How to Fix a Water Bubble in the Ceiling

A water leak can affect your ceiling in many ways. Usually, water will be dripping or the ceiling will have sweat stains. There is another, more dangerous situation, when the water forms a bubble in the ceiling. This can make the affected drywall or plaster come down; it must be fixed as soon as possible.

You can fix the bubbling ceiling by yourself. Even if you call a professional to replace the drywall, the bubble needs to be burst in order to save the rest of the ceiling. It’s simple and easy, everyone can do it, just follow this guide.

The water bubble will not dry out, it must be emptied out. You can do this by cutting a hole and letting the water out. Either cut a big hole for the water to fall immediately or cut a small hole and guide the water.

Keep reading, we’ll explain this thoroughly in a minute.

How do water bubbles form in ceilings?

Unlike a water dripping ceiling or a sweating ceiling, the problem with the water bubble is with the ceiling’s paint. A properly constructed ceiling shouldn’t be bubbling, in case of water leaks; it will just have water stains. So, a water bubble in your ceiling is a sign that your ceiling has an issue with its construction.

Don’t get me wrong, water bubbles don’t occur on their own, a source of moisture is still needed. It’s just that the paint isn’t supposed to separate from the drywall. And that’s what happens with water bubbles.

So, when do water bubbles occur?

Painting over an unprepared drywall

The paint will not stick properly on a moist or a hot surface. The drywall also needs to be smooth and clean. Professionals take time to prepare the drywall before painting. This makes their job easier.

If you or someone painted over a dirty, moist or a warm surface, it’s no surprise that a water leak caused a bubble. Moisture prevents the paint from sticking to the drywall. Hot temperatures cause the paint to melt. not dry out. With dirty areas, you’re painting over the dirt, not the drywall.

In these situations, the paint is slightly separated from the drywall. When water enters your ceiling, the empty area collects the water. This is why water bubbles form.

Drying paint in contact with moisture

Most professionals advise on not being home 24-48 hours after painting the walls. Your daily activities like showering or cooking, release moisture. That moisture can stop the paint from drying out. By not being home you eliminate this possibility, also you avoid inhaling chemicals.

There’s no way of knowing if your paint didn’t dry out well enough. I’m just listing the reasons why water bubbles form.

Long exposures to moisture

Now, in this case, even if the ceiling is constructed properly, the bubble will still form. Long exposures to excessive moisture can separate the paint from the drywall. This usually happens to showers without a fan or a window.

These were the reasons why water leaks usually form a bubble. There are some other causes like mixing kinds of paint but not important right now. Let’s see what to do with the bubble.

How to get rid of the water bubble in the ceiling?

There’s no other way of eliminating the bubble except draining it. There are three popular methods for doing this, depending on the situation. We’ll go through them but first a quick detour.

Stopping the leak

As I said, the water in the bubble must come from somewhere, especially in big bubbles. That means you probably have a leak. Popping the bubble before stopping the leak is a good idea only if it’s big. Stopping the ceiling from coming down is more important than stopping the leak.

Check the usual suspects. Check the upstairs shower for broken wax seal rings. See if there’s a problem with the plumbing. Also, the roof, especially if the leak appeared after a rainy day.

Let’s get to the actual fix.

Popping the bubble

One way to get rid of the bubble is bursting it in the middle. This is not ideal and it should only be done with smaller bubbles. Also, if the floor below isn’t made from wood. Usually, bubbling bathroom ceilings are popped this way. The water will not damage anything in the bathroom.

This will clear out the bubble instantly. All of the water will fall down because of gravity pulling it down. Do not do this with big bubbles, it’s too much water to deal with at once.

Guiding the water

You’ll see that this way is essentially the same as the one before but more subtle. In areas where you don’t want the water to fall down to the floor, you need to collect it. Preferably, with a bucket.

Pop the bubble not in the middle but on the side where there is less water. Make a small hole, enough for a decent amount of water to flow through it. Then, place a big bucket below the hole.

Press up the bubble and guide it through the hole you made. Just like you press a toothpaste tube. Do this carefully and slowly, not at once, otherwise the layer of paint will crack, and the water will come out where you don’t want to.

This is a great method if you want to guide the water in your bathtub. If you don’t have a big enough bucket, just make the hole right above the bathtub. Of course, this is not always possible.

Draining the bubble

Another, more elegant way is to use a hose with big bubbles and a needle with small ones. Same as the method above, you need to cut a hole on the side of the bubble. Instead of pushing it, you will drain it with a hose.

Insert the hose and center it in the middle. The other end of the hose should be placed in a bucket. Then, suck on the other end, this will make the water flow in the hose.

Finishing up

Using any of the suggested methods will drain your bubble. However, you still need to replace the damaged drywall. Check out our guide on how to replace a drywall or call a professional.

That’s it for this post, good luck!

Related questions

Is a small water bubble in the ceiling an emergency?

Yes, it is. Of course, not the same as a fire but you need to fix it as soon as possible. A water bubble means you have a water leak.

Should I replace a drywall damaged from a leak?

You definitely should, even if the damage is insignificant. Moisture leads to mold growth, which is nastier to deal with.