Leaking conservatory roof

[Longshanks]

Morning

We had about ten hours of heavy rain during yesterday. When I went to bed, I noticed that water had penetrated and was visible on the upvc supporting section where the roof meets the front windows. (Highlighted in yellow on image attached)

I guess it must be getting in further up the roof and then tracking down the vertical support structures? There wasn’t “water everywhere”, just localised at that end of the conservatory.

I’m happy to get a contractor out (outside guarantee now), but was grateful for your views.

The last time we had a leak, it was dropping straight down from the seals on the roof but that doesn’t seem to have occurred this time.

Many thanks

(It’s a glass roof not polycarbonate)

 

[catlad]

Not seen that set up before! why don't the glazing bars meet the windows?

 

[Longshanks]

No idea. Fitted in 2012. Definitely a few inches shy of windows at one end and wall at t’other. Any ideas on genesis of leak?

Ta

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

@crank39 @ronniecabers

 

[crank39]

Because its a glass roof and weightier than a polycarb it has reinforced rafters, essentially its another rafter inverted and screwed upwards together with the outer rafter. The inner glazing bar doesn't go as far as the outer one because otherwise it would sit on top of the ring beam(the lintel behind the yellow shaded bit)? Its a 'Global' make of roof system made by Synseal.

In terms of the water are you certain its not condensation, theres a big chunk of ali ring beam behind that plastic trim and it acts like a cold bridge, temps dropped last night and maybe coupled with your heating being on or just general temp in nthe house/conservatory caused condensation to form, it would be very unlikely that more than one bar leaked all of a sudden

 

[Longshanks]

Many thanks. More photos attached, including one of drips onto Manhattan box. Yeah hope it’s condensation. Temperature did drop and had electric heater on (a bit) in conservatory. I normally sit with an overcoat on to mitigate risk of condensation. The drops are visible both on the plastic trim and the ends of the inner glazing bar. There was also a slight drip from the cross section in the middle of the roof.

 

[Longshanks]

Forgot

 

[crank39]

Ok, if theres water dripping out of the end cap then for certain it means water is getting in and I suspect where the muntin bars are to join two glass units together. If you released the top caps from clamping the glass down and managed to lift the glass up you would see the 'Tek' screws joining both pieces together, water is running down the outer rafter and where it meets a screw it drips through into the inner reinforcing rafter, runs down that and collects behing the end cap. The water on the ring beam is condensation

 

[crank39]

Heres a schematic of a global roof system, I've marked in blue where the water tracks in and runs down in a little channel under the glass, in a normal situation without the bolster bar say on a lightweight polycarb roof the water wouldn't leak in because it would just run all the way along the rafter over the ringbeam and drip into the outer gutter, job done. But in your specific case they've upturned another rafter and screwed them together whether screwed downwards or upwards doesn't matter because either way as water runs down the channel in the outer rafter when it hits a screw it then drips into the under rafter and as it runs downhill it starts dripping out of the endcap. The illustration below shows the proper way of attaching a bolster support beam with a nut and bolt totally shielded away from the water channel

 

[Longshanks]

Thanks again. So a perfect storm of leak and condensation. I guess we need nut and bolt to replace the screws then? We've had the conservatory for 12 years but only rarely had leaks on this scale before. RU saying this is likely to leak with any rain?

 

[crank39]

Yes, you need to cure the leak at source and the water is getting in at the muntin bar joint further up the roof, sealing muntin bars successfully can be a pain though

 

[Longshanks]

Ok thanks.

 

[ronniecabers]

Having fitted some of these I suspect for it to have the internal bar reinforcement it's also on the lower pitched side too? As Crank says that will be the muntin bars ( H bars ) ... all manufacturers seem to suffer from them leaking eventually... i hate the things... looks.easy but never a 100% guarantee you'll stop the leak first time lol....that's just how muntin bars are