Leaking something, damaged walls/ceiling

Hello & help!

I am trying to locate & correct a leak that I have had in my house for years. Every time I think I've found the culprit, the area stays dry for a few months (or even years), then leaks again.
The leak is showing itself on the basement wall & ceiling of a 3-story townhouse. No damage to either of the top two floors.
The roof has been replaced, and the problem has been consant before & after the replacement. It only seems to happen after a very hard, wind blown rain. The gutter on that side of the house has always dropped water directly in front of a sliding glass door that is directly over the area that shows damage (the gutter appears to be in good shape & is clear of debris). However, I have patched all around this door & even replaced it at one point. I have a deck above the problem area. It, too, has been replaced during the time.
I called one roofer explained all this, and he declined to come out because he said the problem would not be the roof. He has never seen water skip two floors without showing itself somewhere in between.
Sooo - does it sound like it could be the roof? Or what other things may it be? If not a roofer, who should I call? I'd love to fix it myself, but that hasn't worked out so well.
Any, any, any help would be wonderful. Thanks.

T89

 

Welcome to the forums!

I tend to agree with the roofer. What kind of siding do you have? If you have a drop ceiling it is possible there could be a void at the top of the foundation, probably where the sill plate sets on the foundation.

 

I'd also suspect a siding leak, especially if you have vinyl, steel or aluminum siding. Probably getting in around a window or door opening, or around your deck ledger.

I'd suspect the first window, door or deck that is above the area where the leak is showing up. First thing I'd do is remove some siding below the window, door or deck and see if the sheathing in the area is rotton due to constant wetting or if there are signs of water coming from higher up.

 

Thank you both for the fast replies.
The townhouse is brick. The area directly above the water damage is a sliding glass door & a window (although that is off to the side), and a deck. The door has a brick step that I've patched a few spots on. The door and deck have been replaced, and the problem occured both before & after replacement. Next to the door, there is a vent for the stove.
When it rains hard, water from the gutter overflows & lands right in front of the door.
I've always thought that the problem was in the door area, but haven't been able to stop it. You both agree with the roofer? It's most likely NOT the roof making its way down? That's a relief.... I guess.
Marksr - could you explain about the drop ceiling? I don't think I have one, but I'm not sure.
Thanks!

T89

 

I can't a imagine a roof leak that would NOT be showing up at the patio door, window or vent, and instead be showing up at the bottom floor.

I assume the deck is free standing, separate from the brick? How is the seal where the patio door meets the brick threshold?

 

xsleeper, are you saying that if it WAS a roof leak, it would show at the top of the door, not below it? That would make sense to me, which is why I always looked at the door as the most likely problem. But, I could never find it so I thought I should look elsewhere.
The deck is freestanding, but (and I'm not sure about this & it's 2am, so I can't really check right now) I think there is a board that is drilled into the brick. But - those holes would be BELOW the damaged areas, I believe, and under the deck.
The seal between the brick & metal has been sealed, re-sealed, and sealed some more over the years. I'm going to go out this weekend & really poke around to see if I can find a spot I may have missed.
Now, as to how to check for leaks... I'm planning on hosing down one area at a time for an hour or so & watching the walls to see if I get anything. Is there an easier way?

T89

 

This kind of rare water infiltration may not leave a trace where it passed, so I wouldn't rule out the door.

Agree it's unlikely the roof.

Also, most flashing/weatherproofing (e.g. siding) is vulnerable to water traveling against gravity. Like that gutter overflow bouncing off the deck. ...Or when yahoos aim a pressure washer up at a house.

 

"could you explain about the drop ceiling?"

Also called a suspended ceiling - 2x2 or 2x4 removable panels that are dropped into a metal grid work. Since you have a brick facade, that rules out a gap between the sill and foundation.

I would assume the water is getting in from an extreme angle - maybe if you lay on the deck and look up. Would a larger gutter stop it from overflowing?

 

The first thing I would do is fix the "gutter" problem. Is water "overflowing" the gutter because it is undersized, clogged, mis-pitched or improperly connected to the downspouts? Is water "overshooting" the gutter because it is installed too low for the roof's pitch? Is there a problem with the drip edge or shingle overhang? Something else?

There are lots of ways water could be getting into a masonry veneer wall and thence to the basement, but water spillage from the gutter and onto the wall and the ground adjacent to the foundation is a very strong candidate to be a contributing factor to all of them.

 

Well, the gutter is always clear when I go up there, so it's not that. The shingles hang over the edge of the roof into the gutter, so I think that's good. But as for the pitch & the rest, I guess instead of a roofer I'll check into someone to replace/fix the gutter & finally get rid of that part of the problem.

T89