Please advise me on where this leak might be coming from

[kissinger]

I have water getting in above my patio doors at the rear of my house (pictured). When we had those torrential rains a few weeks ago I woke up to a pool of water in that room.

I figured it might be getting in either via where I fixed the pergola to the wall or via degraded mortar on that wall, so I got up there and repaired the mortar and sealed the join using OB1.

Well, we just had another heavy rain and I’m still getting water coming in there. Much less this time, although I don’t know if that’s because the rain wasn’t as heavy.

Anyway, I can’t work out where this water is coming from. So, any suggestions? The only other source I can think of is the gutters. They are clear my side, but the house joined to us is empty and the gutters haven’t been done in a while. Still, it doesn’t seem likely because if the water was overflowing from the gutters onto the house I would have expected the window above the patio doors to also be letting in water, which it’s not. The one thing I'm certain of is it's not getting in below the pergola roof because the wall is dry.

 

[pcaouolte]

Could you show us a photo of where the water appears inside the house?

 

[Collectors]

Is the pergola new, & did you have this problem before the pergola was built.?? The pergola wall beam looks hefty & i would imagine was held up with large raw-bolts. Its possible they drilled into the cavity & created a leak.

 

[kissinger]

The water is coming from where the arrows are pointing. It’s not running down the wall or anything. Obviously it’s damaging the wallpaper though.

We had the problem before the pergola. I thought the problem might have been the windows above because the sealant had degraded, so I did that job just before the pergola.

The pergola is secured using hefty screws and anchors. Although like I say, I don’t think it’s the problem because I’ve sealed above and it’s still letting water in somehow.

 

[Collectors]

From where its coming in i am wondering if there is any cavity seals on the window above.

 

[foxhole]

Looks like gutters not connect at down pipe your side.?

 

[ree]

OP,
When the doors were installed I presume that the opening was widened, & lintels installed?
Were cavity trays installed at that time - if they were then its possible that any cav tray weep holes have been blocked off by the ledger?
Or, perhaps no cavity trays were installed?

 

[kissinger]

Difficult to say as we’ve only been here 3 years, after it was all built (except the pergola which I did). None of the houses round here seem to have weep vents. I don’t think they were much used in the 60s when these were made. The front of the house doesn’t have them and isn’t leaking.

Here’s a pic of what the back used to look like.

 

[kissinger]

Looks like gutters not connect at down pipe your side.?

Yes. It’s not properly connected. When there’s heavy rain a fair bit of it fails to get to the downpipe and ends up spilling onto the patio below. Now I’m wondering if it could be spilling the other side too and be getting into the house somehow?

Maybe I could try patching it with tape to see if it stops the leak, and then do a proper replacement if it does?

 

[ree]

OP,
A Boroscope will quickly tell if theres a cav tray in-situ or the cavity is wet and dripping down onto the window head.
The only down pipe I can see is on the neighbour's side - your gutter connection at the outlet looks sketchy but theres no signs of water staining on the brickwork below.

 

[foxhole]

Water pouring out the gutter will cause your problem, it will also track along wall plate getting into window reveal. don’t mess about with tape get it repaired correctly.

 

[kissinger]

Water pouring out the gutter will cause your problem, it will also track along wall plate getting into window reveal. don’t mess about with tape get it repaired correctly.

Thanks. That sounds like the main culprit then. I might as well try sealing with OB1 first to confirm that's the problem. Then I can look at getting replaced.

 

[kissinger]

Well, we’ve had the bad fortune of heavy rain and it getting in again, but the good fortune of being able to see the gutters in action. Pretty clear what’s causing this: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0066XOSnJRtCbrqMKfJKOGWtg

The gutters are blocked at the top and it’s overflowing all over the wall.

 

[Old Salt]

Could be the down pipe thats blocked.

 

[foxhole]

Could be the down pipe thats blocked.

His gutter is not connected to down pipe.