How often do you look at your ceiling? Can you easily detect if it has a problem? Brown spots on ceiling will always steal away your room’s beauty, however beautiful it may be. You may never know your ceiling is damaged until you see ugly brown spots.
Fortunately, you can easily see these spots because most ceilings, if not all, are white. Lucky enough, you have stumbled upon this article and I have explained ways in which you can remove brown spots on ceiling with no leak.
To do away with these brown spots, use water or a bleach solution to blot and then wipe away the spot. You can paint over the cleaned area after it dries up. These brown spots could be mold that is developing, nails from drywall, or rust if the ceiling is made of plaster.
That is why a professional plumber is needed to examine the problem. However, you should find out the reasons for the brown spots before fixing them.
Reasons Why Your Ceiling Has Brown Spots
1.Water and moisture due to condensation
In most cases, rainwater stains are the main reason your ceiling has brown stains build-up. However, in actuality, it is not the only cause of the stains. This happens majorly because of the failure of the ceiling.
In this case, the water goes through the building materials and carries particles along, and lands on the ceilings.
At times, rainwater droplets dry out, leaving behind the brown patches while in other circumstances, the dripping ooze through the ceiling, making it leak and get brown stains.
When the house is too cold, moisture accumulates. This may cause the growth of mold on ceilings which will eventually stain them.
To curb this, add ventilation to the house. It will reduce the indoor humidity thus reducing the rate of condensation.
2. Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling Systems (HVAC systems)
HVAC systems are also a major cause of the brown patches on ceilings. Just like vents and skylights, when installed poorly, these systems can be problematic to your ceiling.
These systems become wet due to condensed air and if there are holes in them, the water drips on the ceiling, hence forming brown patches.
Please note that the water does not come from the roof. It comes from the HVAC system. Before repainting your ceiling, call an HVAC professional roofer if you notice your system has a problem.
He or she will easily determine the state and type of damage.
3. Skylights and Vents
As much as skylights allow natural light into the room, they could be a reason for leakage.
Most people prefer installing their plumbing and air vents on the ceiling. This needs to be done by professionals to ensure they connect well to prevent leakages. The installer should put some roofing material around the unit so that there are no penetrations.
You can easily detect if the cause of the problem is the skylights because these patches will form around the units. However, to prevent guesswork, call a professional installer.
4. Broken Pipes
Pipes installed in the ceiling can get damaged or broken and you will notice water leaking, which eventually causes brown stains on your ceiling.
Do not repaint the ceiling before checking the pipes because the problem will be noticeable again after a month or so.
Also, as the waterproof membrane on your ceiling gets older, it lets water in. consider replacing your roofing system to curb the problem.
5. Ghosting
Most people are not familiar with ghosting and brown patch formation on ceilings. This is a situation where dust, soot, and dirt accumulate on your ceiling.
Basically, ghosting is an unusual dark color that forms on surfaces like ceilings. When they go unnoticed for a long period of time, they cause linear pattern stains.
The formation of these lines occurs because the ceiling’s internal framing, which is a bad insulator, causes the neighboring areas to shrink faster than the nearby area. The condensation on these linear lines makes particles stick to the ceiling.
How to Fix Brown Spots on Ceiling with No Leak
Once you notice any stains on your ceiling, it is advisable to take action quickly. Once the cause of the stains is established, repair any dented parts and repaint them.
Below are steps that will guide you to remove stains on your ceilings with no leak.
Find out the cause and repair it
The first step is to determine the root cause of the brown spots and fix them.
I highly recommend calling a professional technician to repair it. They will check for any blockages and clogs in the systems (HVAC) and a plumber will fix any damaged pipes.
Covering a stain without addressing the root cause puts you at risk of more staining of the ceiling. It could also lead to electrical damage or damage to the entire structure.
If the roof is the problem, look out for and repair shingles that may be crumbling or any weak seals close to the roof vents.
In case the radiator is the problem, look out for and repair the pipe, valve, radiator body, or the bleed point where cold air emits from the radiator.
However, if coming from upstairs e.g. a faulty bathroom waterway, replace any damaged caulking that lets moisture leak. Unblock blocked sinks or shower drainages that could cause flooding in the bathroom and also repair overflowing toilets.
You should remodel your house including the bathroom to avoid minor setbacks from causing you problems.
Clean using bleach and water
After fixing the problem, do not rush to repaint the area with dark spots.
Mix 1-part bleach and 3 parts warm water in a bucket then dip a cloth in the solution and clean the patches. Stand on a stable stepladder or stool. This will remove any grease, dust, dirt, or mildew that can prevent paint from adhering to the ceiling.
Make sure you cover your eyes and wear gloves. If your ceiling is colored, do not use chlorine bleach because it is known to cause discoloration. Use oxygen bleach.
Thereafter, put clean water in a spray bottle and rinse the area. Then use a clean piece of cloth to dry the area.
Pro Tip: the main reason for cleaning the spotted area before repainting is to clear the evidence that the ceiling ever had a stain before.
Apply paint after fixing the problem
Before applying paint, apply a base coat. This should be a stain-blocking primer to prevent paint from easily coming in contact with water stains. Use a shade that closely matches the rest of the ceiling. These base coats are insoluble in water thus stains cannot pass through.
They also have binders that bind paint pigments so that the primer can stick to the surface for a long time.
It is also important to note that the application of primer and paint highly depends on the type of your ceiling.
If your ceiling texture is coarse, use a thick nap roller cover. If the texture of the ceiling is fine, roll the primer over the stains using a paint roller and nap roller cover then allow the primer to dry completely.
Note that the area with primer application will always be some shades lighter or darker than the rest of the ceiling. This will draw a lot of attention to the area thus you should use paint that perfectly matches the rest of the ceiling.
Cover the parts of the ceiling that you wouldn’t want the paint to touch. Also, I highly advise you to cover the floor to prevent stains. Paint the ceiling until it matches the other parts and let it dry.
In order to prevent stains in the future, use oil and mold-resistant paints.
You can also paint and let the area dry first before adding another coat. The ceiling should look as though it never had any brown stains.
Look out for molds and improve the ventilation
If the brown spots are caused by molds, you should first know the reason why molds are in the house. Molds are usually brought about by dampness inside the house.
Ensure your house has good lighting and ventilation for excellent air circulation. If the mold is caused by ceiling damages, a roofer will be required to repair the ceiling.
For stained kitchen and bathroom ceilings, keep the doors and windows of these rooms open and mix water and detergents like tea tree, baking soda, ammonia, or hydrogen peroxide to clean the stained area then paint again after it dries.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brown Spots on Ceiling no Leak
Why do brown spots appear on the ceilings?
There could be several causes but the most popular one is water leakage and or moisture due to condensation.
Others may include broken pipes, faulty heating, ventilation, and cooling systems (HVAC systems). Make sure you involve a qualified professional when it comes to these types of installations.
Does moisture on ceilings cause molds?
Yes.
Dampness inside the house is almost always the root cause of black or brown molds appearing on the ceiling, especially in bathrooms and the kitchen.
To prevent this, ensure your house has good lighting and ventilation for excellent air circulation.
How do you get rid of brown spots on ceilings?
First, identify the root cause and repair where necessary, clean the brown spots using bleach and water, apply the affected area with new paint, and improve air circulation in the house.
Conclusion
It is distressing to see brown spots on your beautiful ceiling. It steals away the beauty of your house.
Luckily, this is not something to worry about.
The problem can easily be detected and curbed. This article has clearly explained the causes and solutions of brown spots on ceiling with no leak and will help prevent such occurrences in the future.