leaking windows
#1
02-17-08, 04:42 AM
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leaking windows
We have a one year old home. The exterior is all brick except some trim on the front with cultured stone. Under the brick/stone is a Tyvek house wrap. The windows are vinyl, supposedly with caulking between the flashing and tyvek. There is a window on the front (facing west) which is surrounded by the stone and is underneath a second story window which has leaked from nearly the beginning. We've caulked around it, and around the window above it but only slightly slowed the problem. The window manufacturer sent someone who looked briefly at the window and blamed the stone as allowing too much water to get behind it. Our plan was to have someone come seal the stone as he had instructed but last night we had a pretty good rain storm which had more blowing rain from the east. That direction isn't common, but now we have 4 windows on the back or east side of the house which also started leaking. In all cases the water comes into the house at the top of the window, will drip in along where the trim wood meets the vinyl enterior portion of the window. In one location we collected a full liter of water. Other locations varied but were less. As I mentioned the house on the east side is all brick, has brick ribbon surrounding each of the windows. I read about removing vinyl siding and using Tyvek Straightflash on three sides. Our problem sounds similar but since the brick removal will be much more difficult I wanted to get your advice directly. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give all the details I could that might be important. Thanks!
#2
02-17-08, 06:19 AM
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I think brick removal is your only answer, and actually it should not be that difficult for a mason to do. When water comes into a window from the top, the first thing I suspect is that the window has been installed on top of the Tyvek, whereas most instructions tell you to cut a flap in the Tyvek on top and fold it up, then install the window (on top of the Tyvek on the bottom and sides) then tape the window nailing flange (sealing the top flange to the SHEATHING) then fold the flap of Tyvek down on top and skip tape it.
You'll want to remove brick to do that, and at the same time, inspect what this prolonged leaking has done to your sheathing. You should be able to determine fairly easily whether the water is staying on top of the Tyvek, then getting in on top of a window opening... or if perhaps the water is getting behind the Tyvek at some point which may mean the origin of the leak is WAY higher than what you have previously suspected... such as water entering along the roof edge, running behind fascia that has been capped with aluminum trim, running into the soffit, then running back toward the house at which point it may be able to get behind the Tyvek and run down the wall. If water is behind the Tyvek, and your windows are installed on TOP of the Tyvek, it's easy to see why they are leaking. This is the main reason why you fold that flap up and seal the top of a window to the sheathing, then fold that flap back down over the top of the window- to prevent leaks in the event that water somehow gets behind the Tyvek.
You'll want to remove brick to do that, and at the same time, inspect what this prolonged leaking has done to your sheathing. You should be able to determine fairly easily whether the water is staying on top of the Tyvek, then getting in on top of a window opening... or if perhaps the water is getting behind the Tyvek at some point which may mean the origin of the leak is WAY higher than what you have previously suspected... such as water entering along the roof edge, running behind fascia that has been capped with aluminum trim, running into the soffit, then running back toward the house at which point it may be able to get behind the Tyvek and run down the wall. If water is behind the Tyvek, and your windows are installed on TOP of the Tyvek, it's easy to see why they are leaking. This is the main reason why you fold that flap up and seal the top of a window to the sheathing, then fold that flap back down over the top of the window- to prevent leaks in the event that water somehow gets behind the Tyvek.
#3
02-17-08, 07:51 AM
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I remember the house being built and I'm pretty sure that the windows were installed on the outside of the tyvek, just to have caulking behind the flange--so that probably is our problem. Since only a few of the windows in the house are currently leaking but we have the same installation technique everywhere, should we go ahead and have all the windows redone, or just those we know are a problem?
Not as likely, but is there a way to be able to look to see if the guttering or soffits are done improperly? I can easily see that the soffit fits in on the house above the top of the brick but other homes seem to have the same construction.
Thanks much!
Not as likely, but is there a way to be able to look to see if the guttering or soffits are done improperly? I can easily see that the soffit fits in on the house above the top of the brick but other homes seem to have the same construction.
Thanks much!
#4
02-17-08, 09:14 AM
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You have a real mess on your hands, and the situation is not going to improve with age.
When see multiple such problems at home inspections our recommendation is a through visual examination of all wall penetrations (doors, windows, vent terminations, electrical boxes, hose bibs, etc), a thermographic (IR) survey of the entire house under wet conditions, documentation by direct measurement where water problems are observed, and removal of claddings and other materials as required to allow (re)installation of WRBs, flashings, windows, doors and other wall penetrations to the manufactures’ recommendations.
Then, as the builder may not know how to do it right, someone has to educate the builder, and then check each step of the process to insure everything is done properly.
If you want to do this yourself, here are a few resources to understand how it should be done:
How the Tyvek weather barrier system should have been installed:
DuPont Tyvek Water Resistant Barriers Installation Guidelines
And here are DuPont's recommendation for flashing it:
DuPont Flashing Systems Installation Guidelines
A good general overview of the water penetration problems that result from failure to follow these guidelines (and what to do about them) is on-line at:
Water Management Details – Housewraps/Flashings/Windows
Incorrect cultured stone installation is its own special can of worms, see here for examples:
Manufactured-Stone Nightmares
Here’s an installation guide with recommended cultured stone flashing details:
Cultured Stone Best Practices for Flashing Details
And yes, as XSleeper notes: problems at the eaves, fascia and soffits could be contributing to you problems:
"(perhaps) origin of the leak is WAY higher than what you have previously suspected... such as water entering along the roof edge, running behind fascia that has been capped with aluminum trim, running into the soffit, then running back toward the house at which point it may be able to get behind the Tyvek and run down the wall."
here’s an example I found last week at new construction:
There is no drip edge and the eaves or rakes: when water backs up under the shingles at the eaves (for example, because of ice damming at the gutter) it's going to end up in the soffit and likely the wall.
When see multiple such problems at home inspections our recommendation is a through visual examination of all wall penetrations (doors, windows, vent terminations, electrical boxes, hose bibs, etc), a thermographic (IR) survey of the entire house under wet conditions, documentation by direct measurement where water problems are observed, and removal of claddings and other materials as required to allow (re)installation of WRBs, flashings, windows, doors and other wall penetrations to the manufactures’ recommendations.
Then, as the builder may not know how to do it right, someone has to educate the builder, and then check each step of the process to insure everything is done properly.
If you want to do this yourself, here are a few resources to understand how it should be done:
How the Tyvek weather barrier system should have been installed:
DuPont Tyvek Water Resistant Barriers Installation Guidelines
And here are DuPont's recommendation for flashing it:
DuPont Flashing Systems Installation Guidelines
A good general overview of the water penetration problems that result from failure to follow these guidelines (and what to do about them) is on-line at:
Water Management Details – Housewraps/Flashings/Windows
Incorrect cultured stone installation is its own special can of worms, see here for examples:
Manufactured-Stone Nightmares
Here’s an installation guide with recommended cultured stone flashing details:
Cultured Stone Best Practices for Flashing Details
And yes, as XSleeper notes: problems at the eaves, fascia and soffits could be contributing to you problems:
"(perhaps) origin of the leak is WAY higher than what you have previously suspected... such as water entering along the roof edge, running behind fascia that has been capped with aluminum trim, running into the soffit, then running back toward the house at which point it may be able to get behind the Tyvek and run down the wall."
here’s an example I found last week at new construction:
There is no drip edge and the eaves or rakes: when water backs up under the shingles at the eaves (for example, because of ice damming at the gutter) it's going to end up in the soffit and likely the wall.
