Help identifying marks/stains/damage on kitchen ceiling

[Dean_0]

Hi,

I have some marks/stains/damage on my kitchen ceiling which I am trying to identify, I am hopeful that somebody in this forum may be able to give me some pointers.

I have limited experience with DIY and limited knowledge of building construction but will try to answer any questions you have to help clarify the issue.

The marks/stains/damage have been present for a number of years and haven't noticeably changed over time.

I am looking to replace the downlights in the kitchen but would first like to establish what repair work is needed on the ceiling, in case that needs to be prioritised.

I have attached various photos showing the issue.

I have included some additional detail below regarding the kitchen space if that helps to diagnose the problem.

I would gratefully hear any thoughts on what the issue could be caused by and what steps I should take to remedy the problem.

Thanks!


A description of the space:

The property is a victorian mid-terraced house, our kitchen is at the rear of the property.

Half of the kitchen occupies an original ground floor room with our bathroom occupying the room directly above it.

The other half of the kitchen occupies a single story rear extension, which roughly doubles the length of the original space.

The rear extension has a mono pitched roof which adjoins our neighbours property

Separating the original room and extension is a steel beam which indicates the position of the previous rear wall and protrudes roughly 20CM from the ceiling.

Our oven and sink are both located in the original space, not the extension. Mentioned as they would contribute to steam/grease being distributed around the room while in use.

The extension has a large fixed window at the rear which does not open, the original room has a window to the side which does open. This means air circulation in the extension is likely to be limited.

It is in that single story extension area of the kitchen, beyond the protruding steel beam, where we have identified marks/stains/damage on the ceiling.

[Someone-Else]

Looks like water stains. Lift the bathroom floor and have a look, easier than taking the ceiling down and having a look

[Dean_0]

Looks like water stains. Lift the bathroom floor and have a look, easier than taking the ceiling down and having a look

Thanks for the quick response!

The area showing the marks is in the rear extension, above the extension is a mono pitched roof which adjoins our neighbours property.

The roof is in a good state of repair. However, when we moved into the property it did have a couple of tiles (maybe three) which had either slipped or were damaged.

Those tiles were fixed some time ago.

The mono pitch roof is of low pitch (around 12 degrees) and uses natural slate tiles. On closer inspection it appears to use something similar to the Permavent Easy Slate product under the gap between each tile, I assume to support the low pitch.

My current thinking is that there was potentially some water ingress while those tiles were slipped and/or damaged, but that ingress has since ceased.

The stains do not appear to have changed over time, if they were due to a leak from the roof I would expect them to expand if the problem was current.

There is no inspection hatch and so inspecting the area would likely involve lifting slates to view inside the loft space.

I guess a builder/roofer may be able to help there.

Would that sound about right?

Thanks again for your help!

[dewaltdisney]

I would say that the likely cause was the slipped/damaged tiles andthese are historic marks. With the rains we have had this winter I am sure that if there was still an issue there would be visible damp patches. To remedy it might be best to scrape back the damaged areas and fill with a flexible filler. Spray over the damaged area with stain block to ensure there is no bleed through after applying the new paint. When I first looked I wondered if someone had been over enthusiastic flipping pancakes

DWD

[Someone-Else]

Before you do anything else, mark each end of the stain, leave for a week or so, and then check the marks, has the stain moved past the marks.

[big-all]

just a thought
whilst i 100% agree about all off the above other thoughts

could it be possible the marks have been there all the time and because off lighting changes or just the fact you looked up there in connection to lighting changes and just noticed ??
also is there more than one person who uses the kitchen apart from yourself

[Dean_0]

I would say that the likely cause was the slipped/damaged tiles andthese are historic marks. With the rains we have had this winter I am sure that if there was still an issue there would be visible damp patches. To remedy it might be best to scrape back the damaged areas and fill with a flexible filler. Spray over the damaged area with stain block to ensure there is no bleed through after applying the new paint. When I first looked I wondered if someone had been over enthusiastic flipping pancakes

DWD

Thanks for the advice, lots to go on here. I am leaning toward this being the next step.

I agree with the rain over the last few months and its expected affect on the ceiling if there were an active leak.

No work has been done on the roof over this period and so its state of repair can be considered stable over that time.

Pancake flipping would be in the other half of the room near the oven!

Before you do anything else, mark each end of the stain, leave for a week or so, and then check the marks, has the stain moved past the marks.

Thanks, this is good advice. I will mark the stains this morning and see if they progress.

just a thought
whilst i 100% agree about all off the above other thoughts

could it be possible the marks have been there all the time and because off lighting changes or just the fact you looked up there in connection to lighting changes and just noticed ??
also is there more than one person who uses the kitchen apart from yourself

It is a kitchen solely for my family and so it is my and my wife who would be cooking in the area, I will be relaying everything learnt from these posts to her.

The marks are stable, as far as we can tell, I think we simply got used to them being there and didn't prioritise addressing them.

It is the upcoming work to replace the downlights which has pushed them into focus, I would like to at least repair the damage before fitting new lights.

[Dean_0]

On further inspection this morning I noticed that the ceiling has various patches which are noticeably colder than their surrounding area.

Some of those cold patches are located where staining has occurred.

I researched online and found that cold patches can be due to insulation being missing or incorrectly fitted over those areas.

I also read that condensation can occur on those cold patches.

The majority of the ceiling feels warm, it is only isolated areas which feel cold.

It could be that limited circulation has caused water and grease from cooking to accumulate in this area, with condensation forming on cold areas and eventually resulting in at least some of the stains.

I am now thinking that this could be a combination of:

• Condenstation on cold areas causing staining.

• Leaks from slipped tiles above (historic).

• Grease accumulation from cooking.

I am looking for short term solutions to the various issues as we do not currently plan to invest significant money the property (at least not in this area).

The slipped tiles are fixed and I regularly check for damage to the roof.

For condensation and grease accumulation, better maintenance of the recycling extractor and also being more aware of opening the window when cooking will help.

As a side note: We are aware of the very limited impact of a recycling extractor, unfortunately the oven and hobs are located on the opposite side of the room to an external wall which may limit our options for extraction?

If the ceiling can be repaired and redecorated that would be my current preference, probably along the lines of what was suggested here:

To remedy it might be best to scrape back the damaged areas and fill with a flexible filler. Spray over the damaged area with stain block to ensure there is no bleed through after applying the new paint.

[dewaltdisney]

I would say that if it is a bit greasy then wash it over with sugar soap to degrease, repair as above, and then two coats of a good emulsion like Johnstones Coverplus. As the better weather approaches it will hold good if you intend to flip it and move on. I hope that happens for you.

DWD

[big-all]

my thoughts where along the lines off someone mucking about splashing shaking fizzy pop etc /forgetting to cap a blender accidental unreported things

[Gadget]

my thoughts where along the lines off someone mucking about splashing shaking fizzy pop etc /forgetting to cap a blender accidental unreported things

Or indeed a fry pan spitting.