Water leak through ceiling light fixture

9 years ago

we had a accidental water leak at the master bath at second floor and it started dripping down to the living room in the first floor through the ceiling light fixture. We immediately stopped the leak and dried the master bath. The leak through the ceiling light fixture stopped shortly after that. I called up my insurance company and informed about the leak too. The contractor may arrive within a day or two. Meanwhile, I'm wondering what precautionary steps that needs to be taken. I don't have much experience as a homeowner and thus little worried about the damage. The leak stopped completely but I do see some water patch around the lights and in some other spots on the ceiling. I'm little worried that water may have clogged in the ceiling and may lead to mold formation and could possibly weaken the ceiling. How are these conditions repaired in general? How much it usually costs to fix? Appreciate your valuable inputs.

Featured Answer

klem1

9 years ago

There's no sense in worrying about it.Let the contractor handle it and insurance pay. Mold doesn't normally start when something only get's wet once or twice,it require's constant moisture over a period to establish and grow. Just be sure the light is dry before turning it on or better still don't use it until contractor has looked at it.

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Comments (6)

kudzu9
9 years ago
I agree with klem. If this was not going on for a long period of time, you don't need to worry about mold. I just helped my neighbor with a similar problem: he had a slow, intermittent leak going on probably for months before it manifested itself. I did need to cut out and repair some mushy sheetrock, but there was no evidence of mold. You should be glad that the water came through the light fixture hole as this allowed you to discover it quickly before real damage was done. I think the only issue for you will be whether any of the sheetrock has been damaged enough to need repair; that is a very simple fix if is even necessary, and should not cost much.
rookieho thanked kudzu9
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geoffrey_b
9 years ago
Damage looks minimal - may not exceed your deductible.
rookieho
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you very much for your inputs... I haven't turned on the ceiling lights yet. waiting for the contractor to take a look and assess the damage in the ceiling.
Vith
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Agree with all, probably wont exceed the deductible. Also probably not worth cutting out. Let it dry, scrape and mud/retexture if necessary, and paint.
kudzu9
9 years ago
rookie-

I should have also mentioned that I had a similar experience when a guest failed to use a shower curtain properly in our upstairs bath, and pooling water on the bathroom floor migrated and came pouring out of the light fixture hole below. There was no damage to the light or the sheetrock.