Hey guys need help from a Home Builder/Contractor

[Tonyscoots84]

Hey everyone i need some advice from a qualified professional, if someone here is one.

My ceiling over my bay window sometimes leaks if we have hard driving rain. At first i thought it was the flashing above the bay window so i siliconed it completely. Then it happens again :sigh:.



ok so its def. not coming from the flashing so i inspected the window upstairs above the bay window and i come across this on both windows

right window





This piece that goes across the bottom can be easily lifted and i can see mortar from the bricks and an empty space


Left Window











There where holes in the mortar underneath the windows that i siliconed I don't know if i should have done that. But it has been leaking to my bay window ceiling for a very long time.



Any Help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I have already siliconed the sides of the windows where you see the holes on the bottom corners.

 

[cmantis]

Who built your house Marineland?

Just kidding. I wish I could help but I just play a home builder on the soap operas.

GLWR

 

[masterswimmer]

Hey T, Not an easy fix. It will require the removal of the window sill or flashing and repointing the mortar. If you just have the mortar repointed it's possible a driving rain will still get under and behind the sill.

 

[piranhapat]

Did you try using a hose and seeing if you can get a better read where the water is getting in. A lot people will say from above bay window. But a lot of times it's coming from somewhere else. Shoot the hose in two window sill above the Bay window.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Thanks guys. Im wondering if i silicone that plastic piece totally if that will buy me some time till next year and have it redone.

Piranha im honna try tom. Im 99% sure its coming from the sill below the window. Im also gonna have to cut a hole in the dry wall under that window as well. When i fixed tge bay window ceiling i remeber seeing the water coming in from the side of the bay window studs.

There was 2 or 3 holes in the mortar below the 2 windows they shouldnt of been siliconed i think for drainage correct. Is that how it is supposed to drain?

 

[masterswimmer]

There was 2 or 3 holes in the mortar below the 2 windows they shouldnt of been siliconed i think for drainage correct. Is that how it is supposed to drain?

If the water is getting behind the brick something is wrong. There shouldn't be any drain holes in the mortar for water to escape. It shouldn't have been there in the first place. You need to seal the gaps in the mortar underneath the sill.

 

[piranhapat]

I agree with masterswimmer. Cement and pointing the bricks around window sill is most important. Bay window should have small hole in the window frame. Some where near bottom. Most likely you have double panel windows which the holes are for venting so windows don't fog. There should be no drain holes.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Ok so yesterday after work i soaked and ran water up into the flashing and canopy. No water was found in the ceiling. Today im going to blast the windows and see what happens.

 

[piranhapat]

If you can't find leak. Check the roof .....Or maybe you fixed it with silicone..

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Ok so i found it. I blasted the bay window canopy yesterday and no leaks came up in the ceiling. Today i checked for the next suspect and it turns out the water was water falling from my bay window ceiling when i blasted the 2 top windows with water. i checked the other windows above the garage and they where siliconed. These have not been :sigh:.... Im just going to seat those white flashing nicely and seal it with solar seal for now to put an end to my headaches at the moment. Eventually next year i will have all the brick sills replaced with full sheet slate or whatever they use but one pc and all the way up to the window or underneath :sigh:

 

[piranhapat]

You can buy cement in tube and shoot it into opening and use water sealer on bricks. Your bricks don't look bad at all.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Ok guys well its fixed temporarily For now. I used osi quad crytal clear silicone to give me sometime before i replace the sill. Im gonna replace it with a full pc of slate probably next year. It will also be up against the bottom of the window not an 1" after. These builders, you would think they know the business :sigh:

I sprayed the windows down full force for 5 min a pc and not a drip of water :biggrin: