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Bricklaying & Repointing

Mulitple leaking window lintels

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.04 PM

I have recently bought a 3 bed semi ex-council house (red 'London' brick) that was built approx 1950s... I have replaced all the windows (inc. frames) and one or two of the major concrete lintels that had cracked with time/age. I've noticed the pointing on the front of the house is a bit run down and there are one or two hairline cracks in the mortar in places all over the front wall. On the same front gable end wall of the house I have 5 windows, two upstairs bedroom windows and 3 downstairs windows (two slim ones either side of a large lounge window) - none are bay windows. During the recent severe weather I have noticed water leaking into the house at the two upstairs bedroom windows and the large downstairs lounge window. In all 3 cases the water appears to be coming in where the window UPVC frame meets the lintel but as the house is newly plastered it's difficult to see exactly where. I don't think this is a local leak (i.e. a missing roof tile) as the leaks are on several windows spread across the front of the house - which is the most exposed side! I've had the window company back who have re-done all the window seals and are adamant that the windows are not leaking. I have also had a builder take a look who thought the windows looked sound and suggested the water was either getting in around the lintels or coming through the brickwork/mortar - we checked the roof and that looks sound. The builder suggested re-pointing and then weather sealing the front of the house, OR rendering the front of the house. As either option is expensive (and not guaranteed to solve the issue!) I was wondering if anyone had any other thoughts about what I could do to solve the leaking windows/lintels? And of re-pointing/rendering which was the best option? Help please! PS (Sheffield).

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2 Answers

Anonymous user

Hi I came across the exact same problem on a job a few months ago, the customer had several people round to repoint, weatherseal and re-seal the windows on the back of their property and there were only leaks on the back wall windows. After my inspection of the bricks and windows, it was clear no water was getting in through the windows or bricks, it was in fact the roof that was the problem. I removed a few tiles from the first course that sits over the gutter and could see that the cavity insulation was soaking wet through, the felt that covers the cavity area had perished and was letting water in through the cavity soaking the insulation and working its way further down the wall to the window below, making it look like the windows were letting water in. To rectify this problem, I removed the 1st strip of felt and replaced with new, making sure the felt hung out in to the gutter. Underneath the felt I installed a "eaves guard protection system", these are simply plastic trays that sit under the felt and then bend in to the gutter, the depth of the eaves guard that goes underneath the felt is 300mm and the bend along the edge is 70mm ensuring any water penetration through the tile or felt would hit the plastic eaves guard and go directly in to the gutter. I replaced all the first course of tiles with new and there hasn't been a problem since. After a couple of weeks there were done small signs of damp where the wet insulation had transferred through, I placed heaters in the affected rooms to dry out the insulation and cured the damp patches by chiseling away the old plaster and patching back up. The eaves guard trays are 1500mm long and should cost no more than £2 - £3 each plus vat. Kind regards Jason

Answered9 January 2014

Lester Woods general builders ltd

Rating: 5 out of 5

Cirencester

Before you spend money on re rendering, I'm pretty sure the damp course which is over every window and door in your house has perished.....if the water is getting inside the window I'm sure it's because of this problem....you will have to get the out skin above the leaking window out...all away along the length of window and probably six inches either side, and about 12 inches above the top of window....expose the damp which is in the cavity and replace that cavity tray with a new one. Then rebuild the bricks or blocks above window. This will stop the water coming in.....I hope you understand this.

Answered9 January 2014