Perth-wide ceiling repair

Water-Damaged Ceiling Repair in Perth

Water finds plaster quickly. A winter storm lifting a tile, a blocked valley gutter, a cracked aircon condensate tray or a slow leak from an upstairs bathroom will leave a brown ring on the ceiling, and often a soft, sagging patch behind it. Once the leak is fixed, we assess what can be saved, replace what cannot, and bring the ceiling back to paint-ready.

Call 0485 084 943 Get a Quote
Large brown water stain on a white ceiling near the cornice, with the plaster starting to break away at the centre
When to call

What you will usually notice first

A brown or yellow ring

The tide-mark stain is dried mineral residue. One ring means one wetting; concentric rings mean it has happened more than once and the leak is still live.

A bulge or sag below the stain

Plaster that has been soaked loses strength and starts to hang under its own weight. A bulge that moves or feels soft when gently pressed with a broom handle is close to coming down.

Peeling paint or blistering

Moisture pushing through from behind lifts the paint film. If it keeps blistering after being repainted, the plaster behind it is still holding water.

Black speckling or a musty smell

Mould on the ceiling surface means the plaster has stayed damp long enough to grow it. Surface mould on sound plaster can be treated; mould through the board usually means replacement.

Dripping from a light fitting

Water pooling on top of the ceiling often finds its way out at the lowest penetration, which is the light. Switch the circuit off at the board and keep clear until it has been looked at.

Cornice staining or separating

Water running down the inside of an external wall wets the cornice first. Stains that start at the cornice and track inward usually point to a roof or flashing problem above that wall.

How we fix it

The way the job actually gets done

Stop the water first

We are ceiling fixers, not roofers or plumbers. If the leak has not been found and fixed, repairing the ceiling just resets the clock. We will tell you honestly what we think is leaking from what we see in the roof space so you can get the right trade onto it, and we repair once it is dry.

Assess what is actually ruined

A stain on a dry, firm, flat ceiling is a cosmetic job. A stain on soft plaster, a sagging patch, or board that has delaminated needs cutting out. We check with a moisture meter from above and below and mark out the section that has to go.

Cut out and patch, or replace the sheet

Small areas are cut back to sound plaster and patched with new board tied into the joists, joins taped and set to blend. Where more than a patch is gone, the full sheet or the whole ceiling comes down and goes back as new plasterboard.

Seal the stain so it never bleeds through

Water stains will walk straight through ordinary paint. Where a stained but sound ceiling is being kept, the stain is sealed with a stain-blocking primer before setting, so your painter is not chasing it back through three coats.

On the job

What the work looks like

  • Brown water stain on a white ceiling with a visible bulge forming beneath it
    Stain with a bulge beneath it: the sheet has taken water and lost its strength
  • Ceiling with widespread brown staining and plaster flaking away in sheets near the cornice
    Long-running leak with flaking plaster across the whole sheet, a replacement rather than a patch
  • Severely water-damaged ceiling with staining spread across it and plaster breaking through in the middle
    Plaster breaking through below a leak that was left too long
  • Older sheet ceiling with timber cover strips over the joins and brown water staining across several panels
    Stained sheet ceiling with cover strips in an older home; the sheet material is identified before anything is cut
  • Ceiling fixer lifting a new piece of plasterboard into a rectangular opening cut back to the joists
    Damaged section cut out to the joists and a new piece of plasterboard being fitted
  • Finished white ceiling with downlights over an open-plan living and dining room
    What a repaired ceiling looks like once the painter has been through: no sign of the patch
Process

From first call to paint-ready

  1. Call us, and get the leak sorted

    If water is still coming in, your roofer or plumber comes first. We can usually tell you what to look for from the stain pattern alone.

  2. Inspect from above and below

    Moisture readings, a look at the top of the ceiling in the roof space, and a check for mould or softened board.

  3. Written quote with options

    Patch versus sheet replacement versus whole-ceiling replacement, so you and your insurer, if one is involved, can see the difference.

  4. Repair

    Damaged plaster removed, new board fitted, joins taped and set, stains sealed, cornice repaired or replaced where water has got into it.

  5. Paint-ready finish

    Sanded flat and left ready for your painter. We can recommend painters we work with if you do not have one.

What it costs depends on

What moves the price, and why some jobs need a look first

Many jobs can be quoted from your photos and a description. Others are a different job once someone is in the roof space, which is when we come and look first. These are the things that move the price for water damage.

Call 0485 084 943
  • Whether the plaster is just stained or has gone soft and needs cutting out
  • Size of the affected area and whether a full sheet replacement is cleaner than a patch
  • Mould present and how far it has spread into the board or insulation
  • Wet insulation that needs removing from the roof space
  • Cornice damage along the same wall
  • Whether the ceiling is plasterglass, plasterboard or an older lath-and-plaster ceiling
  • Access, ceiling height and whether light fittings have to be removed by an electrician
  • Drying time required before the repair can start
FAQ

Water Damage: your questions

Can I just paint over a water stain?
Only if the leak is fixed and the plaster is dry, firm and flat, and then only after a stain-blocking sealer. Painting over a stain with ordinary ceiling paint lets it bleed through within weeks, and painting over soft plaster hides a problem that is still getting worse.
Do you fix the leak as well?
No. Roof, gutter and plumbing repairs are separate trades and we stay in our lane. What we will do is tell you what the stain pattern and the roof space suggest is leaking, so you call the right person and are not paying for guesswork.
How do you know if the ceiling needs replacing rather than patching?
We take moisture readings and check the board from above. If it is dry, holding its shape and not delaminating, it can be kept. If it is soft, sagging, mouldy through its thickness or has been wet more than once, cutting it out is the only repair that lasts.
Will my insurance cover a water-damaged ceiling?
That depends on your policy and on what caused it. Sudden events like storm damage or a burst pipe are commonly treated differently from gradual leaks or wear. We provide a clear written report and quote that you can give to your insurer, but we do not advise on policies.
How long does the ceiling need to dry before you repair it?
Plaster that has been wetted once can dry in a few days in summer and considerably longer in a Perth winter. We take readings rather than guessing, because sealing in moisture leads to mould and a repeat repair.
Quote request

Get a Quote

Tell us what the ceiling is doing and where you are. We will call you back to talk it through and arrange a time to look at it.

Prefer to talk? Call 0485 084 943

Related services

Read before you call

Water Damage near you

All Perth areas →

Not sure what the ceiling is doing?

Describe it over the phone and we will tell you whether it needs looking at this week or can wait. Perth-wide, Monday to Friday.

Call 0485 084 943 Get a Quote
Call 0485 084 943 Get a Quote