Brown water stains suddenly appearing

Gazelle1985

Today I just noticed brown water stains on the ceiling below our shower. They've appeared very suddenly and the area is completely dry. We can't find any cause for leakage in the shower, but we've only lived in the house for 2.5 years so could they be old stains? What would cause them to suddenly appear? It's also worth mentioning that previously the ceiling was covered in textured ceiling paper - one of the first things we did when we moved in was to remove this and get the ceiling replastered and painted. Is there any chance that the leak is current if the ceiling is completely dry?

Thank you

grumbler

Certainly, there is a chance. It can get wet, they dry pretty fast, leaving a stain.

Grenage

Previous water stains that have been painted over can show back through after the slightest moisture; so I would certainly be checking the sealant and the pipework.

Gazelle1985

Thanks so much for the replies - was hoping it would just be an old stain!! Doesn't seem to be wet under the bath, but I'm wondering whether there's some problem with the pipework which is encased behind tiling! 

Grenage

Seals, waste, or overflow are much more likely than pipework.  If you have the side off then get someone to spray the shower over everything to see if it drips.  Pour some water through the bath's overflow, and finally check the bath waste for cracks or a bad seal.

I once had a leak that only showed up when the bath was full of water, the weight had it seeping past the waste.

ic

Once you've found and resolved the leak, then use stain blocker paint to cover the stain, before recovering with paint to match the room.  You'll need two or three coats of stain blocker at least to stop the stain reappearing.