Damp patches by patio door

[missmouse11]

Hi, we've had issues with damp patches appearing after driving rain along various parts of the screed next to the patio door. Can't see any leaks, just the damp patches appearing and expanding after heavy rain. Trying to find out what the issue is and it seems to be the door fitting. Two questions: photo one shows pre screed etc. not long after door installation. The cill seems to sit directly onto the brickwork, should it look like this? Should there be sealant or concrete between the two? Could this be causing water ingress under the cill? Not sure how water would get there though as outside rendered and I think sealed ok.

Second question relating to the other photo, the frame is not installed right up against the back of the cill, there is a 3mm or so unsealed gap which also gets water in during heavy rain, although I've never exactly seen water dripping out to create the damp patches.

Any help would be great! Been living on a concrete floor for months trying to figure if need the door reinstalling! It's a 4m UPVC sliding door.

 

[ronniecabers]

sill should be sealed underneath,frame threshold should be sealed underneath to the cill. Whats the outside ground height? UNfotunately Bifold doors are NOT severe weather rated and ideally should not be used in exposed locations

 

[missmouse11]

It's about half a metre, they aren't bi-folds...sliding doors. When you say sill sealed underneath, can this be done without taking the whole door out? Thinking the DPM also should be going under the sill rather than curling up against the edge of the inner sill?

 

[ronniecabers]

DPM should be underneath the cill AND lip back up the cill so it effectively sits between the back of the cill and the new floor... in theory preventing damp from reaching the flooring . So to clarify Dpm should be under the cill ( and the cill then silicone to the dpm ) so no you can't seal under it without taking doors out, what you could.do to try and mitigate is seal the outside, under the cill , where it meets the block work the cill is sat on.

 

[missmouse11]

Many thanks for the reply...how would you seal the outside? From what I can tell it's rendered and we've added a line of sealant ourselves where the frame meets the wall but that's it (see photo below).

 

[ronniecabers]

Looks like you've already done it lol. Where are you getting damp? Either end or in the middle?

 

[missmouse11]

Various areas along the length and one at the end in the corner

 

[ronniecabers]

You can eliminate the door meeting the cill by sealing where the cill meets the door, along the back edge ( ideally rhe doors should be tight to the little upstand on the back of the cill anyway ). The corner leak may be because the end of the cill isn't sealed probably , where it meets the door frame, really should be done when the door was fitted but you could ' rake 'out the plaster etc to get to the end of the cill and then reinstate , messy and a pain but is feasible.
Does the dpm actually come up between the back edge of the cill and the concrete, and go under the cill?

 

[missmouse11]

No, I don't see how it could as you can see from the first photos...there is a DPC halfway down the patio bricks supporting the frame but the DPM just ends at the end of the floor and curls up against the cill.

 

[ronniecabers]

The blue dpc you can see in picture 1 is for the concrete floor only ...that curls up the back of the blocks and inside edge of cill?
I'd seal that gap between the frame and back edge of the cill first ... eliminate that as a place for water to get in

 

[missmouse11]

Many thanks for your help Ronniecabers...not sure what to do really, still owe the builders £3k as extension not signed off by buildings regs yet and not considered complete due to this leak issue. I don't really want to settle for a badly fitted door with some quick fixes if I can, with issues further down the line. Is it unreasonable to ask for the door to be refitted properly?

 

[Cheslea2010]

If they haven't installed it correctly you are entirely within your rights to withhold funds until the job is done properly. If you pay them, you will never get them back.

 

[foxhole]

It's about half a metre, they aren't bi-folds...sliding doors. When you say sill sealed underneath, can this be done without taking the whole door out? Thinking the DPM also should be going under the sill rather than curling up against the edge of the inner sill?

External ground level below the door frame? Certainly not 1/2metre .

 

[ronniecabers]

As others have said ... withhold the money. If they fitted the doors ..they need to stop them leaking at their cost