Ceiling Leak on Parlor Floor

Hey Brownstoners. For the second day in a row, I have had a temporary drip (clear water) from the ceiling of the parlor floor of my brownstone. There is one apartment above, but the tenant was not using any water yesterday and is not even home today. Leak today started around 8am, yesterday it started late morning. Both times, it slowed down and virtually stopped in under an hour. Because of the timing and water usage / lack thereof, I am guessing this has to do with the radiator (hot water system) and not the water supply/waste. It is worth noting, however, that there was a continuous wet wall between all three floors that we cut in the middle (parlor floor) and re-routed in order to open up the space a few years ago. The leak is near the location of the former wet wall. And just for fun, also throwing out the suggestion that maybe there’s a condensation issue? It’s in the middle of the building, so it’s not likely, but my husband thinks there’s a chance just because of the extreme cold.

What do you think?!?!? And what on earth do we do about it?!?!?

cottageonlex

in General Discussion 6 years and 7 months ago

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hancockone | 6 years and 7 months ago

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I had a similar leak. It was the tenant’s radiator, leaking a the valve whenever the heat came on.

cottageonlex | 6 years and 7 months ago

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Thanks Dave! There ARE actually wet areas right above so that’s why I’m not ruling out maybe a shitty job cutting, bending, and re-routing the risers. I’m attaching photos for additional clarity. [IMG-3278](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:47iq:img3278.jpg.jpg) [IMG-3279](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:Ltky:img3279.jpg.jpg)

daveinbedstuy | 6 years and 7 months ago

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Sounds like it’s too much for mere condensation. Plumbing pipes usually run vertically from the basement so if there’s neither a kitchen nor a bath above the area of the leak, it’s likley a heating issue. Do you have hot water or steam heat? I’d start by opening some exporatory holes in the ceiling around the topmost area where the leak is.