Leaks through the floor- permanent damage? extra steps?

kime · January 2015

So, our upstairs toilet flushed really badly. It overflowed and started spilling and flooding the floor. We only noticed when the light in the bathroom below started to drip water, which was thankfully only a few minutes later (<15). We stopped the toilet from overflowing, turned on the fan in both bathrooms, and cleaned up the water in both bathrooms.

Is there more we should do? Will this cause permanent damage internally or such? Is this worth hiring someone to check/fix things? First house, so we're new at these. Thanks!

Foomy · January 2015

Shouldnt cause much damage, but the drywall on your ceiling is going to stain. So you might as well cut out a peice around the light fixture to let it all dry faster,and reduce the small risk of any mold forming as that drywall is already ruined.

Jasconius · January 2015

if mold is an issue in your area, you can do what foomy said and also they make chemical sprays you can just put a little bit to discourage mold growth

its gonna mess up your drywall a little bit... its not a horribly expensive repair

i would be a little concerned about the water close to your light fixture. May want to consider turning that breaker off overnight or so until it dries up a bit

SatanIsMyMotor · January 2015

I'm going to disagree with the other comments here. If the water dripped between levels you'll likely want to tear out the ceiling around the fixture and replace that drywall - as it will certainly mold. Not to mention the risk of having water mix with your electrical.

It's not a huge fix - just a pain.

bowen · January 2015

Generally mold isn't a problem unless it's under constant contact with moisture. A little water won't hurt. If you live in the PNW or next to the ocean, you might consider removing it or treating it.

kime · January 2015

Thanks for the comments all. We live in Seattle, so there's water everywhere basically. We'll look into replacing the drywall around there, then.

bowen · January 2015

Kime, you might want to just run a dehumidifier for a week or so rather than full on replacing it, if you've got one.

kime · January 2015

No, but we can get one.

mts · January 2015

rather than cut out a huge chunk of drywall you can probably just drill a bunch of holes in it around the fixture to let in air. will be easier to patch

bowen · January 2015

Would work really well in conjunction with a dehumidifier. That's something you should own anyways as a homeowner.

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Leaks through the floor- permanent damage? extra steps?

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