Water ingress over window frame

[sandy10]

Hi,

During the recent storm we had a lot of water running inside a window, coming in over the top of the frame.

As it's on the first floor above a pitched on the first floor, access isn't possible so I deglazed the top light of the window to lean out - the mastic seal above the window was ok, but I raked out and resealed, and I spotted where I think the water is ingressing.

Externally directly above the frame is a small row of slate tiles, presumably acting as a weather drip, but over the years this has become wonky and there are gaps in between both the tiles and the mortar. I did as best I could in patching the mortar, bearing in mind I'm poking through a fanlight!

However, until I can get this fixed properly, I'm thinking of buying some flashband and dressing this over the tiles and around them to return to the window frame head.

Would anyone recommend this as the best repair?

How flexible is flashband? Owing to the wonky nature of the tiles, I want to ensure a tight seal.

Looking at neighbours homes it seems the tiles have been removed by most over the years so this seems to be the long term solution.

Thank you.

 

[tony1851]

The thin course of tiles (aka 'creasing') will be there to make up the coursing of the brickwork, and suggests that there is no lintel as such supporting the outer skin.

Presumably the original timber window has been replaced by plastic, but a new lintel not put in at the time.

The plastic frame is usually insufficient to support the brickwork which settles, cracks slightly, and these cracks higher up may be letting water in.
So your suggested repair to the tile creasing may or may not work, depending on where the water is getting in; pics would help.

 

[sandy10]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

Shocking if these tiles are acting as a lintel!

I'm on my ipad so can't upload a pic, but there are definite holes here I'd imagine are where the water is coming in. The pointing above this isn't too bad.

 

[Deluks]

How many courses of brick are there between the top of window and the roof wallplate? A lintel might not be necessary, or even if it should have been specced you might get away without.
You'd might need to pull out the damaged slates, and replace or fit some lead flashing over the top of the window. This is a tower hire job.