water ingress though brickwork

[Golaboots888]

Hello

After heavy rain we get water dripping though the tops of window frames.
I think that water is getting through the outside bricks into the cavity, running down the inside of the cavity and seeping though the windows.

Our pointing is not the best and yesterday I patched up the worst of it.
On chipping the loose stuff out I was a bit alarmed by what I saw. Once the hard, brittle pointing is out the remaining mortar is very sandy and soft enough to brush out by hand.

Is it feasible that the water is simply 'soaking through' the wall once it gets behind any cracks in the outer pointing?

Should I be worried about the soft mortar behind, or is it likely to be localised as a result of the poor pointing in that area?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Golaboots888]

Untitled

• Golaboots888
• 6 Dec 2009
• 1

Untitled

• Golaboots888
• 6 Dec 2009
• 1

Untitled

• Golaboots888
• 6 Dec 2009
• 1

 

[r896neo]

it may be that your windows don't have any dpc above the heads/ catnic or it is completely bridged.

 

[Golaboots888]

There is a strip of lead a couple of courses above the window. Not sure if it is intact though.

People talk of cavity trays, I'm not sure how these could be retrofitted if needed.

 

[stuart45]

I have seen this happen to houses built like yours where the lead tray is above the soldier course or arch. It only happens during persistant heavy rain. Normally not enough rain will penetrate the arch, but it can in heavy rain.
Nowadays specials trays and lintels for arches are used stop this happening.
Without rebuilding the best that you can do is to re-point the brickwork and possibly put on a siloxane sealer which will allow the brickwork to breathe. I have never been too keen on brick sealers, but in this case it might help.

 

[Chukka63]

ditto to stuart.i did 2 last year with this problem but in those cases i took 4 course of bricks out,installed a lintel(existing was concrete on inner leaf/brick outer leaf).then formed a cavity tray and rebricked,not heard anymore so must have worked.

 

[Golaboots888]

ditto to stuart.i did 2 last year with this problem but in those cases i took 4 course of bricks out,installed a lintel(existing was concrete on inner leaf/brick outer leaf).then formed a cavity tray and rebricked,not heard anymore so must have worked.

Out of interest how much did you charge? I'm a competant DIY'er if such people actually exist but wouldn't want to undertake that type of work!

How much of a wall can you take out without using Acro's etc?