Ceiling Leaks - HDB

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Home Residential Living in an HDB Flat Home Maintenance Home Care Guide Ceiling Leaks Ceiling Leaks

Ceiling leaks occur when water from the flat above leaks into your unit's ceiling through the concrete floor slab. This usually happens because of wear and tear of the waterproof membrane and screed in the floor slab. This phenomenon is common in older buildings and typically occurs in areas such as toilets and bathrooms.

Beyond being an inconvenience, untreated ceiling leaks may also damage electrical items and cause mould growth. As such, you and your neighbours should address ceiling leaks promptly, once a leak is detected.

Depending on the cause of the leak, you and your neighbours may have to engage a contractor together and decide on the repair method that would best suit your needs and situation.

Shared responsibilities for ceiling leak within flats

As a flat owner, you are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of your flat. For leaks from common property, contact your Town Council.

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Ceiling leak between units

Flat owners are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of your respective flats, including the floor and ceiling slabs. If these slabs need to be repaired to resolve the leak, you and your neighbours will have to arrange for the repair work and split the costs involved.

Upper floor flat owners are generally understanding and cooperative with resolving ceiling leaks. Refer to the 'Engaging a contractor together' section for an outline of what you should do and what to expect.

Ceiling leak in flats on the topmost level

This leakage comes from the roof of the block, which is part of the common property maintained by the Town Council. You may contact your Town Council to have them rectify the leak.

Ceiling leak at void deck

The void deck is part of the common property maintained by the Town Council. For ceiling leaks affecting the void deck, the Town Council and the flat owner are to jointly arrange for the repair work and split the costs involved.

Engaging a contractor together

As a flat owner, you are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of your flat.

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Step 1: Approach your upper floor neighbour to discuss the ceiling leak, establish possible cause (e.g. choked pipes), and determine if a contractor should be engaged.

Step 2: If a contractor's services are required, work out a common timeslot with your neighbour to schedule a check to confirm the source of the leak, as early as possible.

Step 3: Engage a contractor jointly with your upper floor neighbour to repair ceiling leaks in your flat. Here are some contractors you may wish to consider:

Company Name	Details
Digo Corporation Pte Ltd	Preferred areas for work: Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Geylang, Hougang, Pasir Ris, Punggol, Sengkang, Serangoon, Tampines Telephone number: 6368-6031 Operating hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday: 9:00am to 1:00pm
Guthrie FMC Pte Ltd	Preferred areas for work: Sembawang, Woodlands, Yishun Telephone number: 8335-7654 Operating hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday: 9:00am to 1:00pm
Kim Yew Integrated Pte Ltd	Preferred areas for work: Bishan, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Jurong, Kallang/ Whampoa, Queensway, Toa Payoh Telephone number: 6466-4211 Operating hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday: 9:00am to 1:00pm

Note:

• The list above is for reference only, and should not be considered exhaustive or an endorsement of any contractor's performance. We recommend that you conduct additional research to find the right contractor.
• You may contact the contractors during office hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Saturday, from 9:00am to 1:00pm.
• You will have to negotiate the price and scope of work with the contractor.
• You should ensure that the contractors you engage exercise due care and diligence while carrying out the necessary repair work.

Step 4: The contractor will confirm the source of the leak and recommend a repair method. You and your neighbour/ Town Council* will need to agree on the repair method and costs involved.

Step 5: After the repairs are completed, you and your neighbour/ Town Council* will have to split the repair cost and make payment to the contractor.

*Your Town Council may be involved if the leak is found to originate from common property. For repair works required, for an external wall or rooftop, your Town Council will bear the full repair cost.

Possible repair methods

Contractors will recommend a repair method based on the severity of the leak and the flat owners' needs. Some ceiling leaks may require multiple repair methods.

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You may watch this video to learn how ceiling leaks are repaired.

Method 1: Re-screeding (Recommended)

	1. Remove floor tiles, screed and fixtures Remove the floor tiles, screed, squat or pedestal pan and other fixtures Areas around the pipes should be hacked slightly deeper, i.e. approximately 25mm more Clear all loose particles from the hacked surface Fill areas around the pipe with non-shrink grout The use of an Un-plasticised Poly-Vinyl Chloride (UPVC) floor trap grating with a long collar is strongly recommended.
	2. Apply waterproof membrane Apply a good quality waterproof membrane onto a hacked surface. The membrane should be upturned (up to 150mm) against walls, kerbs and pipes Allow the membrane to set for 6 to12 hours, according to the manufacturer's instructions 3. Lay new waterproof screed layer Reinstall the squat pan (if applicable) Lay a new layer of waterproof screed of at least 20mm thick onto the hacked surface with waterproof membrane, and provide a gentle gradient to facilitate effective drainage Leave the screed to harden for at least 12 hours
	4. Reinstall floor tiles and fixtures Reinstall the floor tiles, pedestal pan (if applicable), and any other fixtures

Method 2: Localised repair at floor waste grating

• Hack and remove the floor tiles and screed around the floor waste grating
• Hack deeper, up to maximum of 50mm into the concrete slab
• Apply 1 layer of bonding agent
• Fill the hacked area with non-shrink grout, leaving enough space for re-tiling and the frame and grating of the floor waste
• Re-tile the area and re-fix the floor waste grating; a long pipe connecting the grating of the floor waste ("long neck floor waste grating") is recommended

Method 3: Treatment of the exposed concrete between the floor waste grating and waste pipe

• Remove the floor waste grating
• Scrub the exposed concrete clean of dirt and any impurities
• If necessary, hack and remove any unevenness on the exposed concrete
• Apply water plug or non-shrink grout to the exposed concrete
• Insert a long neck floor waste grating with an adaptor or spigot, and glue it with the existing discharge pipe, ensuring that no concrete is exposed

Other methods

There are also other methods to resolve a leakage that you can explore with your contractor. This includes the injection of chemical grout (also known as the Polyurethane (PU) Injection Method), Flood Infusion Method, Overlaying Waterproofing Membrane System (OWMS), or application of nanotechnology waterproofing materials on the floors and walls.

Preventing ceiling leaks

Use non-corrosive detergents and avoid washing your kitchen.

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Ceiling leaks usually occur due to wear and tear of the waterproof membrane and screed in the floor slab. It typically occurs in wet areas such as toilets and bathrooms.

Here are some tips on how to prevent ceiling leaks:

• Use non-corrosive detergents when washing the toilets and bathrooms in your flat, to minimise the damage from wear and tear to the existing waterproof membrane and screed in the toilet/bathroom floor slab.

• Avoid washing your kitchen, and mop the kitchen floor instead, as there is no waterproofing membrane beneath the kitchen floor tiles.

• Avoid disposing food waste into the sink, and place a strainer at the kitchen sink to collect food waste and dispose it separately. This prevents chokes at the gully due to the accumulation of food waste over time.

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