Anti-Condensation Cluster
Cold Water Pipe Sweating & Insulation — Stop the Drip Before It Stains Your Ceiling
Brown patches on your bathroom or kitchen ceiling almost always come from cold water pipes running above. The pipe is colder than dew point, condensation forms on it, drips onto the ceiling gypsum, and slowly stains through. You don't have a leak — you have unlagged pipework.
Confirm it's pipe sweating (not a leak)
Note where the stain is — directly under a bathroom/kitchen above? Along a straight line? Turn off the water main for 2 hours; if the stain stops growing and ceiling dries, it's pipe sweating. If the ceiling still gets wet with water off, it's a real leak — call a plumber first.
The two-part fix
Part 1 — Pipe insulation sleeve (S$120 per pipe run): access via ceiling hatch, wrap with closed-cell PE foam sleeve 13mm minimum, seal joints with vapour-tight tape. Part 2 — Shield22 Pro on the ceiling (S$450 per bathroom, optional): raises ceiling surface above dew point if the pipe is inaccessible or already heavily stained.
When to open the ceiling vs treat from below
Open the ceiling if there are 3+ stain points along the pipe run or the drywall is soft. Treat from below only if one small stain and drywall is still firm — Shield22 Pro on the ceiling below can hold indefinitely if the pipe drip is minor.
Kitchen vs bathroom differences
Bathroom: short vertical pipe run to shower/basin. Cost S$120–240 for full lag. Kitchen: often long horizontal runs; higher humidity from cooking. Cost S$240–480 depending on layout.
Shield22 Pro — the coating that stops condensation at source
Thermal micro-ceramic coating that raises the surface temperature above dew point so airborne moisture stops condensing. From S$18/m². 5-year condensation-free warranty. Non-toxic, low-VOC, safe for occupied rooms.
Related in the Anti-Condensation cluster
Frequently Asked Questions
- Won't wrapping the pipes reduce water pressure?
- No. Sleeves fit around the outside — no restriction to internal flow.
- Can I DIY?
- For accessible under-sink pipes, yes — hardware stores sell 13mm PE sleeves. For concealed pipes inside ceilings, you'll need controlled access which usually justifies calling us.
- How long do sleeves last?
- 10+ years indoors.
- Will fixing the pipe stop existing ceiling mould?
- It stops NEW moisture. Existing mould needs antimicrobial treatment — see /ceiling-mould-removal.