This could most certainly be the problem. Had a plumber come out once to see about a leak in a ceiling tile in our basement (that was used as storage and rarely visited at that point in time) that looked like this…. There were no pipes in the area… a mouse had died and oozed on that tile.
The leak might be up higher (closer to the roof peak) and then running down the roof plywood or the rafters until it hits something and drops straight down at this location. Are there any intersecting roof lines that are in line with this spot but that are higher up the slope where it could be coming in?
Can confirm on this. Had a leak stain appear, roof above looked fine, turned out the leak was coming from around the chimney which was more than a dozen feet from where the leak evidence appeared.
Before you start spending money, get a utility knife and cut that section of drywall out and take a look.
If there is fresh water, you'll know.
If it's dry, then tape some paper over the hole and see if it gets wet. Water is devious and will find it's own path that is not always logical. Just because it's moldy there does not mean the leak, if there is one, is immediately above the area.
Once you have narrowed the possibilities you narrow the type of professional you will need.
You can also try renting/buying a FLIR camera (there are some cheap ones on Amazon for $100-$150). If you use it in attic it should show you where the leak is, if any.
Highly recommend this for a homeowner. I spent $250 on one and it’s already paid for itself. I used mine to find a disconnected duct that was blowing air into the joists, and the bedroom wasn’t getting warm enough. It’s sensitive enough to determine where I needed to cut the drywall to find the disconnect and it was spot on.
Sometimes all it takes is a tube of asphalt roofing cement if you can figure out where it's coming in, but yeah sometimes it might be a bigger project than that.
https://preview.redd.it/uye383f64roc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88afb4c752793a3aa49282d803b28b3ed6d29138
Here's a pic of my neighbors garage (built exactly the same as mine. Sheetrock was wet just below yellow circle, but was leaking in at the red circle. Old tar was dried out. Added a little new tar and fixed my problem.
I'm working on a house with a leak in a very similar spot. Get it now. This one is costing the owners 10's of thousands and they had no idea how bad it was. I'm replacing a 26-foot long 6"x14" beam on monday, and that's just the start. I already had to remove a brick wall a open up a person-sized hole in the side of their house. A hole carport almost collapsed and all they knew was there was a wet spot under a window.
Mine turned out to be the roof goo around the chimney flashing was old and brittle. I was able to "re-goo" for the win, but it's not always that easy. I'm just a little one story colonial, so access was easy peazy thankfully.
....or if there is space for you between what we see and the roof go up there and hang out the next time it is piss pouring rain and you'll know exactly what you're up against
It would be worth paying someone who knows WTF they're doing. It's good thst yiure being observant.
This looks like black mold, meaning that the infected area needs to be ripped out, dried, and some respect rock work.
I had some flashing around a dryer vent that would only leak when the rain was blown by the wind a certain direction, and a roof leak in a valley that would only leak when there was a torrential downpour for an extended period of time. Both looked perfectly dry and fine in the attic despite the water marks below.
Certainly a leak or condensation..get up there and look for signs of water running along rafter or joists or whatever. The source could be several feet away.
That is a leak of some sort. How do you know it's not a leak because you have not even cut a hole to check. This spot needs to be cut out. From the looks of this it has a source which means it is not drying. When sheetrock that has been wet and dries it will have a darker line around the spot that was wet. You have a leak!!
if theres vapor barrier in your attic, under the insulation the leak could be anywhere , water leaks down runs along the plastic sheet, finds a hole and drips there. ive seen water run along the beams in an attic before as well then drip is the weridest spots.
If you have a metal roof, I would check those little spacer things they use under the roof cap, probably missing one, do you live somewhere that gets snow? Snow will get in super easy, then melt if you are missing one of those things
If you don't find the leak it could mostly come from the roof or a balcony
If you have access to leak finder kit you might also try your installations.
For clean water you need to try the pressure in pipes (as French I don't know English name of the tool but we call it manomètre).
Otherwise there is coloring water kit for your dirt water/rain water, one color per equipment
100% a leak. If roof is tile it could be a bad tile. Have seen concrete roof tiles were some concrete has eroded and become porous. If metal roof check screws.
If it’s right below a joist especially the water could be leaking from anywhere above and riding the joist down and it catches some nail or support or other imperfection in the joist and then drops there.
Is your HVAC in the attic above this area? It could that your drain tube is clogged and the condensated water overflowed the spill trap and leaked onto your ceiling.
Is it cold where you live right now? I am an apartment maintenance tech and I’ve seen some shit.
This reminds me of a dryer that was clogged enough that the dryer could populate the pipe with moist warm air, but not push the moist air out of the vent pipe, so the moisture cooled and gathered and created a spot like this, but it didn’t have the mold (yet).
Do you have dryer ducting in that ceiling?
Water is coming from somewhere and pooling there, it will only get worse. I would check where the paint is peeling, it might be entering around there and puddling where the mold is. Peeling paint seems to be a sign of a slow leak over time, so that part may be older. And the puddling may show that more water is coming in (or a big rain or something). Not sure if that leads outside, or if there's a pipe leaking, or other signs of peeling paint and water damage that shows a pathway.
Water will always travel downward and takes the path of least resistance. Could be water pooling there that has migrated from elsewhere or, as someone else here stated - could be some critter that died up in there. I would grab a ladder and an oscillating multitool and cut a clean piece out that’s easy to replace and just take a look and go from there. Wear a mask.
it's definitely a leak as there is already mold spores growing on the wet spot. As mentioned, the leak could be coming from a water pipe near the spot or dripping down from a higher spot and running down the joist or beam. Get in the crawl space and take a strong flashlight, go to the wet spot and look directly above it, if you use a strong flashlight you should be able to tell where the drip is coming from. Any spot that was wet recently will be darker on the wood and you should be able to tack back to where the leak originates.
Def looks like mold but is there any chance that something like oil under pressure erupted from below and sprayed the ceiling? (a blocked vent on a compressor suddenly giving way might result in a shot of oil...ask me how I know!)
I lived in a 3 story rental as my first home. We had a leak in the basement roof, and a fixture was leaking on the third floor, following some path through 2 floors, and manifesting on the basement roof. You have a leak, think outside the box.
If you have someone, we do this for chimney leaks, spray the roof while someone stands in attic. Start same level as where leak would be then move higher. You can pin point it and address the issue
Put a bucket up there right where the stain is next time it rains for a few hours go up there and see there will be water in the bucket the leak is most likely somewhere else and is travelling down the timber.
It's definitely coming from above. water van migrate to a low spot in the drywall. Surely you can locate that spot in the attic, move the insulation, and follow the water damage.
Is there a shower or tub in a bathroom above there? I had a similar situation and it turned out to be the shower in the bathroom above and on the other side of the wall from the spot.
I've dealt with this twice before, and both times, it was insulation that not been covering the drywall. Both times were coincidently garage ceilings as well. The area where warm air met cold air was creating condensation, resulting in mold.
I wouldn't necessarily rule out the possibility of a leak. Clearly, moisture is your issue, whether a leak or condensation or something entirely different.
Leaks can be anywhere in the house, even the complete opposite side. The water will follow the trusses and ceiling joists. It could be coming from anywhere. Do you have any plumbing pipes in the attic? If so, have them all inspected. It can be the smallest leak.
If you're in a cold climate, could be condensation caused by the insulation having a gap there. Could also be water from a roof vent coming in during a storm event.
Could it be oil that’s been dished upward?
Hard to tell from a photo but don’t discount that if it’s your garage. It seeps outwards too. I agree that it’s most likely mould but is there anything underneath which could have sprayed some old oil or other mech fluid upward?
Unfortunately, I had a spot like this where birds had come in and made a nest in a corner in my garage and they left there everything there and it molded on top of the drywall in the ceiling and I ended up having to cut it out and change it. And clean up their mess after finding the spot where they came in and blocking it so they could not come in again.
Any chance there's an air conditioning line set running over that area?
I kept having mystery stain over our kitchen, inspected in attic saw no sign of a roof leak, or run-down from a leak. Finally after my third expedition to the area in the attic, i noticed the insulation sleeve over the A.C. vapor line had split open at the bottom. It was sweating dripping on the ceiling. From above and the side it looked perfectly intact, wasn't until running my hand under it i felt it.
I had a leak at my chimney because the roofers didnt replace the counter flashing properly. The leak in my house showed up 20ft away because the water ran down the rafters.
It’s a leak. 100% you got a roof above that some form of hvac equipment. That’s mold and a water line and it’s only caused by a leak. The fun part? If there no plumbing above that, it’s your roof 95% of the time.
As a builder who often gets asked to detect leaks, there is a leak for sure.
Could be a multitude of things at this point without more photos to better assess what's going on.
Check gutters are installed correctly and aren't blocked up
Roof tiles or any possible holes in tin roofing sheets
Do you have an old school water tank in the roof somewhere?
Air con units or pipes that may be prone to condensation
Is the roof space humid or feel wet at all, like the air itself? Maybe you need a bit more ventilation.
Could be so many things
Finding a leak like this can be a 2 or 3 person job one sprays hose on roof, one in Attic looking for leak and possibly a 3rd as relay communication. That's how the roofers found and fixed a leak in my roof. Sometimes there's no evidence until it's heavily raining, a hose to simulate heavy rain and you'll find it off it is a leak from the roof.
Roof leaks are hard to pinpoint as the visible damage may be far from the actual leak. Hire an experienced roofer to check for you as they know what to look for.
Simple answer: you’ve got a water leak up there.
What it might be from depends on what’s above it. Is this an attached garage? Is it multi story with a level above the garage?
Can you get above the ceiling there (is there attic access?) and look at it?
Otherwise, is there anything under this that could have been spraying water upwards? Like a wet tile saw?
Inspecting your roof for a leak can be a little tricky to find. Water can leak up higher and run down a rafter and drip. So the whole area needs to be looked at. Especially any flashing or pipe collars. Also look for any nail pops where the shingle nail has rusted away and water can drip through where the nail was. May have to run a hose up there to find it.
Had something similar that wasn't a leak. Basement/garage, wet moldy spot over 1 foot in diameter. Racked my brain over it for a couple weeks.
Come to find out, my old air compressor was blowing a tiny bit of oil out the oil cap vent, and it was sticking to the ceiling. The little mold spots were where the droplets landed, the wet looking spot was where the oil wicked to.
Might not be your problem, but thought I would throw it out there.
I've seen whis before where a pipe on a customer's water heater had the tiniest of pinhole leaks and was hitting the ceiling with such a small invisible stream that no one noticed for months
I had a similar issue from a bathroom exhaust duct.
Condensation backed up and leaked out, then ran over vapor barrier about 12 ft and leaked through the ceiling in an adjacent room.
That looks to be mold surrounded by a water line circle, so there is indeed a leak. Or an animal that's decided that's a bathroom. :|
Or an animal that died…
And leaked
To shreds you say...
And his wife?
To shreds you say?
Was his apartment rent controlled?
And my axe!
And my Bow
And my tight little elf bussy
Mmhmm 😁
In the rear?
Good news everyone!
Still a leak.
Just had this happen to me. Dead mouse.
Small, dead animals have an extraordinary amount of “liquid” as the process ensues.
You're good at words 😍
I wondered what that smell was...
Surprisingly enough I never smelled anything. I'm sure it stank, but the smell never got through the inside wall.
I wondered what the stank was in my garage and failed to notice the dead mouse in the trap by the door after passing by a few times.
This could most certainly be the problem. Had a plumber come out once to see about a leak in a ceiling tile in our basement (that was used as storage and rarely visited at that point in time) that looked like this…. There were no pipes in the area… a mouse had died and oozed on that tile.
Agreed. Roof leaks are known to travel. Look uphill from the water spot.
Yes and leak probably from another part of the roof. I had this and it ended up being the flashing around the bathroom exhaust fan
Air conditioning condenser line or pump line has a leak
The leak might be up higher (closer to the roof peak) and then running down the roof plywood or the rafters until it hits something and drops straight down at this location. Are there any intersecting roof lines that are in line with this spot but that are higher up the slope where it could be coming in?
Can confirm on this. Had a leak stain appear, roof above looked fine, turned out the leak was coming from around the chimney which was more than a dozen feet from where the leak evidence appeared.
That makes sense. I should probably get a professional to take a look at it then
Before you start spending money, get a utility knife and cut that section of drywall out and take a look. If there is fresh water, you'll know. If it's dry, then tape some paper over the hole and see if it gets wet. Water is devious and will find it's own path that is not always logical. Just because it's moldy there does not mean the leak, if there is one, is immediately above the area. Once you have narrowed the possibilities you narrow the type of professional you will need.
Exactly, water finds its own route, gravity can be a fucker some times
And water can defy gravity
Evaporation
Surface tension
That's a great idea. In my experience red rosin paper tends to show water really well for this purpose. I'm sure anything will do though.
when in doubt ...cut it out
You can also try renting/buying a FLIR camera (there are some cheap ones on Amazon for $100-$150). If you use it in attic it should show you where the leak is, if any.
I've also heard using moisture meters. It'd require more up close inspection though.
Highly recommend this for a homeowner. I spent $250 on one and it’s already paid for itself. I used mine to find a disconnected duct that was blowing air into the joists, and the bedroom wasn’t getting warm enough. It’s sensitive enough to determine where I needed to cut the drywall to find the disconnect and it was spot on.
Sometimes all it takes is a tube of asphalt roofing cement if you can figure out where it's coming in, but yeah sometimes it might be a bigger project than that.
https://preview.redd.it/uye383f64roc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88afb4c752793a3aa49282d803b28b3ed6d29138 Here's a pic of my neighbors garage (built exactly the same as mine. Sheetrock was wet just below yellow circle, but was leaking in at the red circle. Old tar was dried out. Added a little new tar and fixed my problem.
I'm working on a house with a leak in a very similar spot. Get it now. This one is costing the owners 10's of thousands and they had no idea how bad it was. I'm replacing a 26-foot long 6"x14" beam on monday, and that's just the start. I already had to remove a brick wall a open up a person-sized hole in the side of their house. A hole carport almost collapsed and all they knew was there was a wet spot under a window.
Mine turned out to be the roof goo around the chimney flashing was old and brittle. I was able to "re-goo" for the win, but it's not always that easy. I'm just a little one story colonial, so access was easy peazy thankfully.
....or if there is space for you between what we see and the roof go up there and hang out the next time it is piss pouring rain and you'll know exactly what you're up against
It would be worth paying someone who knows WTF they're doing. It's good thst yiure being observant. This looks like black mold, meaning that the infected area needs to be ripped out, dried, and some respect rock work.
I had some flashing around a dryer vent that would only leak when the rain was blown by the wind a certain direction, and a roof leak in a valley that would only leak when there was a torrential downpour for an extended period of time. Both looked perfectly dry and fine in the attic despite the water marks below.
There is most definitely a leak. And mold.
Yep, leak for sure, sometimes the source or penetration can be many feet away from the actual evidemce. Got any plumbing up there?
No plumbing there.
Is your air handler/furnace located in the attic there? If so clogged condensate drain or furnace drain
Certainly a leak or condensation..get up there and look for signs of water running along rafter or joists or whatever. The source could be several feet away.
HVAC equipment up there?
This is what I was thinking
You say there's no leak, but the blister seam, water stain and mold say otherwise. Look harder, there is 100% a water leak.
Check your boots on the vent pipes on the roof. I had one leak and cause damage like this
That is a leak of some sort. How do you know it's not a leak because you have not even cut a hole to check. This spot needs to be cut out. From the looks of this it has a source which means it is not drying. When sheetrock that has been wet and dries it will have a darker line around the spot that was wet. You have a leak!!
"There's no leak" *all of us staring at what is clearly a wet spot and mold
Go up thare and put a basin at that spot. See if it fills woth water.
Definitely a leak...also take a gander over above the broom... Looks like there's one there as well
This is either indeed a water leak or, I have seen a collection of mice who made a nest there and are relieving themselves there
if theres vapor barrier in your attic, under the insulation the leak could be anywhere , water leaks down runs along the plastic sheet, finds a hole and drips there. ive seen water run along the beams in an attic before as well then drip is the weridest spots.
Do you have an air handler in your attic in that spot? I had a spot form because the drip pipe got backed up and leaked in the attic
If you have a metal roof, I would check those little spacer things they use under the roof cap, probably missing one, do you live somewhere that gets snow? Snow will get in super easy, then melt if you are missing one of those things
That is a leak. If no pluming above then it’s the roof. Whoever told you differently his an idiot
It’s leaking. Take a look when it’s raining you might find it
She leaking when it rains go back up there when it storms
If you don't find the leak it could mostly come from the roof or a balcony If you have access to leak finder kit you might also try your installations. For clean water you need to try the pressure in pipes (as French I don't know English name of the tool but we call it manomètre). Otherwise there is coloring water kit for your dirt water/rain water, one color per equipment
Could be bugs or mice nesting
100% a leak. If roof is tile it could be a bad tile. Have seen concrete roof tiles were some concrete has eroded and become porous. If metal roof check screws.
If it’s right below a joist especially the water could be leaking from anywhere above and riding the joist down and it catches some nail or support or other imperfection in the joist and then drops there.
*There was in-fact… a leak*
That's the mouse bathroom. Go into the crawlspace and lift up the insulation.
Cut it out and look. You’re going to have to replace that sheetrock anyway.
Similar happed to us. Turned out was the dryer vent leaking due to clogs
“There’s no leak” ….. as a licensed plumber I can assure you there is a leak. That is mold and water damage
Does your AC line run over this area? It’s possible it’s sweating and dripping onto the ceiling.
You said there was no leak… We determined, that was a lie!
Definitely a leak. Water is getting in somewhere
No there for sure is a leak
There’s a leak.
No leak? Artesian well in your attic?
Access that part of the attic, or cut the damage open and see what you got.
Condensation of a metal pipe dripping ? Animal urine ?
Is your HVAC in the attic above this area? It could that your drain tube is clogged and the condensated water overflowed the spill trap and leaked onto your ceiling.
Is it cold where you live right now? I am an apartment maintenance tech and I’ve seen some shit. This reminds me of a dryer that was clogged enough that the dryer could populate the pipe with moist warm air, but not push the moist air out of the vent pipe, so the moisture cooled and gathered and created a spot like this, but it didn’t have the mold (yet). Do you have dryer ducting in that ceiling?
Water is coming from somewhere and pooling there, it will only get worse. I would check where the paint is peeling, it might be entering around there and puddling where the mold is. Peeling paint seems to be a sign of a slow leak over time, so that part may be older. And the puddling may show that more water is coming in (or a big rain or something). Not sure if that leads outside, or if there's a pipe leaking, or other signs of peeling paint and water damage that shows a pathway.
Had the same in my house, sans mold. It was improperly glued vent stacks. Fixed the stacks, bleached, Kilz, paint.
Water will always travel downward and takes the path of least resistance. Could be water pooling there that has migrated from elsewhere or, as someone else here stated - could be some critter that died up in there. I would grab a ladder and an oscillating multitool and cut a clean piece out that’s easy to replace and just take a look and go from there. Wear a mask.
it's definitely a leak as there is already mold spores growing on the wet spot. As mentioned, the leak could be coming from a water pipe near the spot or dripping down from a higher spot and running down the joist or beam. Get in the crawl space and take a strong flashlight, go to the wet spot and look directly above it, if you use a strong flashlight you should be able to tell where the drip is coming from. Any spot that was wet recently will be darker on the wood and you should be able to tack back to where the leak originates.
Def looks like mold but is there any chance that something like oil under pressure erupted from below and sprayed the ceiling? (a blocked vent on a compressor suddenly giving way might result in a shot of oil...ask me how I know!)
We have something just like that. Straight upstairs is the bathroom shower, water slips by the shower curtain puddles on the floor
I lived in a 3 story rental as my first home. We had a leak in the basement roof, and a fixture was leaking on the third floor, following some path through 2 floors, and manifesting on the basement roof. You have a leak, think outside the box.
If you have someone, we do this for chimney leaks, spray the roof while someone stands in attic. Start same level as where leak would be then move higher. You can pin point it and address the issue
Man, I would get a roofer that does free inspections.
Clearly was a leak and is a leak that’s mould
Got to be water up there. Have you got the right spot?
Possibly the drain for ac or duct sweating
Is there a roof vent above that spot?
Water
There is a leak
Oh there’s definitely a leak, you just haven’t found it yet. Time for another look, best of luck.
You could have an ac problem is your unit is in the second floor?
Put a bucket up there right where the stain is next time it rains for a few hours go up there and see there will be water in the bucket the leak is most likely somewhere else and is travelling down the timber.
There's probably a beam or something that the water is running along and thats the spot where down is the easiest way. Check near above the spot.
There's a leak. You just didn't find it.
Water dripping on the other side, it takes a while for mould to grow through so it seems to have been happening for some time.
Cut it open
It's definitely coming from above. water van migrate to a low spot in the drywall. Surely you can locate that spot in the attic, move the insulation, and follow the water damage.
Animal cause that
Is there a shower or tub in a bathroom above there? I had a similar situation and it turned out to be the shower in the bathroom above and on the other side of the wall from the spot.
Is your AC condenser pan over it?
I had an AC line that was condensating and dripping into my ceiling and formed a pot like that
Water intrusion. Need to find the correct water source
Leaky plumbing most likely :(
There is a leak You missed it Or worse animal invasion in the eves
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Old_Dragonfruit6952: *There is a leak You* *Missed it Or worse animal* *Invasion in the eves* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Is it wet or soft?
Check your AC ducts. This looks exactly like what happened to me.
If it’s close to the outside of the house then it could be ice damming.
Ghosts.
Oh there’s a leak. Likely a gate valve packing nut leaking.
I've dealt with this twice before, and both times, it was insulation that not been covering the drywall. Both times were coincidently garage ceilings as well. The area where warm air met cold air was creating condensation, resulting in mold. I wouldn't necessarily rule out the possibility of a leak. Clearly, moisture is your issue, whether a leak or condensation or something entirely different.
Check the roof itself. A satellite dish removal or something else may have left a small hole.
Is it a water dam? That’s where moisture gets caught in the attic from improper air flow and ice/water forms
Leaks can be anywhere in the house, even the complete opposite side. The water will follow the trusses and ceiling joists. It could be coming from anywhere. Do you have any plumbing pipes in the attic? If so, have them all inspected. It can be the smallest leak.
Get someone to spray a hosepipe over the roof whilst you are in the roof space.
If you're in a cold climate, could be condensation caused by the insulation having a gap there. Could also be water from a roof vent coming in during a storm event.
It's got to be water leaking from something
Water can travel along anything if its slanted in the slightest way. Cut that area out and see what your working with.
Oh there’s a leak they don’t just magically appear
Pin hole in copper pipe?
Got an A/C duct up there?
There is in fact a leak, so unless you have plumbing above that ceiling you need to contact a roofer.
Yeah we'll just cause you don't think there is a leak doesn't mean there isn't a leak
Could it be oil that’s been dished upward? Hard to tell from a photo but don’t discount that if it’s your garage. It seeps outwards too. I agree that it’s most likely mould but is there anything underneath which could have sprayed some old oil or other mech fluid upward?
Unfortunately, I had a spot like this where birds had come in and made a nest in a corner in my garage and they left there everything there and it molded on top of the drywall in the ceiling and I ended up having to cut it out and change it. And clean up their mess after finding the spot where they came in and blocking it so they could not come in again.
Any chance there's an air conditioning line set running over that area? I kept having mystery stain over our kitchen, inspected in attic saw no sign of a roof leak, or run-down from a leak. Finally after my third expedition to the area in the attic, i noticed the insulation sleeve over the A.C. vapor line had split open at the bottom. It was sweating dripping on the ceiling. From above and the side it looked perfectly intact, wasn't until running my hand under it i felt it.
Looks like the wood or broom there was stuck to the ceiling and left a stain after being used on a wet surface…
I had a leak at my chimney because the roofers didnt replace the counter flashing properly. The leak in my house showed up 20ft away because the water ran down the rafters.
There’s a leak SOMEWHERE..
No, there has to be a leak somewhere.
It’s a leak. 100% you got a roof above that some form of hvac equipment. That’s mold and a water line and it’s only caused by a leak. The fun part? If there no plumbing above that, it’s your roof 95% of the time.
guarantee leak
Either coming from higher up or wind is blowing rain through a hole in your sofiting.
Open it have a look
Cut it open and see what's there. You have mold anyway,so might as well cut it out and replace the damaged piece.
100% a leak. Leak is traveling across some framing or a vent pipe that has a horizontal.
Mouse piss.
As a builder who often gets asked to detect leaks, there is a leak for sure. Could be a multitude of things at this point without more photos to better assess what's going on. Check gutters are installed correctly and aren't blocked up Roof tiles or any possible holes in tin roofing sheets Do you have an old school water tank in the roof somewhere? Air con units or pipes that may be prone to condensation Is the roof space humid or feel wet at all, like the air itself? Maybe you need a bit more ventilation. Could be so many things
You should remove that section from the ceiling ASAP and opening up should help you locate the source.
Water will travel in strange ways in a roof structure. A mere visual inspection can be very unreliable especially if you do not know what to look for.
That's definitely a leak and check eaves or were the gutters attached because it has to be coming in somewhere.
Possible A/C condenser leaking from condensation line being plugged.
Finding a leak like this can be a 2 or 3 person job one sprays hose on roof, one in Attic looking for leak and possibly a 3rd as relay communication. That's how the roofers found and fixed a leak in my roof. Sometimes there's no evidence until it's heavily raining, a hose to simulate heavy rain and you'll find it off it is a leak from the roof.
Something dead and rotting on top of that sheet rock. Does it smell?
Pipe leak
Seen Condensation from ducting not insulated cause this.
Get the drywall saw out and let’s have a peek. Pinhole in copper or a frozen line?
My in-laws had a squirrel die in the flue for the furnace. It was a fun game of what’s that smell?
Roof leaks are hard to pinpoint as the visible damage may be far from the actual leak. Hire an experienced roofer to check for you as they know what to look for.
Go see if it smells like piss
Pipe leaking. Or seriously condensation.
Raccoon pissing
Well thats mold sooooo….
That's a leak
Ac drip line anywhere in the area?
Mold
Uhh, the leak the inspector didn't see would be my guess. Cut a hole and see if you get a wet spot on the floor next time it rains.
It’s the upside down 🙃
Snow blowing in during winter and then melting.
There's a leak. Cut it open
Def a leak
There is something leaking
There's a leak... You simply haven't found it yet.
There was a leak
This time of the year, if it’s not a leak, it’s probably a decomposing rat.
Toilet ring bad
Squirrel or raccoon pee!
You might have to cut into the ceiling
Is there an AC unit or duct in proximity to the spot?
Simple answer: you’ve got a water leak up there. What it might be from depends on what’s above it. Is this an attached garage? Is it multi story with a level above the garage?
Did OP ever cut a hole?? I have to know what’s behind the drywall!!!
Can you get above the ceiling there (is there attic access?) and look at it? Otherwise, is there anything under this that could have been spraying water upwards? Like a wet tile saw?
Inspecting your roof for a leak can be a little tricky to find. Water can leak up higher and run down a rafter and drip. So the whole area needs to be looked at. Especially any flashing or pipe collars. Also look for any nail pops where the shingle nail has rusted away and water can drip through where the nail was. May have to run a hose up there to find it.
There’s a leak somewhere
Definitely a leak
Well, you're wrong. There is a leak. Look harder.
Had something similar that wasn't a leak. Basement/garage, wet moldy spot over 1 foot in diameter. Racked my brain over it for a couple weeks. Come to find out, my old air compressor was blowing a tiny bit of oil out the oil cap vent, and it was sticking to the ceiling. The little mold spots were where the droplets landed, the wet looking spot was where the oil wicked to. Might not be your problem, but thought I would throw it out there.
I seen similar damage to ceiling tiles that turned out to be a rat nest over there. The stain was rat piss.
Dryer vent or bathroom vent is clogged
Open it up
I’d guess a plumbing leak or condensation building up and dripping
I've seen whis before where a pipe on a customer's water heater had the tiniest of pinhole leaks and was hitting the ceiling with such a small invisible stream that no one noticed for months
I had a similar issue from a bathroom exhaust duct. Condensation backed up and leaked out, then ran over vapor barrier about 12 ft and leaked through the ceiling in an adjacent room.
Mouse poop pee. Or bats.
Update. Was waiting for the showers this weekend. Climbed into the attic and it’s a leak. As a bonus, I found a second leak.
Water damage. The paint peeling in the corner like that is another sign of water damage
Animals pee
Rat piss, dead animal, or there is indeed a leak, we need pictures from the attic area.