Had the same headache last year:
- Thought it was a fresh leak, but nope... ancient stain haunting me.
- Tried regular paint twice, total waste of time.
- Kilz primer finally did the trick, wish I'd known sooner.
You're definitely not alone in this!
Kilz is definitely a lifesaver for stubborn stains, but sometimes even primer won't fully solve the mystery. Had a client once who swore up and down it was an old stain—turned out there was a tiny, sneaky leak hidden behind insulation. Took forever to track down. If you're ever unsure, pencil-mark the edges of the stain lightly; if it grows beyond your marks after rain, you've got yourself a fresh leak. Otherwise, congrats—you're officially haunted by stains past...
"Had a client once who swore up and down it was an old stain—turned out there was a tiny, sneaky leak hidden behind insulation."
Had something similar happen last summer. Client insisted the stain was ancient, but every heavy rain it seemed just a little darker. We ended up doing a water test on the roof—sprayed sections one by one until we found the culprit. Ever tried that approach? It can save you from chasing ghosts (or leaks past...) all day.
I've done the water test thing before, but sometimes it's tricky pinpointing exactly where to start spraying. Do you usually go bottom-up or top-down when testing? I've heard mixed opinions on what's more effective...
I've been there with the water test confusion—honestly, it can feel like chasing ghosts sometimes. Personally, I've found starting from the bottom and slowly working upwards helps me narrow things down better. The water tends to run downwards anyway, so if you start spraying at the top first, it's harder to know exactly where the leak originates... everything just ends up wet.
Last summer, I spent hours spraying around a window frame convinced that's where the leak was coming from. Turns out, it was actually an old crack in the siding a good two feet higher. Took me way too long to figure that out! Starting lower and moving up gradually might've saved me some frustration.
Have you tried marking suspected areas with chalk or tape before spraying? That's helped me keep track of spots I've already ruled out. Might make your process a little less chaotic...
