Water damage is ugly, damaging, costly, and even unhealthy--however, it can seem difficult to fix. After all, you will likely think that the damage above the water stain might be far more extensive than you know. You assume you may have to pay an arm and a leg for repairs. Fortunately, if you can determine the cause of water damage and isolate it, you can often repair your water damaged ceiling by yourself.

Assess The Damage

Before you can begin to think about physical repairs, assess the damage to your ceiling. A leaky pipe or a bad seal on a toilet or bathtub will often cause water damage to a ceiling. Try caulking around your bathtub or sink if the water damage occurs underneath your bathroom. If you notice after a day or so that the water damaged spot on your ceiling has become larger or that it is still damp, you may need to tear up floorboards or linoleum to determine what the problem is. If you need a professional opinion, get one, but don't wait: mold can begin to form after just a couple of days, which will be even more costly.

Starting Repairs

Repair any leaking area before you move onto the ceiling itself. Wait until the spot is completely dry before moving on to any further repairs. Next, remove any clumping or flaking drywall material using a paint scraper or a putty knife. If the area is still rough or lumpy, go over it with coarse-grain sandpaper to smooth it out. Generally, these steps will result in a neater-looking ceiling, although you might still notice that the area looks different from the area around it. At this point in the repair little can be done; but don't worry, a bit of drywall compound can be used to fix the appearance just before painting.

Finishing the Job

Your drywall will likely sag due to the fact that it was filled with water a short time ago. You can reattach it to the ceiling joists with nails right along the seam. Small holes can be filled in with spackling compound. Prime the area to prevent stains from bleeding through your repair. Apply drywall compound with a roller to smooth out any final bumps. You can even add texture with a brush so that it matches the surrounding area exactly. Finally, begin painting the ceiling after the compound dries. Your drywall issue may be a blessing in disguise--maybe it is time for a new paint color?

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