Cobbitty Building
Inspections

A ceiling stain under an upstairs shower

Tracing water from a first floor wet area to the room below, without lifting a tile.

Cobbitty 2570 · 27 May 2026

In short: A defect investigation in Holsworthy traced pantry ceiling staining to water escaping the first floor shower above.

The symptom

A homeowner in Holsworthy, in south west Sydney, noticed staining on the pantry ceiling. The first floor shower recess sat directly above it.

Reading the pattern

The stain pattern pointed to water coming from above rather than condensation in the pantry, which narrowed the search to the shower.

What the investigation covered

The shower, its floor waste, tile joints and screen were examined and the ceiling below was recorded with photographs and moisture readings.

Why it matters for Cobbitty owners

Nearly every new Cobbitty home has an ensuite upstairs. The same failure would show in the same way, on the ceiling of the room below.

What comes next

The report sets out the likely cause and who should rectify it. If the builder disputes it, the next step may be an expert witness report for NCAT.

Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Cobbitty. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.

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FAQ

Questions Cobbitty owners ask about this

Will you need to remove tiles?

No. The investigation is non destructive, and it says when opening up is needed to confirm the cause.

Can a stain dry out and be ignored?

A dry stain still means water got out. The cause needs to be fixed or it will return.

Is this covered by warranty?

Waterproofing failures in NSW can be major defects with a six year warranty, depending on their effect.

Can you use a thermal camera?

Yes, where it helps to map moisture spread.

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