How to Remove Water Stains From a Ceiling
Water stains can occur on your ceiling when you have a leak in the roof. During rainy weather, moisture may seep through the damaged roof and leak down through the ceiling. The stain--an unattractive, brownish ring--will become bigger and bigger if the leak isn't repaired. For best results, remove the water stain as soon as possible. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Repair the roof where the water leak is coming from. Go to the attic to pinpoint where the problem is coming from, such as a crack in a chimney, vents, cement or flashings. Repair any cracks with caulking or cement. If no cracks are evident, check the roof to see if the shingles need to be replaced around the area where the leak has occurred. If a shingle is curled, try to bend it back down without breaking it. If the shingle is too brittle, warm it with a propane torch fitted with a flame-spreader nozzle. Wait for the shingle to cool off, then flatten it down to the roof. Put roofing cement under the shingle where it curled to prevent future curling. Replace missing shingles by affixing roofing cement onto each corner of the new shingles before setting them in place.
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Remove any mold that may have resulted from the leak. Treat the mold with a mixture of two drops of bleach and water. Scrub the molded area well.
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Place a stain sealant such as Kilz on the stain. The stain sealer will appear white. This will help prevent the stain from showing through when repainting. Use a paintbrush to brush on the sealant. Make sure to cover all of the stained area on the ceiling.
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Paint over the sealant. Use a paintbrush with large bristles. You can also use a roller, depending on how high the ceiling is. Make sure you choose the exact color paint--otherwise, you will need to repaint the entire ceiling.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear a face mask to protect yourself from the fumes. Make sure the room is well ventilated, particularly when you apply the sealant.
