plumber for repairs. Take care of plumbing leaks the second you notice them and avoid further costly damage.
HVAC Leaks
Every homeowner in Kansas City, Overland Park, Shawnee, and surrounding cities understands that summertime means the HVAC system runs in overdrive, working hard to cool down our homes. Our summers are H-O-T and humid, so the air conditioning runs nearly all hours in the summer months. Likewise, our HVAC systems work hard in the winter to keep our homes warm. Excessive running of an HVAC system that isn’t functioning properly could leak, causing stains on the ceiling.
Condensation from the HVAC system could be forming around the air ducts. If you notice water stains only on your ceiling but haven’t found an issue with your plumbing, you’ll want to contact an HVAC company to look at your system.
Roofing Issues
Our roofs protect us from the elements, keeping our homes dry, and warmer or cooler depending on the season. While roofs last, on average, around 15 years depending on the type of roof and materials that were installed, there can be instances where they’ll show signs of wear and tear a lot sooner. Common roof problems will result in leaks along with other issues like missing shingles and storm damage.
Roofs are directly exposed to the elements, and living in the Kansas City area means we experience all seasons, bringing torrential downpours, snow, ice, and high wind speeds. These extreme weather conditions can rip singles off a roof or can cause damage that results in leaks. If you notice leaks in the uppermost rooms of your home that sit directly below the roof, you’ll want to contact a roofing company to assess the damage.
Clogged or Damaged Gutters
Your roof and gutter system are neighbors that work together to keep the interior of your home dry. A roof’s job is to drain water directly into a gutter system, while the gutter system’s job is to collect the water and drain it away from the home. Clogged gutters could throw off this dynamic, resulting in leaks and water stains on ceilings.
If you have a half-round gutter system or gutter screens or filters installed, you’ll need to clean them often to avoid clogs. A half-round gutter is completely exposed, allowing debris to collect inside of the gutter, forming clogs rather quickly, especially if the home is surrounded by trees. A gutter system with a filter/screen can also collect debris like pine needles and act as a “shelf” for debris like leaves and twigs. All these things will create clogs, impeding water flow and forcing water to sit inside the gutter and spill down the side of the home. This water can seep into the home’s interior, resulting in leaks and stains on the ceiling.
You can avoid clogged gutters by installing the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System. K-Guard keeps all debris out, so clogs can never form. For as long as you own the home you’ll never need to clean your gutters again and can avoid the nightmare of water stains on the ceiling as a direct result of clogs.
Contact our team today or call (913) 380-1616 to schedule your free estimate for installing the K-Guard System. We’ll examine your current gutter system and will offer an assessment as well as our recommendations for installing the K-Guard System in your home. We offer our gutter installation service to homeowners across both Missouri and Kansas including, but not limited to, the following locations:
