Home project woes - Need help...

[Chris Padilla]

Fix it right...caulk is not fixing it right IMO. Caulk will need to be replaced every couple of years.

[Todd Burch]

I would put metal flashing both above and below the windows. I would bevel cut all the intersections of the top rail, all stiles and the bottom rail @ 15 degrees to shed water as well.

Also, those nail holes in the cedar trim need to be caulked and painted.

Shame on him.

[Phil Thien]

I'm no pro, I'll defer to Todd.

Is all that casing just butt-jointed?

[Brian Elfert]

If caulking I would use something like an OSI Quad caulk. I'll let someone else answer if caulk is really the answer or not.

On further review of the photos it appears no flashing was used above the windows. I am pretty sure that is a big no-no. So what if the contractor has to tear off the cedar to fix it right? If it is still under warranty it is up to him to fix it properly. I wouldn't do a quick and dirty fix to avoid removing some wood to do it right.

[Raymond Fries]

This discovery today has left me feeling sick, frustrated, and extremely disappointed. This contractor had excellent reviews on Angie's list. I have spent hours now trying to find the problem that should not be there. The room leaks like crazy every time it rains.

Yes just butt joints on the cedar. I will post some closeup pictures tomorrow. I really need help to understand how this can be fixed so I do not get sold some shortcut easy fix.

How do I tell if there is flashing above the windows? If this a requirement or option?

The room was built 4 years ago and when the contractor was here looking at the problem, he was adamant that something had changed in the room because he said where the staining would be completely rotten if it had been leaking all this time. I do not agree with this. I think the windows were not sealed correctly when installed and it has been leaking all this time.

I got out the proposal to look for warranty info. All it says that can pertain to this problem is the following: "All material is guaranteed to be as specified. All work to be completed in a workmanlike manner according to standard practices."
It seems to me that if it leaks like crazy that it was not completed to standard practices. Correct?

I paid a lot of money for that room for my wife and I want it fixed correctly and not a quick and easy fix. Can the windows be sealed from the outside with flashing and silicone after the cedar is removed? She will be sick if she loses all of her plants again because of contractors.

[Phil Thien]

So the water is getting behind the vertical trim around the windows, right?

That is caulked now, right? Do you have a close-up pic or two of the vertical trim to the window transition?

I don't think the heads of your windows were flashed correctly, BTW. The house wrap should have been lifted during the window install, and then taped down over the top of flashing (the flashing at the head should be attached directly to the sheathing). That way water that gets behind the wrap above the window will come out on top of the flashing.

And no, z-flashing (at the head) isn't a requirement. It would be nice, though.

[Neil Gaskin]

Caulk is your first last line of defence, not your last or only. Phil was correct above with the house wrap detailing though Id say z bar is necessary and less than five bucks per 10 foot is pretty cheap. There should also be a sealing tape applied to the window flanges.

Post some pictures tomorrow, but I will summerize how we install windows to avoid such issues

Frame walls, wrap with house wrap, wrap house wrap into opening on sides and bottom and roll up the top, install the window, put caulking behind the nailing fin, tape the nailing fin with sealant tape starting with the two sides then the top, the top tape goes over the house wrap that you just pulled down and across the two the side pieces. Install the head trim with z bar, then the two sides, then bottom, we install flashing above the head trim board and tape it to the ouse wrap, then isntall siding. we also put slip flashing between butt seams in the siding.

In short, you should be able to hit the wall with water after you install the house wrap and window and have the window sealed and be water tight. Not to say you can leave it exposed and expect it to last, but it should be sealed at that point.

If youre leaking now, caulking is a band aid and will eventyally fail, beyond that paintable silicone isnt tbe best option here anyway.

[Phil Thien]

Just to be clear, I'm just saying z-channel isn't a code requirement unless the manufacturer of a window requires it.

I will defer to the pros here.

[Phil Thien]

I would put metal flashing both above and below the windows. I would bevel cut all the intersections of the top rail, all stiles and the bottom rail @ 15 degrees to shed water as well.

Also, those nail holes in the cedar trim need to be caulked and painted.

Shame on him.

How about removing the trim above and between the windows, and running a continuous Z all the way across, above the windows?

Furthermore, how about adding short pieces of drip edge at the bottom of the vertical trim between the windows?

[Kent Adams]

Neil,

Here are a couple pictures.
In Leak6, the paneling has water stain the full length of the room.
In Leak7, there is also water stain on the paneling the full length of the room. I pulled the baseboard loose on the back wall on the right end of the room in the picture (left inside of the room) and there is water stain in the corner. So based on your comments, I wonder if there is a leak at both corners up by the roof and the water is working its way down and traveling along the plate.



Thoughts please.Attachment 314890Attachment 314889

I kept shaking my head when you called it a greenhouse and were worried about the water leakage. I couldn't understand the pictures as part of a green house and then worrying over water? I own a Lord and Burnam green house and water is just part and parcel in a green house. What you have is a sunroom, not a green house, huge difference. Your space is cooled too much during the summer which causes condensation to form on the wall. What you need is a vapor barrier. This is a classic problem with sunrooms. Either shut off the A/C in that room, put in ceiling fans to cool or create a monster vapor barrier. I think the simplest solution would be to cut off the A/C to that room, put in a couple of ceiling fans as well as an exhaust fan near the top of the gable that is controlled by a thermometer (i.e. it will kick on at a certain temp.). Never ever condition the air space on a sunroom with a south facing wall. You're inviting all kinds of problems with that, including a huge mold production "plant".

If you've done all this already, then the problem is a leakage, but I suspect you have that room getting A/C based on the length of the water stains.

EDIT: I took another look at those stains. Now I'm thinking it could be the opposite. Perhaps you don't have an A/C problem, but its still condensation I believe. If the room is hot, but the ground is damp/wet, condensation will collect where the floor meets the ground, ruling out a bad slope as a possible cause. The ground would be cooler than the inside air, causing condensation to build up where the floor with the warmer air meets the damp ground. In this case, pulling up the floor and putting in a vapor barrier would help.

[Phil Thien]

If you've done all this already, then the problem is a leakage, but I suspect you have that room getting A/C based on the length of the water stains.

Read post #28, the water is coming in from outside.

[Kent Adams]

Read post #28, the water is coming in from outside.

Am I reading this wrong? Your post is number 14. Where is #28?

[Kent Adams]

I had to switch to "linear display" to see the comment. Thanks for the heads up.

[Neil Gaskin]

Phil,

I wasnt try to be rude, hope I didnt come across that way. This does appear to either be a flashing or barrier problem.

Neil

[Phil Thien]

Phil,

I wasnt try to be rude, hope I didnt come across that way. This does appear to either be a flashing or barrier problem.

Neil

I didn't read your response as rude at all.