What do I do about the water leaking through my ceiling?

Question

Hi!

We are experiencing some heavy rain down here in Arizona. I can't even go into the backyard because the water is almost as high as the bottom of the door. But that's not the point.

Because of this severe thunderstorm our kitchen ceiling is starting to leak and we don't know what else we can do to prevent it from spreading and causing our entire ceiling to cave in.

So my question to you what should I do about this water leak?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm here too threes nothing you can other than get  up on the roof and seal the holes right now. but that's not really feasible right now. right now you should catch all the water you can inside, then tomorrow call a roofer and get the holes sealed off.  it will dry up in our hot weather. so for tonight just enjoy it and have fun with it it's not the end of the world. its just a rain storm we've been waiting for . so buckets and towels for tonight. but get it taken care of soon. isn't this rain great, sorry but i love it when this happens. mesa AZ...

Answer 2

It might not be the ceiling. It could be coming from the side wall and running down the beam in the attic. Those monsoon winds will do that. You need to look in the attic and see if you can see signs of wet wood along the beams. If so then, trace it to where it begins. It could be coming in from the vent panels on the side of your house. If it only happens in severe rainstorms than that is probably what it is.

Answer 3

Basically you want to buy a really big tarp and drape it over the ridge of the roof-this will insure fewer likelihoods of a leak. Batten it down with some cheap 1 by 4 lumber-s***w or nail it to the shingles/roofing beyond the overhang,eaves,until a roofer shows up. Relax-sheet rock is a mineral substance and can recover from wetness. Much more damage to houses occurs over a long term, many years of seepage, that leads to dry rot and structural failure. One good thing about getting drenched is that you can safely assume that it is a temporary phenomenon and that beyond the obvious damage it can all be cleaned up with a little elbow grease and running of multiple fans to dry it out. P.S. you would do well to drill a few holes if the ceiling is deforming and place something beneath that- to resist the added weight of the water accumulating and pulling nails,screws,etc-worst case scenario. I have remodeled houses that were left left open to the elements for months at a time- they survived beautifully once they dried out. It all depends on how you handle it-with patience.

Answer 4

If you have attic access above the kitchen, you need to access the space during the rain.   Most homes that have an attic will allow you to access this space.   I would use a light to locate the area where the water is penetrating the wall or roof structure.   At that time, I would mark the area with something waterproof (i.e. a piece of ribbon on a thumb tack).  I would then locate the area where the water is penetrating the ceiling area so you may map the path of the water flow.   Once you have the areas marked, you may have a qualified roofing specialist (if the roof is the source of the leak and not an exterior wall) for an examination of the area.  The main problem with roof repair is locating the area of leakage.  So the better you pinpoint the area, the more thorough the repair will be.  In the meantime, I would place a scrap piece of 2X6 lumber (or plywood-mdf) on the joists to allow you to set a bucket under the area of the leak (this is a temporary fix until you can get a contractor to your home---be sure to check the bucket during and after heavy rains).   I hope this helps you and good luck with your repair!

Answer 5

I lived in Phoenix for 15 years-- for a temporary fix put  a large plastic tarp on the area until a roofer can repair it