Residential
Ceiling leaks occur when water from the unit above yours leaks into your 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 more common in older buildings and typically occurs in wet areas such as toilets and bathrooms.
Flat owners of upper and lower floor units have a shared responsibility in maintaining the structures of your respective flats. This includes the floor and ceiling slabs. If these slabs need to be repaired, you and your neighbour have to arrange for the repair work and split the cost.
This leakage comes from the roof of the block, which is part of the common property maintained by the Town Council. You can contact the Town Council to have them rectify the leak.
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 upper floor’s flat owner are to jointly arrange for the repair and split the costs involved.
There are several methods to address ceiling leaks, depending on the severity of the leak and the needs of the upper floor. Re-screeding is the recommended option. However, a leak may sometimes require more than a single repair method to be effective.
You can watch this video on repairing ceiling leaks.
The use of an Un-plasticised Poly-Vinyl Chloride (UPVC) floor trap grating with a long collar is strongly recommended.
There are also other methods to resolve a leakage that you can explore with your contractor. For example, injection of chemical grout (also known as the Polyurethane (PU) Injection Method), Flood Infusion Method and application of nanotechnology waterproofing materials on the floors and walls.
You can engage any of the following contractors to repair ceiling leaks in your flat.
Note:
1) Our list only serves as a guide and is not meant to be exhaustive or an endorsement of the contractor’s performance.
2) You might want to also consult sources such as the Yellow Pages (Commercial/ Industrial Guide) before engaging a contractor.
3) You may contact/sms/email the contractor during working days, Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
4) If you would like to engage any of the above contractors, you will have to negotiate the price and extent of work with the contractors on a private basis.
5) You need to ensure that the contractors you engage exercise due care and diligence while carrying out the necessary repair work.
If you wish to transfer the flat ownership without monetary consideration, or pursuant to Court Order, start by finding out the eligibility criteria and types of transfers you can perform.