1st Floor Leak from 2nd Floor

[wilmetted]

I came back from work today and I noticed an inflated air bubble in the kitchen. When I took a closer look, it looks and feels that it's full of water and it started leaking a bit.
I checked the upstairs bathrooms but there are no sign of leakage anywhere near the shower,the Bathtub, the toilet bowls or under the sinks in both bathrooms. The master bathroom is directly above the kitchen. As you know tearing out the ceiling would be a hugh pain so I want to avoid that if at all possible. Does anyone have any ideas? I have attached a picture just to give people an idea of what is going on. Also the house is less than 5 years old. Could this by any chance be covered under warranty? Somehow, I find it hard to understand the 10 year warranty for Ryan homes. If I have to get a professional to fix this, how much would I be looking at?

[jnaas2]

That is a water leak, call your warranty company first to give them the option to fix it. The drywall thats bubbled will need to be removed and replaced since its now water logged.

[Redwood]

You might want to get the water shut off....

[Kman]

Never seen one like that.

As previously advised, the ceiling is damaged anyway, so it's now best to cut it out. It's possible you'll be able to see the source of the leak through the hole, then you'll be better able to make a decision from there.

Get a five-gallon bucket and have someone hold it underneath that bulge in the ceiling and poke it with a knife. If you're lucky, you can carefully drain the excess water and dry the rest with a towel. Then cut the ceiling out with a utility knife or drywall saw to make a hole big enough to see into the space between the ceiling and upper floor.

Let us know what you find and we can better advise you from there. If it's a water supply line that's leaking, be prepared to shut the water off to your house until the leak is fixed.

Contact your insurance company as it's likely they'll pay for any repairs and restoration, minus your deductible.

[pushkins]

Don't forget to put down something to catch any wayward water when trying to catch the water....if you have laminate or wood floors you don't want to add trouble to them as well.