Damp patch in brand new porch

[blueade7]

Hi,
My brand new front porch was completed 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've noticed a small, recurring patch of damp on the floor screed. It is located in the front corner, where the side window (which extends from the floor to top-of-door height) meets a short return wall. The walls are thermolite block + insulation (100mm I think) + brick. I have already paid the builder. I have contacted him about this, but am yet to speak directly with him. In the meantime, can anyone please advise me on this? Would I be right in assuming that this is not something to be expected, and that it would be appropriate for the builder to come back and rectify it? At first I thought it might be a leak coming in from the side window frame - now I'm not so sure as it doesn't seem to necessarily coincide with rain. So it may be condensation.
Thanks

 

[KenGMac]

blueade7, good evening.

Keep on at the builder, get him back, ask him to investigate and sort it out if indeed it is a leak.

Ken.

 

[blueade7]

Thanks Ken. If it's a leak then yes clearly he's going to have to fix it. I suppose my question is more, what if it's just condensation? I'd have thought if built correctly then there shouldn't be a recurrent patch of condensation - even in the middle of winter, and so again this is something he should fix. But on the other hand could be a lot of work just for a small (10cm x 5cm) area of condensation. (The corner it is in is at the meeting point of two cold walls - one of which is the door/side window panel. But the porch does have an working electric radiator, which has been mostly on, and a vent).

 

[KenGMac]

Any possibility of a few digital images?

Ken.

 

[blueade7]

Here are a couple of photos...

 

[Bodd]

Wasn't Bennbrooks was it?

 

[KenGMac]

At first look that damp patch is not condensation?

 

[blueade7]

No it was an small builder.

 

[sodthisforfun]

The first pic, has the sealant/plaster been stopped before it hits the floor by the frame? Looks like quite a large gap for water to get in. Doesn't look like condensation - I can see no evidence of it on your glass or anywhere else. Are the walls damp?

 

[Bodd]

It could be the roof... Its been raining alot lately. Could be dripping down within the cavity.

 

[blueade7]

At first look that damp patch is not condensation?

I agree it doesn't look like it. Seems an odd shape and location for it.
There's a slight draught coming from a slight gap between the window frame and wall. I had thought this draught may be causing the condensation by causing a local cold spot here. This seems consistent with the fact that the occurrence of this patch didn't seem to correlate with rain. So yesterday I ran a line of filler to close off the gap. Just noticed that towards the bottom the filler still hasn't set... perhaps because of water ingress... If there's a draught I guess there's also a route for water to get in.

 

[blueade7]

The first pic, has the sealant/plaster been stopped before it hits the floor by the frame? Looks like quite a large gap for water to get in. Doesn't look like condensation - I can see no evidence of it on your glass or anywhere else. Are the walls damp?

There is condenstation on the glass towards the bottom - another reason I suspected condensation. See my post above regarding gap. But even with gap there surely shouldn't be water coming through here - perhaps, as suggested above, a problem with the roof too.

 

[sodthisforfun]

What came first, the chicken or the egg? You could only have condensation on the glass towards the bottom because of the puddle/damp area.

 

[noseall]

Place a towel on the sill and see if the wet patch disappears/returns.

 

[tony1851]

As it's a porch, does it really matter?