Help, my ceiling is falling in!

frannyann · 6 January 2010 at 8:10AM

I have just been woken by my daughter first to the fact with have 2 foot of snow and secondly the bathrom ceiling is falling in! And yes there is the drip drip of water coming through. I have knocked on the upstairs flat to ask that they check, and she has just looked in her bathroom and said 'nope' no me!!! What can I do???

diable · 6 January 2010 at 8:46AM

Turn the water off at the mains as the water could be leaking from a pipe under her floorboards and explain this to your neigbour. Check your insurance policy as well.

frannyann · 6 January 2010 at 10:24AM

Thanks, but she is saying no leak in her house (but it has to be hers) so do I have to pay for the plumber to prove it? As we have masses of snow not sure I will get anyone out now. Next door neighbour is helping now, made a hole in the ceiling to let the rest of the water out.

Edinburghlass_2 · 6 January 2010 at 11:38AM

I'd pay now if you can get a plumber out and check your insurance docs.

Could be that the pipes have frozen and now burst.

booty40uk · 6 January 2010 at 11:44AM

Hi
Assuming your upstairs neighbours bathroom is over yours, i would be 99.9% sure that the leak has come from there.

Is it still leaking through? If it doesnt stop coming through then it is on her hot or cold pipework. If it eases, then it is probably on her waste side...............maybe her bath or sink overflowed??

A lot of ifs and maybes but it will be difficult to tell without further investigation, but i know where i would start. If you make a larger hole in your ceiling you may be able to see her pipework and narrow down where its coming from . Insurance should cover repair costs.

Hth

Andy

frannyann · 6 January 2010 at 12:03PM

Thanks all, can't get hold of insurance company, they are based in Hampshire! No plumbers around, need to try and get the girl upstairs to let me take a look. There is a hole and next door neighbour thinks it could be one of her heating pipes.

diable · 6 January 2010 at 7:12PM

Check your insurance and if you are covered then call someone out, also if it is your neighbours pipes ask them for their insurance details as you will have to submit a claim.

Its either their CH (ask them to check if they have lost pressure to their system) or hot or cold water pipes leaking.

Let us know how you are getting on.

frannyann · 6 January 2010 at 7:20PM

diable wrote: »

Check your insurance and if you are covered then call someone out, also if it is your neighbours pipes ask them for their insurance details as you will have to submit a claim.

Its either their CH (ask them to check if they have lost pressure to their system) or hot or cold water pipes leaking.

Let us know how you are getting on.

Its a bit difficult as I don't actually have a 'policy' here, its with the housing association I part own with! I have spoken to them and they have given me the policy number but claims office is shut, can't even leave a message. Upstairs neighbour rents it off her dad, who is a builder, and trying to get him to call in a favour to get someone out. Thanks for all the help.

ETA, as its a slow constant 'drip, drip' and doesn't smell soapy or anything, so we concluded it must be a water pipe.

frannyann · 7 January 2010 at 5:17PM

Thanks to all for trying to help. After I posted last night, I went back up to find out if upstairs had spoken to her dad, the door was opened by her flatmate and I discovered she had done exactly ZERO to solve the leak (her FM reported she had said before I had knocked, that 'its nothing to do with me') Long story short, FM went nuts at her and he rapidly sorted it out, turned off water and arranged plumber. All dripping stopped but minus half a ceiling!