leaky wall?

[rog2054]

I have a water problem with my house but i'm not sure what the cause is. What happens is that during medium/heavy rain, water drips in through the edge of the ceiling nearest the window in the downstairs room.

The window of the downstairs room was installed in the last 3 months, and has been re-checked for leaks, however this problem was happening before changing the window (i thought the old window was the likely cause of the leak, but it hasn't really improved things - luckily the window was due for replacement so i dont feel bad about spending the money on it anyway).

When it rains, especially when it rains heavily, the gutter leaks onto the brickwork of the wall above the window. This covers a large area of the wall (maybe 1m square) as the wind blows the dripping water onto different parts of the wall. It has been suggested that i have the guttering replaced to sort this (i'm currently waiting to receive a quote).

The inside of the upstairs wall above the downstairs window does not feel cold or damp, so i suspect the water is seeping down the wall cavity on the inner side of the outside wall, or down through the bricks themselves, maybe? (do houses of this age have wall cavities? it was built around 1903)

I'm wondering if changing the gutter will solve the problems or what else it could be? I am against coating the wall with any waterproofing treatment (or paint) as i understand that soft red brick such as this is meant to absorb a little water, and then dry out, and by waterproofing it then any water which does end up getting in would never dry out, causing bigger problems in the long run. The pointing is about 4-5 years old and looks to be good with no missing bits, cracked pieces etc.

What 'trade' would be best able to advise me about what needs doing to rectify the water issues here? If anyone can recommend a company which covers the Manchester area (M12 postcode) then that would be great as i'd rather go with a reputable company than pick a random firm and see what happens...

At the end of the day i just want it sorting, before the wet time of year starts (did it ever stop?!), and before it causing serious damage to the property.

 

[martyc]

The gutter leaking certainly isnt helping things,
Its keeping your wall saturated which could be leaching down into your downstairs.
The downstairs sky light...how is it flashed to the wall?...is there a cavity tray fitted above it?(i would assume there isnt)

To find out if you wall is cavity or not quickly measure its width, those briks are prob no more than 100mm wide.
Marty

 

[rog2054]

Thanks for the reply Marty.

I've had the quote for the guttering back this afternoon and so the guttering & facia boards are being replaced the week after next, which should improve things.

The flashing between the window and wall is lead flashing, but the lead does not appear to be tucked into the wall as in some reference diagrams i've seen (i correctly guessed what cavity trays were but decided to look them up just to be sure, and found many diagrams to explain it all). On top of the lead flashing there is also some additional flashing which came on a roll about 5 inches wide and has a black tar-like substance on the back. This was put on by myself about 6 months ago as a temporary measure before the window was replaced, and was kept when the window was replaced. I have poured several buckets of water along the top of the window and the wall directly above the window and am confident it is not leaking there...

There are no cavity trays that i noticed - i guess that would be obvious on a closer inspection of the brickwork, but remember there being nothing except red brick and mortar. This is something i may consider adding if the new guttering does not resolve the problem. I'm competent at DIY within the home (workwork, plumbing, etc), but have never tackled external work before - is this a job suitable for attempting myself, or should i get someone in? Would this be a job a general builder would do competently, or is there another trade more suited to this kind of work?

Many thanks for your help with this.

 

[martyc]

Installing a cavity tray would be a tricky "first job" if you haven't fiddled with bricks and mortar before..but no reason why you couldn't do it if you set about it right...I haven't ever fitted one so i wouldn't be the most qualified to advise.

You say the lead isn't chased into the brickwork...now this is something you could and SHOULD tackle yourself!!

A small grinder is all you'll need,remove the lead and see if there is a mortar line behind it...chase into this 25mm with your grinder and tuck the lead into this(you may or may not get away with the lead you already have)...it does look on the skimpy side....then re point, ideally your chase should be 100mm or more above the window to the nearest mortar line.

Also..is that your roof to the right in the pic??..flashing looks poor on that also as it does on the sides of that window...Sorry!!

And the window itself looks to me like a regular PVC window??..as distinct from a roof light(im in ireland..so maybe its something ye do differently over there...just looks odd to me)

Anyway...do your chase and get the guttering fixed first..MANY MANY MANY..in fact most extensions/conservatories do not have cavity trays installed..so dont be too worried about it unless its particulary exposed etc.

Marty.

 

[rog2054]

Good to hear the cavity tray is unlikely to be required - its a mid terrace so not that exposed really. The guttering is scheduled for next monday and i'm hopeful that will improve things.

What is the benefit of chasing the lead to the brickwork? Is it to direct surface water running down the outside of the wall away from the wall and onto the window (and then to the guttering etc), or does chasing it help it wick the water out of the brickwork itself somehow? It's something i'll do when the weather perks up, but am curious to understand the 'why' theory behind doing it

My house is everything to the left of the outside light, so the window on the right of the pic with the dubious flashing is not mine thankgoodness!

The roof light window is basically a regular pvc frame, yes. I guess this is because of the lintel above the main downstairs window which prevents it being one connected unit for both. As it's only a small sloped area there isn't room to have a roof and a typical roof light of the type you are familiar with. This is a common theme with all the houses in the area; i believe the window style is called 'Manchester Light' (although the only reference to this 'style' i've found on Google is in descriptions of similar properties for sale).


Regards

 

[martyc]

Hi,
Yeah the chase is to direct water running down the wall away from it.
If you didnt chase it you would still somehow have to seal it which would be much trickier to get right if lead just butted to wall...also lead moves around with temp changes.
Marty.

 

[Plumeber]

call a plumber http://www.newwaterplumbing.com.au