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[bioteacher]

It would depend on which way the framing boards run. A stud finder can help you determine that.

[soymilk]

Thanks everyone for your response so far. I have not had time to do the "bucket test" yet (sounds like a great idea) but my best guess at the moment is that the problem is in the faucet. The Spouse actually likes the idea of removing the entire ceiling in the lower bathroom, thereby providing the opportunity to completely replace the popcorn ceiling. However, I had not considered the mold spore release issue..scary..

[spork]

Mold toxicity is an overblown issue, which is why insurance companies refuse to cover demoldification claims. Unless you have leaks elsewhere, standing water, or a supertight house without a dehumidifier, mold spores aren't going to be a problem.

[oldadjunct]

Mold toxicity is an overblown issue, which is why insurance companies refuse to cover demoldification claims. Unless you have leaks elsewhere, standing water, or a supertight house without a dehumidifier, mold spores aren't going to be a problem.

Something along this crossed my mind.  I will grant anyone that they have had mold problems.  But I have owned  I don't  know 15 houses?  I have 10 or 15 friends who have owned a similar number of homes.  Nope, not a single one of us has had a mold problem. 

Take the ceiling down, run the water upstairs and fix the problem.  Stop running scared.

[anon99]

The Spouse actually likes the idea of removing the entire ceiling in the lower bathroom, thereby providing the opportunity to completely replace the popcorn ceiling.

If the popcorn ceiling hasn't been painted, it is super easy to scrape it off.  It might apply to painted ones as well.

[monarda]

If you don't have one already, you should make (or have a handyman make) an access panel on the wall behind the tub faucet/drain. It's rather easy to make a nice looking one, and if it's in a linen closet or something like that it doesn't even need to look so nice. It'll be close to the floor and can be made so it is not even noticeable.  Then open it up and take a look in there when someone's in the bath.

We had a small leak when we showered, but not when we bathed. Ours turned out to be the caulking around the faucet handles. Easy to fix. My guess is that it's your drain or overflow drain that needs tightening, if it's true that  the leak only is noticeable when you have a lot of water in the tub. If it also happens with a shower, then you can blame the faucet.

And I'm with spork and oldadjunct - mold toxicity overblown. Open up the ceiling so it can dry out. End of (potential) mold problem.  Also, there is nothing wrong with two-handled faucets.

[biomancer]

As a microbiologist & hazmat technician, here's what I'd do about that ceiling:

Go to your favorite hardware/home improvement store and get (if you do not already have):
1 - a pair of goggles (chem-lab style) or at least good safety glasses that wrap around your eyes.
2 - a dust mask.
3 - a scroll saw or other small saw for cutting holes in your ceiling drywall/sheetrock
4 - a tarp to cover the surface below where you're working.
5 - a shop-vac.

Pull on old clothes and a hat (or at least a doo-rag to keep the yuck out of your hair).  Wear the first two while you use the third to make a mess on the fourth as you tear down that ceiling.  Then use the fifth to clean up the mess when you're done, and hit the showers and wash everything you're wearing.

[biologist_]

Mold can be a very big deal.  Some of my friends suffered minor flooding after a hurricane consisting of a few inches of water on the bottom floor of the house.  No big deal in itself, but they were unable to dry the carpets, etc. out for over a week due to widespread power outages.  The subsequent mold problem left the entire family with asthma, which they did not have before, and 10+ years later, the entire house and everything in it smells of mold.

Take care of the leak ASAP and make sure to dry or dispose of any water-damaged drywall or other materials.  Don't leave that stuff inside the walls.

[bioteacher]

If you open it up and find a mold orgy, I'd make a 10% bleach solution to spray on all of it before you finish the demolition. It will help kill everything that is there.

If you have allergies to mold already, have someone else do the work.

Have you located an access panel yet?

[biomancer]

If you open it up and find a mold orgy, I'd make a 10% bleach solution to spray on all of it before you finish the demolition. It will help kill everything that is there.

If you have allergies to mold already, have someone else do the work.

Have you located an access panel yet?

Yes.  This.  I had a mold problem in my basement (due to 4" of water and saturated carpeting), and my response to it was similar to what I outlined above, plus bleaching the bejeezus out of everything.

[madhatter]

Nobody knows what the problem is until you rip open the wall or ceiling and take a look inside. When we had a similar leak, it turned out that the problem was that the bathtub's waste pipe had two PVC segments that were joined by duct tape (!) of all things. A knuckleheaded plumbing move that was easy to fix yet caused plenty of collateral damage.

[wilbrish]

The experience in my neighborhood was that one component of all of our upstairs plumbing failed for every homeowner, after 10-15 years.  So, I had collective wisdom of the neighbors to ask when mine failed.  It may be the case for you, too, OP, if you ask around.

[afm_man]

The code issue with the faucet is likely incorrect.  I would assume your old stuff is grandfathered in.

I guess reading this, if it is the faucet, will cutting the ceiling help (yes it needs to be replaced, but that is only going to let you access the drain)?  I would think the faucet would be accessed through the wall, but I really do not know your layout.

One quick thought, could it be the stems on the faucet that have gone bad?  If so, these are rather cheap and quick to replace.  Don't care how old they are, there will be replacement stems or rebuild kits available.  I just replaced a stem from a Crane faucet that has not been made since the 60s. 

An earlier post had some good suggestions on finding the source of the leak.  I'd do that.

[soymilk]

Thanks everyone. The opened the ceiling in the lower bath, then the plumber came in to do the work. The problem was in the drain in the upstairs bath. There is extensive water damage between the floors, but not much mold. Once the ceiling was opened it also became clear that there was an electrical outlet problem (we had heard this before, and thought we had it fixed, but it turns out the outlet was in the wrong place). We are taking this opportunity to do some remodeling of both baths with some inheritance money (spouse's, not mine). I have never had a remodel job so this will be a new experience...

[clean]

The joys of home ownership!

Good luck on this!  Like many things, it will feel a lot better once it is done!