What kind of roof do you have? Flat or sloped? Shingles or ?

What kind of attic? Tall enough to get up there or just a narrow space?

Insulation under the roof or on top of the ceiling?

I'd pull down the bathroom ceiling, at least a good sized portion where it's leaking through, and remove the wet insulation above it. Then investigate for more water soaked areas and see if I can see where the roof leaks next time it rains.

Thanks for your questions. The attic is very narrow. I’ll check on the insulation. I can peek into it from a stepladder but not walk around up there. The house is a post war, one story ranch with a partly shingle, partly flat roof. I just bought a borescope on amazon so when it arrives tomorrow I hope to get a closer look at the leaking area and find the source of the leak, which might be higher up.

HU, thanks for your suggestions. I’m wondering if I should call the contractor who will be doing the remodel and ask if he wants to open the ceiling.. I’m a little nervous about doing it as there is a shower fan near the leak and I don’t know if there are wires there (Or would there even be wires above the ceiling? They must be somewhere!)

Tarp the whole house and tear out at least 50% of the drywall now. See how wet the insulation is and you may want to or need to run a few fans asap before the mold gets a chance to take hold.

@ millworkman, Thank you for your advice. I think the ceiling might be plaster. Just saw out a portion of the ceiling or call in a pro...IF I can get one fast enough, that is the problem I’m facing. I’d rather spend the $ now to mitigate than have a bigger problem later. Appreciate your advice very much.

I think that sounds like a plan.

There will be wires up there, coming out of the fan and going toward a wall to drop down, most likely. You might be able to see them with your scope.

I had a very small leak once, from a plastic roof ridge vent with a cracked housing. When it rained hard there was a little drip that would show up several feet away on the drywall. I sealed it with caulk up on the roof, and put a pie pan in the attic where it would drip. If a couple ounces of water came in, it would catch it and let it evaporate. Worked fine until we got the roof replaced. If you can find a drip you might be able to accomplish something similar.

If you've decided on a roofing company and don't want to be on your roof, they might come and tarp it for you. It might only need that one area, one tarp. We had a major storm event here on the coast in 2007. In December. The entire community looked like tarp city for a number of months while people waited until their turn in line for roof repairs. Mine included, we had a 100' pine land on us ;0) Our roofer had removed the broken remains of the chimney and covered the damaged part of roof (1 year old) by the following day. No rain infiltration to my 1926 coved plaster ceilings with their quick response.

@toxcrusadr:Thanks for the info about the wires. I've been working on this for the last few days. With the help of the scope that came today, an additional flashlight, and a camera I think I located the leak. I got a very clear photo and it looks like it is a very narrow line of water on the wood that slopes down from the very top of the roofline. Hopefully that is the only leak point! I left a message with the roofer that I was planning to hire this week, just asking for a patch or tarp even if they couldn’t re-roof for 5 or 6 weeks, but did not get a call back. Spoke to another roofer who will be over on Monday and assured me that all the steps I’ve taken so far are corrrect (thanks to everyone who replied here and google), and advised me on a couple more things I can do to prevent damage, including your pie pan idea. What kind of caulk did you use? That might get me through the weekend.

@morz8: Thanks to you as well! Wow, a tree falling must have been scary. I’m glad your beautiful ceilings were spared! I wish I was able to get such a quick response. Not for lack of trying, I’ve been on the phone for days! I don’t mind living with a tarp as long as my interior is protected from further damage. I will update as things progress.

I think this is the leak (?)

The darkened area of the sheathing is definitely water damaged.

I’m guessing the leak is originating to the left of where that silver bracket is holding the gray wire/pipe (?), since that is the peak of the roof. Does that make sense?

To reduce further harm, stop the main source of the problem right away. Move people or items to a safe place. Document the harm with photos or notes for insurance. Begin quick cleanup to stop it from spreading.