Hey folks, here's the story:

My upstairs neighbors have a portable washer/dryer unit that they drain into their bathtub. Apparently the hose fell out of the tub the other day and the water flowed all over the bathroom floor. Over the course of about two days the water seeped into the floor and through my ceiling and upper wall. It wasn't enough to drip, but it opened up several cracks and stained the area around those cracks yellow.

My question is, can I slap some paint over these and call it a day, or is there likely to be more extensive damage? I feel like I should call in a pro to figure out how bad it is, just to be sure I don't get stuck with a bill sometime in the future. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Michael

 

It would be helpful to know if the walls and ceiling are plaster or drywall.
If drywall don't be too hasty, It might sag and need replaced.
If plaster probably it will be fine unless it is over wood lath. If over wood lath the lath will bend and buckle and break the keys that hold the plaster to the lath. It will sag in time and probably need replaced before it lets loose completely.

I will leave the paint questions to the painters among us.

Do you rent an apartment or is this a condominium?

If you rent it the landlord should know about this. They may have their own preferred tradesmen.

 

I'm pretty sure they're plaster, but don't know about the lath. And the apartment's a rental. I didn't want to throw my neighbor under the bus but it sounds like I'll need to let the landlady know and have it checked out properly. Thanks.