How to fix a leak from the upstairs bathroom?
Leaks from a bathroom upstairs can be quite an eyesore and challenging to locate. In this day and age of high-rise apartments, it is common to have a second bathroom showing damp spots or some dripping on the ceiling of the lower floors. The best way to correct any such damp spots or leaks is to locate the exact cause of the problem and rectify the same before things get worse. The main problem in correcting such leaks in an overhead bathroom is the tedious process of locating the exact cause of the leak. Unless one is professionally equipped, it is better to hire the services of a plumber to find out the exact cause of dripping or leakage for a permanent solution.
Shortlist the type of leakage
Before discussing out the preventive measures as well as the apparent ways to fix any such leaks in the overhead bathroom, it is important to shortlist the exact type of leak. There are mainly two distinct possibilities for a leak in any bathroom. Since the chances of leak in any pipe is the maximum at its joints, water supply line and drain pipelines are both susceptible to leaks.
The best way to shortlist the kind of leak in the overhead bathroom is to take a look at the leak at the ceiling from the lower floor. If the leak looks like a damp spot that dries and reappears, the leak is generally from a drain line. Is on the other hand, the leak does not dry at all and remains constant with dropping of small drops on the floor, the leak is due to a problem in the pressure water supply line of the bathroom. Let us now take a look at ways to prevent and fix bathroom leaks for both water supply leaks as well as drain pipe leaks.
Correcting water supply leaks
Once you have shortlisted the exact cause of the water leakage in the overheard bathroom, the next step becomes quite simplistic. In case of a water supply leak the first step must be to check the fixtures or joints of water supply pipes. Usually it is the fixture and its washer that becomes old due to constant contact with water and pressure giving way to leaks and dripping.
Changing the washer of the fixture can help resolve the problem in a majority of cases. The beat way is to turn off the main water supply and remove the fitting. One can take the fitting to the hardware store in case it is difficult to find the exact washer required for the underlying console. Make sure that you have fixed the new washer properly in place before attaching the fixture to the pipe and opening up the main line.
Correcting the drain pipe leaks
Fixing a drain pipe leak is more time consuming and usually requires a greater effort. Before replacing the leaks in the drain pipe joint fittings, one needs to see the quality of drain pipe. Usually drain pipes are either PVC (poly vinyl chloride) based or ABS (acrylonitrile butadeine styrene) based. Both types of drain pipes will require specific glue and primer to fix the new fixtures replacing the one that is leaking. The use of a plumbing tape or cover the new fixture is recommended.
Other hidden leaks
Sometimes leaks can be because of various faucets like taps and showers installed in the bathroom. If both drain pipe and water pipe do not show any apparent leaks, the fixture drains need to be checked. Usually most modern day fixtures like showers have a back panel that allows easier access to the underlying drainpipe for such corrective measure. For older installations, one may need to drill a hole in the wall to reach the root cause of the leakage in such installations.
