Thread: Water stain on basement drop ceiling next to exterior wall

The exterior is brick veneer & wood siding with a chimney adjacent. A small stain on the drop ceiling next to wall & mark on the floor joist as well. The exterior wall looks fine. where is the water from? Condensate or leaking? 1988 house

Thanks

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I can see the middle picture fairly well but are having trouble putting the 1st and 3rd pics into perspective of what I am looking at.

Do you have a picture from a higher angle showing the junction of the wood siding and the brick?

Originally Posted by Peter Louis

The exterior is brick veneer & wood siding with a chimney adjacent. A small stain on the drop ceiling next to wall & mark on the floor joist as well. The exterior wall looks fine. where is the water from? Condensate or leaking? 1988 house

Thanks

.
The Stain on the Ceiling Tile appears too large for condensation , I'd look for leak.
.

What if the tile was not stained at that location?

Could it be by the masonry chimney which cold draft caused spot condensate? or previous leaking from chimney flashing

My thoughts as well.

Originally Posted by Eric Barker

What if the tile was not stained at that location?

The transition from siding to veneer can certainly be a trouble spot. But you say the ceiling is leaking, isn't that below the ceiling?

With 1st and 3rd, post some far away photos, so I can visualize what I am looking at.

In a building that size, I agree that it is not condensation... unless there is a leaking condensation drain or some other unusual condition.

The dropped ceiling usually is added to cover up a bunch of unsightly ducts and plumbing pipes. The stains are usually from dripping plumbing pipes. Sometimes the copper cold pipe will sweat a bit, but more likely it was a leak, maybe a dripping drain pipe.

At sea level in Southern BC, brickwork against a wall doesn't get cold enough to cause condensation. Any moisture behind bricks will be due to rain leaking in.