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A brown ring on the ceiling that keeps coming back
Painting over a leak stain hides it for a season. We find where the water comes from, take out what has grown and dry the space.
The stain is not where the problem is
Water travels. A roof leak can soak insulation and show up as a ring on a ceiling several feet away, and a slow drip from a bathroom above can stain a wall two floors down.
We read moisture across the wall and ceiling to find the wet edge, check the likely source and open only what is damp. Cleaning a stain that is still being fed by a leak only buys a few weeks.
Call us if you see
- A yellow or brown ring that grows after rain or a shower
- Paint that bubbles, peels or feels soft
- Dark speckling at the edge of a stain
- A musty smell that stays after the room is aired out
How a visit goes
- Read the moistureA meter across the ceiling and walls shows where it is wet and how far it has spread.
- Find the sourceWe look at the roof line, the plumbing above and the windows, and tell you what we find.
- Remove what has grownWet drywall and insulation come out in a sealed area, and hard surfaces are cleaned.
- Dry and checkFans and dehumidifiers run until the readings are normal, then we check again.
What the work includes
- Moisture mapping
- Readings that show the edge of the wet area, recorded for you.
- Controlled removal
- Plastic, floor protection and filtered air so nothing spreads to the next room.
- Cleaning and drying
- Hard surfaces cleaned and the cavity dried before it is closed up.
- A plain report
- What we found, what we did and what to watch over the next wet season.
Questions about this job
- Is a dark stain always mold?
- No. Dirt, soot and old water marks can look the same. A close look and a moisture reading tell us which it is.
- Can I just paint over it?
- Stain-blocking paint hides a mark but does not dry the wall behind it. If the source is still active, the stain returns.
- Do you fix the roof or the pipe?
- We tell you exactly where the water is coming in so a roofer or plumber can fix it first. Then we clean up and dry the space.
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Book the free inspection
Tell us where you saw it and what town you are in. We come out, read the moisture and send a written estimate.
(518) 767-7994
Free inspection and a written estimate