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Ceiling, Strombeek-Bever
Recurring ceiling leak: a leak found in the flat upstairs
Flat
Recurring water ingress
Thermal imaging
Camera inspection
RESULT
After two years of searching, a concrete lead: the kitchen tap in the flat upstairs.
Location
Strombeek-Bever
Building type
Flat on the 3rd floor
Problem
Recurring marks on the ceiling since 2024
Methods
Moisture readings, thermal imaging, cameras
Conclusion
Probable source
The problem
Damp marks kept coming back on the living-room ceiling of a 3rd-floor flat. Since 2024, several companies had already looked: water pipes, heating, waste pipes, terrace, facade, window frames, cornice, roof and downpipes. Dye tests and repairs had been carried out, without solving the problem.
Our intervention
1. Visual check of the 3rd-floor living room, then of the flat directly above, on the 4th floor.
2. Moisture readings: low to moderate values (36 to 38) on the ceiling and wall, higher (57) on the outdoor floor.
3. Thermal imaging of the ceiling: no active water flow at the time of the check.
4. Endoscopic camera in the 4th-floor waste pipe: nothing abnormal.
5. Telescopic camera under the 4th-floor kitchen unit, through a targeted opening: signs of moisture. When the tap was turned on, water ran around it (it was temporarily held in place with tape) and into the cupboard.
The result: the probable source of the ceiling leak
Water escaping at the 4th-floor kitchen tap is a probable source of the marks on the 3rd-floor ceiling. The link still has to be confirmed after the repair, by monitoring the drying: an honest diagnosis is better than a certainty claimed too early.
After two years of inconclusive searches, the client now has a concrete lead, documented with photos, and a simple action plan.
Our recommendations
• Repair or replace the kitchen tap on the 4th floor.
• Let the surfaces dry and monitor the marks on the 3rd-floor ceiling.
• Take a new moisture reading if the marks persist.
