Water damage is one of the worst feelings you can experience. The following steps will help you fix water-stained, peeling, or leakage ceilings.

Stabilize the Situation

Stabilizing the area around a leak is the first step. If water has accumulated behind the ceiling, remove any valuables from the area and then break out a bucket and tarp to catch and contain it. You may have drywall covering your ceiling, which will absorb and disperse water. It would be better if you controlled where water entered the house. Use an awl, screwdriver, or similar object to create a small hole at the center of the leak, so that the water will pass through that controlled opening and into your bucket.

Track Down and Repair

Now it’s time to find the source of the problem and fix it. Leaks from roofs, in particular, can travel a long distance from their source. When a bathroom is directly above a stain, for example, there are still a number of potential sources for the water. There could be a leaky drain, a loose supply line, or missing caulk.

You may need to cut a hole in the ceiling in order to see where the water is coming from, and if you’re having trouble re-creating the leak, you might try the old trick of laying sheets and toilet paper along pipes and ceiling joists. You can narrow the scope of your search by observing how the toilet paper reacts to moisture.

Dry the Damage

Allow any materials that were affected by the leak to dry completely after repairing the leak source. In the ceiling cavity, moisture trapped behind drywall may lead to mold growth. A minor leak may dry up on its own, but for larger leaks, it’s often best to open up a section of the ceiling and let the air out.

Repair the Ceiling

It may be necessary to simply touch up the area with spackle and paint or to replace and repaint the entire ceiling, depending on the leak. You may find it easier to remove damaged drywall and replace it with dry material. Exposed joists are easier to patch up if damaged drywall is removed. For painting, it is often easier to paint a larger area or even the whole ceiling if there is a large leak.