So,

A few nights ago, I was woken by a dripping sound. Long story short, it was pouring down outside an water was coming in at a fast drip at the top of my bedroom window, where the horizontal wooden liner meets the UPVC frame. As a quick fix, I chucked a couple of towels down to soak up the leak.

I’ve had a look at it in daylight and I can’t immediately see a cause. There’s no slates loose as far as I can see, no cracks or anything visible, no gaps in the sealant outside.

How do I go about fixing this? Will something as simple as a bead of silicone be sufficient, or is it likely to be something ‘bigger’ that I need to worry about?

Ideas?

Sort of depends where the water is coming in, but yes, if it is wind blown rain coming in a gap directly round the window frame, a frame sealant type silicone should fix it. The problem is you haven’t found a gap and you could do with finding it or else it’s trial and error.

The vertical part of the mortar in the brickwork above the window (externally) needs replacing. Have this area looked at, ground out and repointed. Wouldn’t hurt to put some brick sealant on that area IMO….

Have you been able to see around the top of the frame?

if you can get easy access with a hose I’d start at the bottom of the window and work your way up – it’ll be the easiest way to find out where it’s coming in. If the window and frame proves sound then, as hora says, start working your way up the brickwork and onto the roof.

Mortar, you say. Hmm.

There’s actually not a lot of mortar to see at that corner. You’ve got the window lintel, then the guttering almost immediately. If there is an issue with the mortar, it’s going to be behind the gutter I suspect.

Sigh. This is going to be expensive, isn’t it.

Actually,

I take that back – it might be a slate. Give me a sec whilst I upload some photos.

Mortar: It could be further up from the window- the high window drives the rain in. I bet it doesnt happen when it just rains?

So when you look (up a ladder)- unless you have a bloody good camera! look higher up above the window..

Mine needs doing. Its bloody ruined the freshly decorated wall internally..

Whoah there son. Lets have a few more details before we go fetching guttering off an grinding joints out!! Firstly, new or old house? Secondly felt under tiles/slates? Could easily be wind blown rain driving onto bottom section of roof and getting into the cavity in the absence of a tray! From your op I presume wooden liner is lintel? If so I’m guessing old house? How tight is the window into the eaves??

I’m thinking slates. Third pic, there’s one missing.

Old house, late 1800s terrace. Felt, no idea. Cavity, what? Lintel is stone, wooden liner inside. Windows are ‘relatively’ new, fitted maybe 11-12 years back. Tight, eaves, not sure what you mean.

Ah! Totally different.

I was thinking a brick built house with a bit of room (like mine- circa 2-3m’s of brickwork above the actual window)

I’m thinking LOL! It’s all over the shop.

Slates – tick
Gutter join – tick
Mortar between bricks – tick
Movement at lintel level – tick

Tube of mastic isn’t going to sort that one. 🙂

either your roof or your window are at a hell of an angle to the horizontal!

joint on guttering leaking and water running down the wall and in through the missing mortar bit?

I’m thinking LOL! It’s all over the shop.

Yeah, it’s a lot easier to see through a zoom lens. You don’t know the half of it..!

The ‘lintel movement’ thing worries me though. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

either your roof or your window are at a hell of an angle to the horizontal!

Window’s level – the street’s on a hill.

joint on guttering leaking and water running down the wall and in through the missing mortar bit?

Could be, though I’m 99% sure the gutter isn’t actually leaking.

Err no offence but the old slates could perhaps do with a little look at. Wherever you can see a nail there’s a slate missing and I can see a few 😯 Is the gutter wooden? The eaves are the lowest point of the roof where it projects over the wall. To be honest there’s a multitude of issues that could be causing the problem. There won’t be any felt under those so it will more than likely be driving rain literally getting through the roof and running straight onto the wooden lintel above your window. This will be a structural piece (well back then) of timber that’s assisting carrying the weight of the roof, hence it needs a bit of looking at I’m afraid. 😐

Start with the slates, the missing one but also the ones down and to the left three, four and five courses below. Big chunk out of one and others not sitting flat. If that solves it temporarily, worry about the other stuff in the spring, but it does need sorting.

Good luck. My roof is leaking in 2 places – hoping it’s just the lead flashing around the former window and chimney. I’ve also got water coming through the wall somehow on the gable end. Quotes for rerendering do not make pleasant reading, and who knows what else needs doing. I’ve got a horrible suspicion that the cavity insulation is a big part of the problem. Moan over, sorry Cougar!

Somewhere in Yorkshire/Lancashire btw? Maybe Bradford/halifax

Lintel moving, not much, but it’s an old house and because it’s a long lintel compared to short bricks, a little bit of movement causes the mortar to crack along the whole length, and gaps in mortar close to the ends to be bigger than they would be on a plain wall with the same degree of movement. It’s an old house and the pointing looks at least as old as the upvc, so I don’t see anything you would call subsidence or structural problems, just needs a repoint every few decades.

Somewhere in Yorkshire/Lancashire btw? Maybe Bradford/halifax

Hah, almost. East Lancs.

It’s an old house and the pointing looks at least as old as the upvc,

I suspect the pointing is considerably older. I had the windows fitted, the pointing is at least 30 years old at a conservative guesstimate.

Anyway, I’ve just rung a roofer, anyhoo. He’s coming round this afternoon to have a look.

Cheers all. I feel a bit daft for asking now, should’ve cracked out the camera in the first place.

As builder imo its more than likely coming from the roof.to be a constant heavy drip it’s got to be a fair flow of water and there’s plenty of gaps in them there slates. good luck.

Don’t worry about the lintel, structurally it’s doing **** all now and never was. It was originally placed there to carry the coursing above which when gone off will in theory not move a great deal. Good call with the roofer tho, it’s a problem that needs sorting sooner rather than later due to water ingress on your roof timbers. Best of luck!!

Good old Accrington…

We had the same on our terrace…

Got the local roofer in and he squared it away..

I’ll try and dig out his number..

TBH, any ‘good tradesmen’ contact details would be gratefully received. In the space of a week I’ve managed to lock my keys in the car, had the central heating pack in, the washing machine die and now this. Joy.

Just had a lengthy chat to the roofer, seems like I’ve hit paydirt with him. Knows his stuff and sounds totally honest. Just waiting for a break in the rain so that he can come do the job.

http://www.mybuilder.com/profile/view/buildingroofingservices