URGENT HELP PLEASE - Window leak

[RP66]

Woke this morning to find a leak coming in on the inside of the join between kitchen window and plaster wall, as per photos.

How can I repair this please?

It is still raining at the moment but there is the chance according to the weatherman of a dry spell tomorrow morning, would hope to do something then as there is more rain to follow!!

Thanks for any replies.





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[stuart45]

Could be water soaking through the outer skin if there is no tray and a concrete inner lintel.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

You could try drying it out, then run a silicone bead along the joint between brick and steel.

 

[Blagard]

It is difficult to see from the photo but if the window is not sealed to the underside of the steel lintel then water will come through. The detail is poorly constructed anyway,

To do a thorough job you need to let the top of window/ steel / brick joint dry out. Then you could apply a sealant like silicone.

As a quick and temporary fix you could run a bead of mastic along the underside of the brick say midway on the exposed brick underside. This should make water running off the brickwork drip off before it runs back to the joint. If that works it will at least confirm the water is not in the cavity.

 

[s60tsy]

The mother in law had the same problem, the head of the frame which stuck out a bit was collecting water falling down the wall and letting it fall back to the house beneath the lintel, straight into the house onto the top reveal, sealant sorted it out

 

[s60tsy]

Seal it when it's dry though

 

[Nige F]

that looks like a paint coated dpc not a steel lintel it would explain the water inside - love the lbc rustic bricks - maybe a 60`s house . the old dpc over the concrete boot lintel has probably cracked with age

 

[Blagard]

that looks like a paint coated dpc not a steel lintel

Yep, I think you're right. I was thinking steel boot lintel without a downturned outer lip (to prevent water runback).

But I still think it is water running back on the underside of the facing brick and I really doubt water soaking through the brickwork. Cavity water (if that is what it is) may be coming from a bad cill detail from a window above the one leaking but the DPC if undamaged would not let it through the middle of the window.

I think that once the water runs back and over that DPC it is just getting drawn back in over the window head

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

that looks like a paint coated dpc not a steel lintel

Yep, I think you're right. I was thinking steel boot lintel without a downturned outer lip (to prevent water runback).

But I still think it is water running back on the underside of the facing brick and I really doubt water soaking through the brickwork. Cavity water (if that is what it is) may be coming from a bad cill detail from a window above the one leaking but the DPC if undamaged would not let it through the middle of the window.

I think that once the water runs back and over that DPC it is just getting drawn back in over the window head

half inch thick dpc, and rusting

 

[stuart45]

Could be one of the old Dorman Long lintels that went over the concrete lintels and formed a tray, or maybe just an angle iron.
Did work on a house years ago built with Rustics that had a similar problem in heavy driving rain.
One of those built in the 30's where the lead tray went over the top of a soldier course sitting on the frame. The water going through the soldier in really heavy rain was enough to soak the plaster inside.

 

[Blagard]

half inch thick dpc, and rusting

Nope, more like a Bitumen DPC with paint catching the lower edge and a mortar bed above it. The bitumen bleeds into the paint to give the brown bits

I had to take a second look after Nige F's post to realise the line of it was just slightly wonky so it is unlikely to be steel.

 

[RP66]

Many thanks for all your replies and advice.

As yesterday was dry I took a good look at the brickwork above the window and all looks fine, all morter intact, then took a quick look at the roof and that looked OK as well.

Therefore decided to seal both joints above the window, lintel to brickwork and lintel to wooden frame, does not look very pretty, but we will replace the window in the better weather for a UPVC type instead of the alluminium.

Now will wait and see and hope that has done the trick.

 

[RP66]

Still coming in!!! Just the same, supposed to be going away for Christmas, tried a few builders but non will come, not sure now what to do.

 

[catlad]

When you get a dry moment get the garden hose with the sprinkler attached, and start spraying water at the window slowly working your way up, and that way you should be able to narrow it down to a certain area.

 

[RP66]

Any builder in the Basingstoke area available to help.