The unit above
An upstairs toilet seal, tub drain, washing machine or water heater is the most common source of a ceiling stain in a lower unit.
Read more: condo ceiling leak repair
Condos and townhomes from the late '70s and '80s near Peterson Park, with several HOAs and plenty of shared walls and roofs. Get connected with local contractors who find the source, document it for the right association, and rebuild your ceiling.
Cimmaron Oaks, also spelled Cimarron Oaks, is a community of condos and townhomes in north Diamond Bar, along streets like Sylvan Glen Road, Cleghorn Drive, High Knob Road and Monument Canyon Drive, and on Golden Springs Drive. Carlton J. Peterson Park, with the city's 10,000-square-foot skate park, is right on Sylvan Glen Road, and Diamond Point Elementary is nearby.
The units were built in phases from the late 1970s through the late 1980s, mostly two- and three-bedroom plans, many of them two-story townhomes and some with living space over the garages. Each phase has its own association, and what the dues cover varies: one association includes trash, water and roof coverage; another covers fire insurance and exterior maintenance.
Ceiling repair in Cimmaron Oaks means working out which unit or common area the water came from, which of the several HOAs is involved and what it covers, then drying and rebuilding your ceiling once that's settled.
An upstairs toilet seal, tub drain, washing machine or water heater is the most common source of a ceiling stain in a lower unit.
Read more: condo ceiling leak repair
A single roof covers several units, so one failed flashing can show up in more than one ceiling. Where the HOA covers the roof, report it to them first.
Read more: roof leak detection
Units that haven't been re-piped have supply lines that are 35 to 45 years old. Pinholes and fittings inside shared walls and ceilings are hard to spot until they stain.
Read more: ceiling pipe leaks
Where living space sits over garages, a leak can show in the garage ceiling first. Garage ceilings attached to living space are also often fire-rated, so they're rebuilt with the right drywall.
Read more: garage ceiling repair
HOAs, stacked units and shared roofs.
Not necessarily. Some Cimmaron Oaks associations include roof coverage in the dues, which usually means the association handles the roof itself. Whether it also pays for the drywall, paint and belongings inside your unit depends on your CC&Rs and the association's insurance. Ask the manager for the maintenance chart or the relevant CC&R section.
The community was built in phases and tracts, so there are separate associations (for example Cimmaron Oaks I and Cimarron Oaks VII and VIII), each with its own documents, dues and rules. Make sure you're talking to the one that covers your building.
In stacked townhomes with living space over garages, a ceiling leak usually comes from the unit or roof above you, not below. Check whether your upstairs neighbor has a bathroom, laundry or water heater over the wet spot, and look for staining in the garage ceiling below too.
Most units were built between the late 1970s and the late 1980s. Some owners have had units re-piped; others still have original plumbing, which is now 35 to 45 years old.
You'll see both spellings on listings and HOA documents. They refer to the same community off Golden Springs Drive near Peterson Park.
Yes. Ceiling contractors commonly share photos, moisture readings and a written scope so the association, your neighbor and any insurers are looking at the same facts.