Rain getting in :(

[ZoeG]

Our south facing Sashes have been leaking away this past month and also some penetration damp spots on the upstairs south facing wall. I don't know whether to put it down to this freaky mad storm period and leave it all and re paint interior when dry, or get it all fixed ???...

Anyone else's house getting a kicking and wondering the same??

[Salsaboy]

A lot of properties are suffering like yours, but the weather is exceptionally bad. I would hold on for a bit if possible.

[Jah Lush]

Check your guttering. Usually helps.

[nxjen]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Check your guttering. Usually helps.

Totally agree. A recent leak through the ceiling of our house was a result of a defective gutter installation which Russell Perring fixed quickly and inexpensively. (A forum search should bring up his contact details)

[intexasatthe moment]

How I wish cleaning my guttering would be all we needed in my place . Sigh .

[ZoeG]

No guttering for this wall it's the rear wall of the tail bit that sticks out from these vicky terraces, so the roof pitches sideways above. I'm wondering if because the rain has been blown horizontally for a while in these damn storms,the water spots are appearing all over the wall rather than coming down from the top as it's just hitting small cracks?? Or it's seeping in from the top and finding a network of cracks inside the brick then emerging inside sometimes..

Can't see an end to the weather ! I think I'll get someone in before the plaster starts to suffer too. Thanks for the advice!

[fl0wer]

Our houses are taking some new extremes:

++ heat ++ in summer, which really bakes up the pointing (= mortar between bricks, chimney pots, and windowframes). The bricks and slates facing south can get as hot as a furnace.

Then ++ rain ++ , accompanied by strong gales hits horizontally, finding any crevices at all, wherever they are on the windward side.

Sharp frosts cause droplets left in the cracks to become ice, which being bulkier than water, loosens then breaks steadily more mortar away.

Soon creates deterioration indoors, so it needs attending to, and not on the cheap, or the building won't be cured.

[tfwsoll]

I agree with fl0wer. I had damp spots on my back wall during heavy downpours after I bought my flat. It wasn't until I had the room stripped of plaster that you could see there was no mortar behind the pointing in those places. In my case I suspect that it was either the previous owner covering up the defect or a the work of a cowboy builder.

[LuLu Too]

I can empathise ZoeG!

Similar problem here with south facing rear of house - rain water penetrating through poorly fitted windows.

I got a roofer round after it first happened during the St Jude storm in late October, it was he who advised that the problem was related to the windows and that the roof & guttering were fine. The main culprit then was the Juliet balcony door in the converted loft. Since then other windows at the rear have had water penetrating via the edges causing damage to paint & now plasterwork.

The windows were fitted less than year ago by the previous owner. I am trying to get the (fairly local)company to make good the problem with little luck at this stage! Thinking of just getting someone decent to sort the issue & coughing up the ???? : (

Hope this weather shifts soon. Also have fences to mend!

[fl0wer]

Lulu Too,

The name of your dud window-fitting company, can soon be mud, unless they get their team into gear to correct this defective work.

The customer paid for it in good faith.

The slow deterioration of the building's fabric as a result of their poor workmanship, will be MUCH more expensive for them as a liability, than them coming round and fixing the mistakes they made.

I think they are relying on you not feeling energetic/empowered enough to pursue them.

Believe me, the combined wrath of the EDF can be summoned....

[TaraCrowe]

We have exactly the same problem. We have had new sash windows fitted in 2 bedrooms and now both windows are leaking and the the company who fitted them say they are too busy to even come and look at their work for several weeks.

This company (it goes by several names, Sash King and Alexander Johnson and Sons - the guy we dealt with was called Jim Johnson 07958439282) may not even be responsible - it maybe freak weather linked to something else, but to hear they are too busy to come and check their work seems really poor after we paid them a small fortune for these windows.

All the roofers are busy and it is really stressful.

Meanwhile the internal damage just keeps getting worse and worse in newly decorated rooms.

[Huggers]

LuLu our Juliet balcony windows have been recently leaking in our loft. The builder is coming back (again) but I think part of the problem is the inward opening nature, and water collecting between the door and it's wooden bar. Resealing around the glasshas helped with ours a bit. and clearing the drain holes of any debris. We also fitted plastic things which take the water away from the doors. But the main culprit seems to be the section that is static and doesn't open. It wasn't really noticeable till this foul weather.

[LuLu Too]

Huggers, could you let me know more about the "plastic things which take the water away from the doors"?

I have the ( IMHO cowboy) window company coming to assess the issue on Saturday morning.

The recent weather has indeed really highlighted the weak points with the windows.... None of this picked up on survey or after due to the dry, hot summer we had!

[Huggers]

Hi Lulu, my husband found these links

http://www.ashireporter.org/HomeInspection/Articles/Exterior-Door-Inspection-Will-These-Doors-Leak-/2527

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/doors-windows/284792-leaking-french-doors.html#b

and he bought from B&Q plastic strips you glue to bottom of the door on the outside side. these act like little skirts, diverting rain water away from bottom before it pools on the sill .

Also resealed around the glass on the outside as the water hits the glass before it gets to the skirts, so any tiny hairline gap is going to let water in which will then flow inside till it gets out again- usually through the beading on the inside.

Our main leak is the non moving bit and this is really hard to access without falling out the window! we didn't put the skirt on the bottom of this bit, but maybe it just needs sealing along the gap.

the holes should be kept clear as they are meant to drain any water that gets in, out again.

I think our builder was pretty good, but like a lot, once the job is over, its a bummer to get them back. Having said that, he is coming back but he advised us to clear out the drainage holes anyway. I think maintenance may be key.

But all my googling has told me wooden inward opening doors are really difficult to make watertight. hope that helps.

[LuLu Too]

Cheers Huggers!

[Huggers]

update: husband planed down bottom of door as it was sticking a bit. This has greatly improved leakproofness. Perhaps water was getting trapped under the jammed door and wasn't able to flow out through the holes.