Odd window leak - can anyone advise?

[EmilyPea]

Hi guys,
I have an odd window leak, through the bottom of some inward opening wooden French double doors. I have an exterior door sweep and a slim metal upstand. From the outside it looks like the doors have quite a large gap where they meet and I’ve been wondering if I should buy a door seal - Stormguard do a double door seal that would fit my door. But around the door itself, and the bottom is something I think needs improvement. Currently there is a fairly naff felt strip around the outside and central door seal. Would rubber be better? I’ve spent hours googling and made no progress. I just don’t understand what I need. I thought I needed a Schlegel but when I googled what a Schlegel was, the result was something very rude!!

I painted and sorted the external woodwork last week and that’s pretty good so this is obviously a door seal issue.

I’ve attached photos of the leaking. I can add more tomorrow when it’s daylight. Any advice would be really helpful! Thanks in advance

 

[JohnD]

Needs weatherboard on the outside.

Is there a metal waterbar in the sill?

 

[EmilyPea]

Hi John! Here are some photos - the upstand is metal - painted white.

 

[EmilyPea]

I should add - the sill is mostly wood - with the metal upstand. There is a wooden weatherboard on the outside.

 

[JohnD]

Stand back and take some wider pics please

Also show the bead or rebate in the frame that the door closes against

And the head of the frame, from the outside, and what's above it.

I judge your doors to be about a hundred years old. Is that right?

When was that black coating added?

Have you got a watering can?

 

[EmilyPea]

Hi John!
are these any good? The sun is shining right into the window so my wide angles just look dark. I can’t do a wide angle from outside as it’s a 1st floor balcony and not deep.
They are around 150 years old. The black coating near the sill was added a couple of years ago by the person who laid the balcony floor - the floor is being redone this weekend.

 

[EmilyPea]

Yes I have a watering can.

 

[JohnD]

Hmmmm

Above the door is covered in, and I don't see signs of a leak from above, so unless you had strong winds and driving rain, I think the water is coming off the balcony, probably because the level of the sill has been raised by the black coating.

Stand outside with your watering can, and the doors shut.

Experimentally run water down the front of the doors. The weatherboard should throw it off.

Run some down the hinge style. The rebate should hold it back and any excess should fall outside the waterbar.

Pour some on the black sill. Where does it go?

 

[EmilyPea]

Hi John,
I’m going to have to try this when someone is with me as I live alone and can only close the doors from the inside of the house. Is it okay if I get back to you as soon as that is possible? Might not be until early next week but I’m inclined to think you’re right due to the timing of the leak.
Really appreciate your help.
Emily

 

[JohnD]

Sure.

You can close one door at a time, though.

 

[Mr Chibs]

Double glazed french doors 100 years old. The design is also a bit newer if you don’t mind me saying.

I’m wondering if water is getting in, on the joint between the weather strip, and capillary action getting past the metal door stop strip?

I had similar on some 1990’s jobbies.

 

[EmilyPea]

It could be! I think I will try the watering can first to at least isolate the location

if it were what you suggested, how would you advise repairing it? New weatherstrip? (I always though the upstand was too far forward but that would be tricky to move - having a real shortage of tradesman and chippies in Kent atm and I can’t do another winter of water coming in whenever there’s driving rain

 

[Mr Chibs]

It’s tricky to fix (if this is the problem).
But you might use some foam strip, which you could put in the door rebate (where they meet) they have a tendency to come off When the door is opened and closed.

You might be better with a mullion attached to one of the doors, one the outside (an overlapping strip of wood) to cover the gap.

You’ll know more once you’ve done your water test

 

[EmilyPea]

Ah, I see John! Yes I could do one at a time. I do think there is also a chance that it’s where they meet in the middle so I will wait to properly close them both and see what happens thank you both! going to check a few things out and will post back in a few days.

 

[foxhole]

Looks like exterior ground levels are too high , nothing to stop rain just splashing over threshold .