Is damaged mortar likely to be a contributing factor??

[bhm1712]

Hi Folks,

Forgive me as i know very little about building work/ brick work etc.

I am suffering from condensation problems on a new patio door along the bottom edge of the frame where it meets the concrete floor of the living room and presumably, below that is a layer of bricks.

The floor in that area for about 40cm back from the edge of the building where the door is, has always been very cold during the winter. This year i have had new windows all round, and a problem seems to have developed in the form of condensation and water pooling. If i look on the outside if the building below the sill for the patio door, the brick work is 3 bricks high, and the cement looks to be in a very poor state of repair. The cement has fell out in various places allowing moss to grow in the gaps, and in places there just appears to be holes where the cement should be.

Is this likely to be contributing to the thermal bridging effect im getting on the inside which is causing the condensation? as if this is the case i will get it repointed asap.

Thanks

 

[Alastairreid]

The condensation is running off the glass and pooling on the floor, i doubt it has anything to do with the external pointing.

Your new windows coupled with the cold weather has caused the problem.

The only solution is to minimize the cause of condensation and ventilation.

 

[noseall]

Agree with Alistair particularly when you see this problem occurring with or without poor brickwork.

 

[bhm1712]

No, its not running off the glass. The new window glass does not get condensation on it. The condense is forming on the frame at the bottom where it meets the concrete.

none of our other new windows suffer from condensation either. We reduced moisture as much as possible in the house last year when we installed a cooker hood, bathroom fan and condensing tumble dryer which discharges to drain. We dont really have a condensation issue with anything other than this door.

I was just thinking that with gaps/holes in the brickwork which lead right into the cavity below the patio door sill, that this might be making the floor colder than it normally would be, and creating a thermal bridge.

Thanks for your advice

 

[noseall]

It is because the patio door sill is the lowest sill in the house as opposed to the windows and will be subject to sustained lower external temp's etc.