Water through the ceiling of a ground floor flat
The property
A Victorian end terrace near the centre, converted into two flats with one landlord. The upper bathroom sits over the lower kitchen, with its pipes under a timber floor.
The problem
The tenant downstairs watched a brown stain spread across the kitchen ceiling, including when nobody upstairs had bathed. A plumber had checked the bath and found nothing.
How we found it
Moisture readings below showed where the ceiling was wettest. Upstairs we tested the bath, basin and supply pipes in turn. With a hot tap running, thermal imaging showed a warm line to one joint.
The outcome
We marked and photographed the joint, so only two floorboards came up. The repair was quoted separately and done during the visit, and the landlord shared our report with the tenant below.