Ceiling Leak under a Deck

[Tom]

I am looking for a little input as this is my first home, and my first problem. Yesterday, during a rather heavy rainstorm (3" in 12 hours) with strong winds, I noticed a leak in my dining room ceiling. Enough to blister the paint and cause water to fall to the ground. (maybe 24 oz. of water, but not buckets). Total size of the water-mark ring in the ceiling is about 12". Above the room is a deck on the second floor. The house is about 3 years old, there is heavy black liner under the deck, and the sides of the house are covered with vinyl siding. I understand that water can travel, and I am looking for ideas on how to find the leak. Or maybe some preventative treatments to try before I open up my ceiling.

Thanks for your input.

[tbasc]

Decks over conditioned spaces are an invitation for trouble. We're working on several replacements for this kind of installation. I'd look at the edges of the " heavy black liner " for lapses in closure. TB

[PipeDown]

Could the wind have forced water (uphill) into an area not normally a problem? If so it might not happen often but indicates more places to look (consider the direction the wind was blowing during the storm).

You may want to open the cieling anyway to make sure it dries fast and mold does not have a chance to get a foothold. A good soaking with Lysol can head that problem off at the pass. Tracing the wetness back to an exterior wall is the best and most reliable way to find a leak, unfortunately it is also the most destructive.

[tmurf.1]

You will have to open up the ceiling to fix it anyway and it will give you a very good view of where the water is comming from. My money is on the deck supports causing the leak. Good luck

[Christopher H. Laco]

I have a somewhat similiar problem. A heavy rain causes water to get in between the header/window on the floor below. As it turns out, when they build the house, they did the deck before the siding was put on.

The desk is screwed directly to the side of the house... and there is no flashing or covering in that small space between the first deckboard, below the sliding dorrs to the deck, and the footer boards below.

Luckily for me, the deck is constructed cheesily enough I can pry up the first deck board, and put a channel under/behind it to get the water away...

-=Chris