Hougang HDB Flat Ceiling Leaks & Grows Stalactites, Authorities Yet To Resolve Matter
Sudeshna Dhar- 31 Jan 2023, 2:25 pm
After leaking for two years, ‘stalactites’ began growing from the ceiling of an HDB flat in Hougang.
Speaking with Shin Min Daily News, the homeowner said he suspected upstairs renovation work to be the cause of the phenomenon.
Authorities have allegedly yet to resolve the matter.
‘Stalactites’ grow from Hougang HDB ceiling
Shin Min Daily News reports that the incident occurred at a unit located on the seventh floor of Block 127 in Serangoon North.The owner, Mr Wu, had lived in it for more than three decades with no issues until around two years ago when the ceiling in the kitchen began leaking.
As he rarely entered the room, he was unable to discover the problem when it first started.
By the time he did notice something amiss, the ceiling had already begun sporting small bumps.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
A few days ago, he’d returned only to find bubble-like marks appearing on the ceiling as well as several rock formations resembling stalactites.
Mr Wu eventually ended up placing buckets beneath them to contain the leakage.
Authorities unable to find source of leakage
Mr Wu told Shin Min Daily News that he initially contacted the authorities after discovering the issue in September 2022.Despite inspecting the scene, they were allegedly unable to find the source of the leakage.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
He had originally intended to rent out one of the rooms to a couple after the New Year but ended up revoking the offer.
“I was worried that the water leakage would affect them and I didn’t know when it would be repaired,” he explained.
When asked about the likeliest cause, Mr Wu said it could be the renovation his neighbour from above had done back in 2015.
At the time, the renovation had been so vigorous that it allegedly caused the lights in his master bedroom and toilet to fall, with cracks forming on the ceiling.
Although the decorator helped him repair them after, Mr Wu suspected that other cracks may have formed, leading to the leakage.
“I hope the authorities can find out the problem as soon as possible and try to solve it, otherwise the water leakage will cause me a lot of trouble,” he said.
Neighbour denies responsibility for leakage
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Mr Wu’s neighbour said authorities sent someone by last year to check for the source of the leakage.They were apparently unaware of the situation as Mr Wu had never reported it before.
Tests went on for more than three months, involving the use of a water pipe to guide water out of the sink.
Eventually, the tests revealed that Mr Wu’s neighbour was not responsible for the issue.
They added that they cooperated with the authorities fully, only requesting that they remove the equipment two weeks ago in light of Chinese New Year.
An expert told Shin Min Daily News that water droplets containing calcium carbonate may eventually form stone formations over the years.
Another consultant said there could be a problem with the ceiling’s waterproof layer. Its durability often depends on the quality of the construction.
As a result, he suggested that Mr Wu check on the layer regularly and carry out renovation work for it.
