Backstory:

Owned house for 5 years. Has leaked like this since we've owned it. Replaced roof after Hurricane Katrina & Rita passed through (Located in Baton Rouge, LA). Single Story home on concrete foundation. House is 25 - 30 years old. This wall faces south and the water leaks into the bedroom only when we have a heavy thunderstorm. I have checked the roof (before and after new roof 3 years ago) no water leakage present on the plywood from the inside. I have sprayed a garden hose on the roof, wall and window to duplicate the leak. Can't duplicate it. Outside wall is brick and shows sign of settling (not foundation failure, yet). Have filled all visible cracks and holes with mortar and yet we still get water through this wall. Is my problem a structure problem? Window leaking somewhere?

You'll notice a beam that runs across the bed. This side of the house (foundation and brick wall) extend and meet the edge of the roof of the house and there is no eve so water drips off the drip edge and either falls to the ground or will hit and roll down the brick wall.

I don't even know who to call or where to begin fixing this problem. We want to replace the carpet soon but not until we can isolate this leak.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(please disregard the mess )

 

Have you thought about afixing a length of gutter to the facia on that side of the house?
Catching the water as it sheds off the roof before it has a chance to run down the wall might be the fastest/most economical sollution.

In fact, looking at how that projection is constructed, I'd say that a gutter is the best option because any other window there would still leak, as there'd still be the water issue.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. That was going to be my next step was to run a length of gutter on that side of the house. I would like to try and figure out though if it's just an abundance of water being soaked up by the brick and it's just running down between the brick and the house wrap and just flowing between the foot plate and foundation into the house or of it's from somewhere else. I have no discoloration on the walls. They are not soft. No mildew smell. No paint peeling or bubbling. It's frustrating.

 

That part of the house juts out to the edge of the eve, so it gets more of the rain wash.

I would cut out a chunk of that drywall and see what is behind there. Drywall is easy to fix, and it would definitely tell you if it coming from above, or coming in at the slab, as I suspect. The suggestion about a gutter would most likely help. But since you really get gulley-washers down there, use 4" downspouts at both ends.

 

Two observations from your pix. The gutter solution is a great one. I'm willing to think you are getting seepage at the seam between the brick curtain wall and the foundation especially after heavy rains. Also, I see a vent pipe at the top of the roof. Check to see that the rubber gasket around the pipe hasn't cracked and allowing water to enter. Normally you would see either ceiling damage or wall damage if that were the case, but I've also seen water travel in mysterious ways..

 

Thanks for all suggestions. I belive I'm making a trip to the Hardware store and picking up some vinyl gutter material to span that whole side of the house.

Based on everyone's suggestions and thoughts I'm thinking now that since the water originates somewhere under the window in the bedroom that maybe the heavy downpower is causing water to pass through the bricks that are at the base of the window? I know bricks to do not repel water and they will absorb and can potentially allow water to seap through. So the water is probably passing through the bricks and rolling down the exterior plywood or just dripping onto the foundation and following the patch of least resistance.

I have no idea what I'm talking about so everything I just said may be wrong. I'll install guttering tonight or at least by the weekend and bring this thread back if I'm still leaking.

Thanks again to everyone's help.

 

Vinyl gutter from the local big box is too small for your rainfall. You need a 5" gutter with 4" downspouts at both ends. As for water coming thru the brick, not likely, and least not enough to cause your problem.

As to the suggestion that the vent pipe on the roof could be the problem, it is on the wrong side and way too far up, IMHO. A leak there would should up on the ceiling first.

 

I get a feeling that the gutters will assist. While you are checking things out, let's not forget about the window itself. If water is sheeting directly off the roof, then a lot of water will be traveling down and into the window area. I can't tell from the outside pics what type of window it is, but check the following:

-See that the caulking on the outside against the brick is in good order and there are no cracks, splits or voids that will let water in. Poke and pull a little at the bottom bead to see if any caulk is loose even though it may appear to be OK.

-Open up the window and look in the bottom corners closest to the brick sides. If they are replacement windows, make sure the installer did not place any screws in the bottom corners of the frame. There usually is a small plastic cover that you can slide up to see what is underneath.

-Also observe if there is evidence of waterspots on the window sill. Dirt and such will be seen. If the window has weep holes for drainage, make sure these are not clogged.

I believe that the water is coming in from the window area somewhere. The next time you get a driving rainstorm. Put on your guloshes, break out the umbrella and go out to this side of the house and watch what the water does. On the inside, see if you can tell which direction the water travels. Put a level on the ground and see if it is lower in the corner or near the window area. The water will be coming from the higher area and travel toward the lower area and pool (ie the corner).

Since there are no waterstains evident on the roof sheathing, the culprit is not the roof itself.

I believe the leak fix is a $2.00 tube of caulk, the $$ money fix is probably behind the sheetrock with wet insulation and rotten wall studs, mold and mildew. Hopefully, the baseplate was pressure treated.