Exposed bricks and steel bars: Bukit Batok flat residents exasperated by plaster falling off ceiling like 'snow'

While Singapore does not have the four seasons, the residents of this Bukit Batok HDB flat have been experiencing 'snow' in the form of crumbling plaster falling off their ceiling.

Su, who has been living in a flat on the top floor of Block 212 Bukit Batok Street 21 for almost a decade, told Shin Min Daily News that the plaster of his kitchen ceiling has been peeling off for the past two to three years.

As a result, the steel bars embedded in the concrete slab have been exposed in one section of the ceiling.

A Shin Min reporter who visited the unit observed that the peeling plaster would fall onto the refrigerator and washing machine placed below the affected area.

Flakes of plaster from another section of the ceiling would also fall onto an area close to the clothing rack.

Plaster pieces dropping every day

Worried that their food and clothes would be dirtied by the plaster, Su's tenants said that they would have to wipe off the fallen pieces of plaster almost every day.

Besides the kitchen, he said that the plaster on his master bedroom ceiling started falling off and onto the bed like "snowflakes" a few days ago.

"Although it did not hit anyone, it has affected us," said the homeowner.

Su added that he suspects the problem might be caused by leakage from the building's water tank, pointing out that large areas of his ceiling had been stained by grey marks that are believed to be water stains.

"The flat underwent the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) before the pandemic, but we did not experience this issue at that time," he explained.

The programme helps homeowners resolve common maintenance problems of ageing flats such as spalling concrete and ceiling leakage.

A quick check by AsiaOne found that the HDB block Su lives in completed its construction in 1984.

Spalling concrete a common issue for older buildings 

His father told the Chinese paper that they had reported the problem to the relevant authorities several times in the past, but were unable to resolve the situation. It was not reported who these authorities were.

According to Su, water would also leak from the section of the exposed ceiling in the kitchen during heavy rains.

The tenants added that sewage would occasionally drip onto the washing machine or refrigerator, and even their washed clothes would also be stained by the fallen plaster.

Fortunately, Su revealed that this situation has improved after the authorities dispatched staff to resolve the water leakage a month ago.

According to the Housing Development Board (HDB) website, spalling concrete is a common issue for older buildings especially in home areas with damp conditions such as kitchens and toilets.

Homeowners are responsible for the prevention and repair of any spalling concrete in their flat, where the issue can be prevented with regular maintenance.

If the affected area is large, a contractor should be engaged to repair the ceiling promptly before more concrete dislodges and causes injury. If left unattended, it will spread to a bigger area and weaken the building structure.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com