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Leaking wall problem - help! ArtM 06-15-2008
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Posted by on June 15, 2008, 10:22 pm
We had a new roof put on the house a few months ago which included new roof
boards and
shingles on the back porch. This porch is attached to the kitchen with a door
leading from
the kitchen to the porch.

Before the back porch roof was done, the rain leaked in between the bricks and
the metal
flashing against the house at the top of the roof, down onto the door sill from
the
kitchen to the porch and onto the porch itself.

The new roof and flashing solved the problem - on the outside anyway but now the
rain is
coming down the inside! The curtain on the window in the door was soaking wet
last night
during a heavy rainfall. There were also drops of water hanging from the
underside of the
trim across the top of the door on the inside of the house.

The big question is where is it coming in!! I took off the top piece of door
frame trim,
the piece that runs across the top of the door, dug away at the plaster beneath
and could
see a trickle of water coming down between the wood lathes and the brick but the
plaster
is wet all across the top width of the door.

The house walls are made of two rows of brick, a rough inside course and a good
outside
one right up against each other. So even if enough mortar was missing between
the bricks
on the outside course in places, it would still have to leak through the inside
course to
get in behind the drywall, which sounds next to impossible.

Could the roofers have fired in a nail to attach the new flashing, long enough to
penetrate two courses of brick? I could tear down the inside wall to the point
where the
water is entering the inside of the house but surely caulking it wouldn't solve
the
problem.

Any ideas?

Posted by tbasc@bellsouth.net on June 16, 2008, 7:36 am
On Jun 15, 10:22=A0pm, A...@home.com wrote:
> We had a new roof put on the house a few months ago which included new roo=
f boards and
> shingles on the back porch. This porch is attached to the kitchen with a d=
oor leading from
> the kitchen to the porch.
>
> Before the back porch roof was done, the rain leaked in between the bricks=
and the metal
> flashing against the house at the top of the roof, down onto the door sill=
from the
> kitchen to the porch and onto the porch itself.
>
> The new roof and flashing solved the problem - on the outside anyway but n=
ow the rain is
> coming down the inside! The curtain on the window in the door was soaking =
wet last night
> during a heavy rainfall. There were also drops of water hanging from the u=
nderside of the
> trim across the top of the door on the inside of the house.
>
> The big question is where is it coming in!! =A0I took off the top piece of=
door frame trim,
> the piece that runs across the top of the door, dug away at the plaster be=
neath and could
> see a trickle of water coming down between the wood lathes and the brick b=
ut the plaster
> is wet all across the top width of the door.
>
> The house walls are made of two rows of brick, a rough inside course and a=
good outside
> one right up against each other. So even if enough mortar was missing betw=
een the bricks
> on the outside course in places, it would still have to leak through the i=
nside course to
> get in behind the drywall, which sounds next to impossible.
>
> Could the roofers have fired in a nail to attach the new flashing, long en=
ough to
> penetrate two courses of brick? I could =A0tear down the inside wall to th=
e point where the
> water is entering the inside of the house but surely caulking it wouldn't =
solve the
> problem.
>
> Any ideas?

I don't think this problem can be solved at long distance.
I suggest either a really competent builder or a forensic architect or
forensic engineer.
T

Posted by Norminn on June 16, 2008, 8:18 am
Do you have an attic so you can inspect inside of the roof? I learned
from helping a friend locate a leak
that a roof leak can make water enter the living space quite far from
the actual leak. Our friend had one
area of damage on the roof - in the attic we could see the water
dripping and running down a rafter and
it came out around the light fixture in a bedroom.

With water entering inside and outside of a brick wall, it kind of
suggests that water could be coming
down a rafter to that location - is there chimney or flashing straight
up the roof from that spot? You need
to get your roofer out pronto, and for safety's sake write a nice
letter, certified mail, to the roofing company
describing your problem. I'm a firm believer in informed homeowners,
good relations with contractors and
documenting problems.

If the ceiling around the area where the water is entering is dry, it
would seem to bear out that the leak
follows a rafter or straight down that wall - if not, then you might
have an attic full of wet insulation and
a ceiling ready to cave in.

Posted by terry on June 16, 2008, 8:45 am
> Do you have an attic so you can inspect inside of the roof? =A0I learned
> from helping a friend locate a leak
> that a roof leak can make water enter the living space quite far from
> the actual leak. =A0Our friend had one
> area of damage on the roof - in the attic we could see the water
> dripping and running down a rafter and
> it came out around the light fixture in a bedroom.
>
> With water entering inside and outside of a brick wall, it kind of
> suggests that water could be coming
> down a rafter to that location - is there chimney or flashing straight
> up the roof from that spot? =A0You need
> to get your roofer out pronto, and for safety's sake write a nice
> letter, certified mail, to the roofing company
> describing your problem. =A0I'm a firm believer in informed homeowners,
> good relations with contractors and
> documenting problems.
>
> If the ceiling around the area where the water is entering is dry, it
> would seem to bear out that the leak
> follows a rafter or straight down that wall - if not, then you might
> have an attic full of wet insulation and
> a ceiling ready to cave in.

Agree: Get up in that attic quick and start checking!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Slightly Graying Wolf on June 16, 2008, 11:37 am

> We had a new roof put on the house a few months ago which included new
> roof boards and
> shingles on the back porch. This porch is attached to the kitchen with a
> door leading from
> the kitchen to the porch.
>
> Before the back porch roof was done, the rain leaked in between the bricks
> and the metal
> flashing against the house at the top of the roof, down onto the door sill
> from the
> kitchen to the porch and onto the porch itself.
>
> The new roof and flashing solved the problem - on the outside anyway but
> now the rain is
> coming down the inside! The curtain on the window in the door was soaking
> wet last night
> during a heavy rainfall. There were also drops of water hanging from the
> underside of the
> trim across the top of the door on the inside of the house.
>
> The big question is where is it coming in!! I took off the top piece of
> door frame trim,
> the piece that runs across the top of the door, dug away at the plaster
> beneath and could
> see a trickle of water coming down between the wood lathes and the brick
> but the plaster
> is wet all across the top width of the door.
>
> The house walls are made of two rows of brick, a rough inside course and a
> good outside
> one right up against each other. So even if enough mortar was missing
> between the bricks
> on the outside course in places, it would still have to leak through the
> inside course to
> get in behind the drywall, which sounds next to impossible.
>
> Could the roofers have fired in a nail to attach the new flashing, long
> enough to
> penetrate two courses of brick? I could tear down the inside wall to the
> point where the
> water is entering the inside of the house but surely caulking it wouldn't
> solve the
> problem.
>
> Any ideas?

Call the roofers back!



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